Chickies Ridge

Chickies Ridge is a long ridge in West Hempfield Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, terminating at the west end in an outcropping overlooking the Susquehanna River, known as Chickies Rock.GeologyPart of an eastward extension of the Hellam Hills, Chickies Ridge has been separated from them by a water gap cut by the Susquehanna. The ridge is composed of uplifted Cambrian Chickies Formation, which extends several miles east before merging into the surrounding uplands. Chickies Rock, at the west end overlooking the river, is the largest exposed anticline on the East Coast. According to the USGS, the summit of the ridge is 587 feet (179 m) above sea level.Chickies Creek runs along the north side of the ridge towards the western end, while Jones Run runs along the south side towards the western end.HistoryThe name of the area comes from the Susquehannock or Conestoga Indian term Ka'ot'sch'ie'ra, which means "Place-crayfish." The surrounding area, including the large rock wall or promontory that overlooks the Susquehanna River, between modern Marietta and Columbia, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, was also called Ka'ot'sch'ie'ra by the native people . The word "Conestoga" comes from the native term Gan'ochs'a'go'jat'ga, which means "roof." As such, it was their word for "town." The Len'api would later call the area Scha'hamu'is'ing or "Crawfish-place."