Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
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Gettysburg is a borough 38 miles (68 km) south by southwest of Harrisburg in Adams County, Pennsylvania, USA, of which it is the county seatTemplate:GR. As of the 2000 census, the borough's population was 7,490.
Although known primarily as an attraction due to its proximity to Gettysburg Battlefield, Gettysburg is also known for its institutions of higher learning, namely the Lutheran Theological Seminary, founded in 1826, and Pennsylvania College (now Gettysburg College), which began operating in 1832. Harrisburg Area Community College also has a campus.
Many roads radiate from Gettysburg, providing hub-like access to Baltimore (52 miles/84 kilometers), Harrisburg (38 miles/61kilometers), Carlisle (30 miles/48 kilometers), Frederick and Hagerstown, Maryland (25 and 30 miles, or 40 and 48 kilometers, respectively), and Washington, D.C. (90 miles/145 kilometers). Chambersburg is 25 miles west on the Lincoln Highway (U.S. Route 30), the first transcontinental U.S. highway. Today the borough is a 2½ hour drive from Philadelphia via the Pennsylvania Turnpike and U.S. Route 15. Gettysburg Regional Airport, a small general aviation airport, is located 2 miles (4 km) west of Gettysburg.
History
In 1736, the land now comprising the center of Adams County was purchased from the Iroquois by the family of William Penn. At that time, the area was known as Marsh Creek, named for the main tributary. Many of these were Scots-Irish who had fled Northern Ireland to escape English persecution. In 1761, A Scots-Irish settler, Samuel Gettys, established a tavern in the area. In 1776, the oldest standing building in Gettysburg, the Dobbin House Tavern, was constructed. In 1786, Gettys' son James laid out a town of 210 lots with a central town square on the land surrounding the tavern. The borough is the county seat of Adams County, which was formed in 1800 from the western section of York County. Gettysburg was incorporated as a borough in 1806. It sits in the shadow of South Mountain, eight miles west of the town, and is framed by Marsh Creek to the west/southwest and Rock Creek to the east/southeast. In 1830, Gettysburg had a population of 1,473. By 1840 it had grown to 1,908. By 1860, the town of Gettysburg had grown to 2,400 citizens. Ten roads lead into the town, creating a few small but thriving industries and many fertile farms surrounding the towns. Approximately 450 buildings housed carriage manufacturing, shoemakers, and tanneries as well as the usual merchants, banks and taverns. There were also several educational institutions. The population of Gettysburg in 1900 was 3,495; in 1910 it was 4,030 and in 1940 the population was 5,916.
An early history of Adams County stated:
- The inhabitants are industrious and enterprising, many of whom are devoted to mechanical pursuits, and particularly to the manufacture of carriages of every description, a branch of business which has been commenced here since 1817.
Civil War and the Battle of Gettysburg
During the Civil War (1861–65), Company K, 1st Pennsylvania Reserves, was made up of men from Gettysburg. This unit was present in the Army of the Potomac during the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1–3, 1863. As nearly 160,000 soldiers descended on the small village, the battle raged all around and through the town, resulting in the death of the only civilian killed in the battle, Jenny Wade. On July 1, the Theological Seminary was the scene of much heavy fighting, and the Seminary buildings—as well as those of Pennsylvania College and most other public and many private buildings—were used as hospitals. President Abraham Lincoln visited the town in November 1863 to attend the dedication ceremony of the Soldiers' National Cemetery, where he gave his Gettysburg Address.
Reunions
In the summer of 1913, the 50th anniversary of the battle, 54,000 veterans attended a massive reunion of the Blue and Gray in Gettysburg.
The final reunion of the Blue and Gray to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the battle took place from June 26–July 6, 1938. More than 1,800 veterans were able to attend the reunion, which included the dedication of the Eternal Light Peace Memorial on Oak Hill by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on July 3, 1938. An estimated 250,000 people witnessed the dedication. The memorial still stands today and is a popular tourist attraction.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
During the First World War (1914–18), Gettysburg was the site of Camp Colt, a tank-training camp. The camp's commander was a young captain, Dwight D. Eisenhower. Eisenhower was taken by the bucolic beauty; in 1950 he purchased the John Biesecker farm, just west of the Confederate positions on Seminary Ridge. The farm served as a presidential retreat, the Western White House, and meeting place for world leaders, including Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, French President Charles De Gaulle, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and then-Governor Ronald Reagan. The National Park Service preserves the Eisenhower farm as Eisenhower National Historic Site.
Gettysburg today
Gettysburg is a thriving town and rural community with a strong tourism sector. Within the town borough, Gettysburg College is an important element, the college regularly hosts cultural opportunities in the town and has many useful facilities. Gettysburg is also known as the capital of satanism in the united states. Numerous orchards, especially apples, are present in the surrounding area and so an annual Apple Blossom Festival as well as the National Apple Harvest Festival are held in nearby Biglerville by an area fruitgrowers association. Gettysburg's primary industry is tourism, as nearly two million visitors arrive each year to visit Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site, both maintained and operated by the National Park Service.
Casino proposal
During 2006 there was debate about the proposed construction of a casino less than two miles outside of Gettysburg near the intersection of U.S. Route 15 and U.S. Route 30 in Straban Township, Pennsylvania, not far from the East Cavalry Field battle site. Legislation enacted in 2005 known as "Act 71" permitted up to 60,000 slot machines to be located in casinos throughout the state in an effort to offset high property taxes. One of two available casino licenses was pursued by Chance Enterprises Inc. and Millennium Management Group for their proposed "Crossroads Gaming Resort & Spa". Many of Gettysburg's residents and tourists believed that a casino near Gettysburg and the resulting increase in traffic would have had a negative impact on Gettysburg's hallowed ground. A group called "No Casino Gettysburg," made up of local citizens as well as students and faculty of Gettysburg College, was formed to lobby against the proposal. On April 3, 2006, the Gettysburg borough council voted by 6–3 to support the proposal.[1]
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) began hearings on the proposal on April 5, 2006, at Gettysburg College. A second hearing was held on April 7, 2006 in Harrisburg and a third and final hearing occurred on May 17, 2006 at Gettysburg College.[2] On August 23, 2006, the board announced that it intended to reach a final decision on the casino proposal by December 20, 2006.[3] On that date, the PGCB opted not to award Crossroads a casino license, effectively killing the proposal. Crossroads' president soon announced that he will not appeal the decision (Gettysburg Times, December 22, 2006). In February 2007, the activist group, No Casino Gettysburg, disbanded.
Geography
Gettysburg is located at 39°49′45″N 77°14′3″W / 39.82917°N 77.23417°WTemplate:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 4.3 km² (1.6 mi²), of which 4.2 km² (1.6 mi²) is land and none of the area is covered with water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 7,490 people, 2,541 households, and 1,229 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,763.4/km² (4,562.3/mi²). There were 2,759 housing units at an average density of 649.5/km² (1,680.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough was 85.46% White, 5.79% Black or African American, 0.37% Native American, 1.28% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 4.67% from other races, and 2.38% from two or more races. 8.02% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 2,541 households out of which 22.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.6% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.6% were non-families. 42.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the borough the population was spread out with 16.2% under the age of 18, 36.2% from 18 to 24, 19.1% from 25 to 44, 15.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 23 years. For every 100 females there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.1 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $29,840, and the median income for a family was $40,489. Males had a median income of $30,341 versus $21,111 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $14,157. About 13.2% of families and 19.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.0% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.
Media
- The Gettysburg Times, a daily newspaper.
- Raices De Todos, a bilingual monthly cultural magazine, serves the city's growing Latino/Hispanic population.
- The Evening Sun, a daily newspaper.
Colleges and universities
- Gettysburg College
- Harrisburg Area Community College (Gettysburg Campus)
- Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg
Sister Cities
Gettysburg has one sister city, as designated by Sister Cities International.
External links
- Gettysburg.com
- Gettysburg Times
- Gettysburg Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Gettysburg Photographs.com (NPS Auto Tour Map linked to photogalleries)
Bibliography
- The History and Topography of Dauphin, Cumberland, Franklin, Bedford, Adams, and Perry Counties Lancaster City, PA: Gilbert Hills, 1846.
Municipalities and communities of Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States | ||
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