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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 . As of the 2000 census, the
borough's population was 7,490.
Although known primarily as a tourist 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 in Gettysburg.
Many roads radiate from Gettysburg, providing hub-like access to
Baltimore (52 miles),
Harrisburg (38 miles),
Carlisle (30 miles),
Frederick and
Hagerstown, Maryland (25 and 30 miles, respectively), and
Washington, D.C. (90 miles).
Chambersburg is 25 miles west on the
Lincoln Highway (
U.S. Route 30), the first transcontinental U.S. highway. Today the town is a 2½ hour drive from
Philadelphia via the
Pennsylvania Turnpike and
U.S. Route 15.
History
thumb|The "Valley of Death" as seen from Little Round Top in Gettysburg National Military ParkIn
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
settlers 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, his 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. American Civil War and the Battle of Gettysburg
During the
American 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
thumb|200px|A Confederate veteran and a Union veteran at the 50th anniversary of the battleIn 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. 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
There is current 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" would permit 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 is being pursued by Chance Enterprises Inc. and
Millennium Management Group for their proposed "Crossroads Gaming Resort & Spa". Many of Gettysburg's residents and tourists believe that a casino near Gettysburg and the resulting increase in traffic would have 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, has been formed to lobby against the proposal.
On
April 3,
2006, the Gettysburg borough council voted by 6–3 to support the proposal.
http://www.eveningsun.com/fastsearchresults/ci_3671429The Pennsylvania
Gaming Control Board began hearings on the proposal on
April 5,
2006, at Gettysburg College. A second hearing was held on
April 7 in Harrisburg and a third and final hearing occurred on
May 17 at Gettysburg College.
http://www.gettysburgtimes.com/headlines/news/051806/front1.htm On
August 23 the board announced that it intends to reach a final decision on the casino proposal by
December 20,
2006.
http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-a1_5slotsaug24,0,7251517.storyGeography
Gettysburg is located at coor .
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
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
*
http://www.gettysburgtimes.com The Gettysburg Times, a daily newspaper.
*
Raices De Todos, a bilingual monthly cultural magazine, serves the city's growing Latino/Hispanic population.
Colleges and universities
*
Gettysburg College*
Harrisburg Area Community College (Gettysburg Campus)
*
Lutheran Theological Seminary at GettysburgExternal links
*
http://www.gettysburg.com/ Gettysburg.com*
http://www.gettysburgtimes.com/ Gettysburg Times*
http://www.gettysburgcvb.org/ Gettysburg Convention & Visitors Bureau Bibliography
*
The History and Topography of Dauphin, Cumberland, Franklin, Bedford, Adams, and Perry Counties Lancaster City, PA: Gilbert Hills, 1846.
Adams County,
Category:Adams County, PennsylvaniaCategory:Boroughs in PennsylvaniaCategory:Pennsylvania in the American Civil WarCategory:Battle Fields of the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil Warde:Gettysburgfr:Gettysburgko:게티즈버그
