From Tragedy to Tourism: The Battle of Gettysburg and Consumerism
by
Megan A. Conrad
A Project in American Studies
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for a Master of Arts Degree
in American Studies
The Pennsylvania State University at Harrisburg
December 2015
Author’s Signature _______________________________________________
Megan A. Conrad
First Reader’s Signature____________________________________________
John Haddad, Ph.D.
Second Reader’s Signature__________________________________________
Charles Kupfer, Ph.D.
Program Chair’s Signature___________________________________________
Simon Bronner, Ph.D.
I grant The Pennsylvania State University the nonexclusive right to use this work for the
University’s own purposes and to make single copies of the work available to the public on a
not-for-profit basis if copies are not otherwise available.
_______________________________________________
Megan A. Conrad
Abstract
From Tragedy to Tourism: The Battle of Gettysburg and Consumerism
Megan A. Conrad
M.A., American Studies; December 2015
The Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg
John Haddad, Ph.D., First Reader
Gettysburg, a small town in Adams County, Pennsylvania served as the site for a major
Civil War battle that forever changed history and the town. Within days after the last shot fired,
people from other regions and states flocked to the town of only 2,400 residents. Responding
both to the influx of visitors and the need to preserve the battle, townspeople set up a memorial
association to facilitate preservationist efforts, establish guidelines for monuments, and aid in the
transformation to the battlefield we see today. At the same time, residents became aware that the
tourists in town needed places to stay, food to eat, and goods to purchase. They responded by
building an embryonic tourist infrastructure that proceeded to expand and evolve as the decades
passed. This thesis tells the story of how Gettysburg erected a vast tourism infrastructure around
the battlefield that included guided tours, improved transportation, and entertainment. Though
the consumer-oriented nature of this tourism industry has attracted its share of critics, I argue the
other side of this debate: the consumerism actually enhances Gettysburg’s educational value
because visitors receive the history packaged into easy-to-understand stories and fun activities.
Ghost tours, amusement parks, and theatrical battlefield bus tours provide tourists with a
experience superior to the stripped-down tourist model favored by purists: guests walking
through the battlefield and reading the monuments. Tourist towns are constantly transforming to
respond to the needs of their visitors. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania offers a perfect example as to
how tourism and history can weave together to form a vacation destination that entertains as it
educates.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .............................................................................................................. v
INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 1
Chapter 1. TRANSITIONS: FROM QUIET TOWN TO TOURISM HUB .................................. 9
Introducing the Town of Gettysburg ......................................................................................... 10
Preserving the Park.................................................................................................................... 12
Town Pride and Catering to Consumers ................................................................................... 15
Structures, Services, and Monuments ....................................................................................... 17
Moving Forward in Preservation .............................................................................................. 19
Looking Forward, Honoring the Past ........................................................................................ 21
Chapter 2. IMMERSED IN HISTORY: EXPERIENCING THE BATTLEFIELD ..................... 24
Railways Improving or Ruining Historic Ground ..................................................................... 25
The Electric Trolley Railway .................................................................................................... 27
Personalizing the Experience with Automobiles ...................................................................... 29
Impressive Tours by Way of Guides and Buses ....................................................................... 31
Options Beyond Battlefield Tours............................................................................................. 34
What’s next?.............................................................................................................................. 36
Chapter 3. PARANORMAL, PARKS, AND PURCHASBLE FUN ........................................... 38
Supernatural, Super History ...................................................................................................... 39
Playtime in the Park .................................................................................................................. 42
Hotels and Healing Water ......................................................................................................... 45
A Thematic Thrilling Time ....................................................................................................... 46
The Finale .................................................................................................................................. 49
CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................. 51
iv
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many people influenced and supported me through this project and my degree. First,
thank you to the faculty and staff of the American Studies program at Penn State Harrisburg. All
of my professors pushed me to do my absolute best, encouraged new ideas, and opened me up to
new ways of thinking. I am forever grateful to all the knowledge they’ve shared. Thank you to
my thesis readers, Dr. John Haddad and Dr. Charles Kupfer, who guided me through this degree
and this project. Thank you to the Humanities department who awarded me a Graduate Assistant
position, allowing me to focus on my degree and gain valuable skills in higher education that I
could never receive in a different job. For my last semester support, I thank the wonderful staff
of the Development and Alumni Relations department who boosted my confidence when I was
struggling and gave me days off for research. This project was inspired by many trips to
Gettysburg (and even more trips as I was researching) with my friends, Ian, Taylor, Megan, and
Evan. Thank you to my parents, John and Joycelyn, for supporting me when days were rough,
and delivering my favorite food during crunch times. To my brother, Zach, thank you for
providing the perfect about of fun and crazy when I needed it. Lastly, I thank my wonderful
husband, Matt. I am truly blessed to have someone who loves me, supports me, believes me, and
encourages me to be my absolute best, no matter how tired, irritable, or happy I am. Thank you
for the unconditional love. F&A.
v
INTRODUCTION
“Pew-Pew! I GOT YOU!” screams a young boy dressed in his olive green uniform,
pointing his finger while holding his arm as though it is a sharpshooter gun. “I’m on YOUR side
you can’t shoot me!” demands his friend who is on the other side of the large rock. Within a few
minutes, fifteen more uniform-clad Boy Scouts are climbing over the large rocks of Devil’s Den
acting out a battle between Union and Confederate soldiers. As my friends and I attempt to
explore the large rocks and the nook-and-cranny hiding places, a park ranger informs the boys
that they need to regroup at the bottom, near the road, for their special presentation. Luckily for
my friends, we get to overhear the personalized tour the Boy Scouts are given by sitting on the
edge of the large, reddish-brown rock. The boys are quietly, intently listening to the stories of
men in blue and grey who waged their war here over one hundred fifty years ago. My group of
twenty-somethings climbs back into the black Jeep SUV to travel to the next stop on the Auto
Tour, following the road that leads us to the next red star on the map of the battlefield we picked
up at the Visitors Center. That, in a snapshot, is tourism at Gettysburg.
Without tourism in Gettysburg, our exploration of the battlefield from the comfort of our
air conditioned SUV would only be a dream. Acres of preserved ground where America’s
ancestors fought would not exist. Perhaps we would be walking through a shopping center or
residential community instead of learning about the pivotal battle. Fortunately, Gettysburg
residents insured their town evolved along a different trajectory. Gettysburg quickly grew into a
tourist attraction, allowing people from near and far to learn the history of the battle in a variety
of enticing ways. Even before the Confederates slunk back to the South, visitors from other
states and regions started flocking to the monumental town with Gettysburg citizens catering to
1
their needs and wants. This thesis tells the story of tourism of Gettysburg from 1863 to the
present. It argues that consumerism, though often maligned by critics, has actually served to
enhance the educational experience afforded by the battlefield. This thesis will argue that
consumerism, which ultimately became the tourism of Gettysburg and the battlefield, enhances
learning experiences and retells history in a provocative, memorable way.
Indeed, Gettysburg’s rise as a tourist Mecca is a compelling story. In my thesis, I explore
how Gettysburg developed from the expansive tourist infrastructure around the battlefield to
include more than only monuments and paths through the historic ground. My chapters explore
the immediate response from locals, prompting the formation of an association focused on
battlefield preservation. I also cover how the town developed accessible and thrilling options to
consume the town and its history. Licensed guides, detailed maps, theatrical recordings, and
battlefield bus tours immerse visitors to the land where men fought and lost their lives. Ghost
tours spook those seeking a supernatural experience, all the while learning civilian history.
Amusement parks both on and off the battlefield excite children, convincing their families to stay
in the historic town for vacation.
Interestingly, tourism began almost immediately following the conclusion of the battle.
After the battle, people flocked to the small, county seat town to find their loved ones who may
have been wounded or killed, or simply to see the magnificence of battle. Some residents felt
overwhelmed. A town of only two thousand four hundred people was bombarded by 160,000
soldiers and gunfire through the battle, then immediately after the battle an influx of visitors
besieged through town. Needless to say, the people of Gettysburg never saw their town return to
the quiet whispers of before. A few residents gained profits from the overflow of outsiders, as
some charged visitors to sleep in their homes, serving as makeshift bed and breakfasts. Bad press
2
exposed some residents who charged wounded soldiers and families of deceased soldiers for
glasses of water and pieces of bread. The bad press continued for years after 1863, as newspapers
told of reunion visitors and veterans exploited by Gettysburg citizens. People from other towns
in the north did not believe that a town where so much pain, suffering, and death occurred should
profit from the turmoil. Jim Weeks, who wrote Gettysburg: Memory, Market, and an American
Shrine, expresses his distaste for how the community of Gettysburg expanded the consuming of
the battlefield: “Townspeople knew their town had made history, and that history as displayed on
an epical landscape could be packed and sold.”1
In response to the criticism, Gettysburg town boosters wanted to improve the visitors’
experience to the battlefield. Hoping to increase profits for its citizens and improve the overall
commerce of the town. They organized special committees to handle any and all aspects of a
visitor’s needs. Town boosters encouraged residents to open their homes to various visitors, but
also charge for a profit, especially for when people came in to town six short months after the
battle for the dedication to the Soldier’s National Cemetery.2 In the few early months, most of
the visitors to the battlefield were veterans who may have fought there or family members who
had lost a loved one. One can, in a way, sympathize with the newspapers publishing bad press of
residents exploiting the visitors. But the bad press did not slow down the town’s preservation or
improvement techniques. The ultimate goal of townspeople was to make sure visitors enjoyed
their stay and understood the impact of what happened to their town.
In 1865, springs were discovered on the battlefield near Willoughby Run. Veterans from
the battle claimed the springs had healing powers, and a Pennsylvania College (now Gettysburg
College) professor performed a study on the water and found it to have “lithia,” a rare mineral
known to be therapeutic. The Katalysine Springs Company quickly formed and used the springs
3
as a spa destination. To help the springs become a relaxing atmosphere, David Wills, a
Gettysburg lawyer and supporter of accommodating the outsiders visiting town, built a hotel
connected to the spa. The four-story building could keep three hundred visitors happy, as the
resort included a cupola for observing the battlefield, an artificial lake, beautiful landscaping,
billiard room, bowling alley, and bathing rooms. Springs Hotel was often used a venue for social
events such as cotillions and balls. The hotel had a few great seasons during the 1870s and
1880s, but the spa closed its doors in the 1890s. From then on the hotel’s guest count
continuously dropped causing the building to eventually close. It then burned down in 1917.3
The Gettysburg Springs Hotel promised a relaxing oasis, something that many viewed as
inappropriate on a battlefield where so many men lost their lives. McConaughy and Wills were
getting the visitors they hoped for as they aimed for and built a resort town. Jim Weeks again felt
rather put off by the consumerism of early Gettysburg tourism, stating, “No one hinted at the
incompatibility between a genteel resort and battles memory.”4 Weeks’s complaint
notwithstanding, consumerism in a war town was not necessarily a bad thing. High volumes of
visitors to the town meant that history was being shared in new ways, while also providing a
boost to the town’s economy. Gettysburg would continue to transform through the years until it
became what visitors see today.
How did we get from then to now? The story of the development of tourism
infrastructure at Gettysburg is the subject of this thesis. To tell this story, I had first to locate
primary materials. My search for documents started at the Adams County Historical Society
located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Here an assortment of primary documents allowed me to
investigate the changes of the town and the preservation of the battlefield. By browsing through
photographs, newspaper clippings, maps of the town, advertisements for attractions, as well as
4
other documents, I was able to locate the materials to bring to life the transformation of the small
town into the tourist hub. Each document used contributes to the overall understanding of how
visitors to the monumental town enhanced their appreciation and knowledge of the battle and the
history. The townspeople of Gettysburg invested into their town, and to preserving its history,
while growing as a vacation destination, offering entertainment and history in an intertwined
package, appealing to guests young and old.
A few authors have touched on consumerism in Gettysburg and how tourism has
impacted the small town. First, the aforementioned Jim Weeks analyzes and describes how
Gettysburg has changed over time. In his book, Gettysburg: Memory, Market, and an American
Shrine (2003), Weeks focuses on how the small town coped with first an influx of soldiers
during the battle, thousands of wounded and dead, and finally a flood of visitors wanting to find
their loved ones or simply explore the battlefield. Weeks explains that the town quickly turned
into a tourism town by establishing ways to memorialize the battle while also turning a profit. He
argues that the tourism can hurt the history as well transform the town from something that
should be remembered as a tragedy to a town catering to outsiders and gaining profit. Through
his argument, Weeks brings to light early consumerism of the battlefield, noting the amusement
parks, souvenir stands, tour guides, and newly built hotels—all previously left out of scholarly
discussion of the battle. Though Jim Weeks deemed the expansion of the tourism industry in
Gettysburg sacrilegious, I argue that tourism has encouraged visitors to learn history in new and
inviting ways while helping the town prosper economically.
In similar ways as Weeks, Amy J. Kinsel’s essay, “From Turning Point to Peace
Memorial: A Cultural Legacy,” focuses on the transition of Gettysburg from a major point in the
Civil War to the tourism town one can visit today.5 She argues that only after the battle did
5
Gettysburg begin to be referred to as the “High Water Mark” or turning point in the war. She
also argues that President Abraham Lincoln’s visit during the dedication of the National
Cemetery catapulted Gettysburg into a location worth visiting. Another author who touches on
the transition of Gettysburg over time, Glenn W. LaFantasie, explains how Lincoln helped to
define the town in his famous Gettysburg Address by proclaiming it as a memorial place. In
“Gettysburg and the American Mind,” LaFantasie explores how the War Department altered the
town to become a tourist attraction based on patriotism and explores the various additions to the
town and battlefield to help the tourists learn of the battle, such as the electric railcar, monuments
for both North and South, and streets through the battlefield. Though LaFantasie and Kinsel have
added to our knowledge of Gettysburg tourism, they tend to restrict their focus on Gettysburg as
a site of military history. Neither branches out, as I do, to analyze the less official parts of the
Gettysburg tourism complex, such as ghost tours, a former hotel and spa, and amusement parks.
In her book, On a Great Battlefield: The Making, Management, and Memory of
Gettysburg National Military Park, 1933-2012, Jennifer M. Murray provides more insight on the
transformation of Gettysburg into the National Park tourists trek through today. Murray
discusses the process of preserving the battlefield and analyzes the administration of the National
Park Service (NPS), looking closely at important decisions they made. Her analysis begins with
NPS takeover of the battlefield site in 1933, informing readers of modern decisions made to
preserve the battlefield and restore the land back to its 1863 appearance. One of her chapters
focuses on the more recent goals of the NPS mission to show the causes and consequences of the
Civil War through their battlefield properties, including Gettysburg. They shifted Gettysburg’s
focus from the “High Water Mark” of the war to a diverse explanation regarded as a “New Birth
of Freedom.” The National Park Service set out to alter the landscape back to how soldiers saw it
6
in 1863, allowing visitors to accurately envision the battle scenes as they traverse over land
essential frozen in time.6 Murray focuses only on the National Park Service’s contributions and
changes to the battlefield after they took control in 1933. She does not explore the changes in
regards to tourism, and the improvement and influence they had on Gettysburg’s tourism
infrastructure.
This thesis will cover a multitude of topics to enforce the positive impact of the tourism
industry in Gettysburg. Informing readers of the first uses of tourism, chapter one will explore
how the battlefield and town transformed over time, including the transitions brought on by the
different groups in control of the land during specific periods of time. The second chapter will
examine ways the battlefield is experienced, including early access to scenes of battle by way of
electric trolley, riding on a Battlefield Bus Tour, and tours available through the National Park
Service Visitor Center. Chapter three focuses on entertainment options offered both on and off
the battlefield such as ghost tours through the historic district of town, former amusement parks,
and a former hotel with “healing” water. The conclusion informs readers of new ways to enjoy
the town of Gettysburg by featuring options as current as late 2015.
Towns go through transformations, often changing in order to keep up with the times and
adjust to changes in jobs and the status of their residents. Gettysburg proves to be a unique town
when we observe how much one can change. Before 1863, the town only had 2,400. By mid-July
of that year, an astounding number of soldiers had come through, lost their lives, and stayed after
being wounded. Within weeks, and for months, visitors began pouring in town for a multitude of
reasons, forcing the townspeople to think about preserving their town. A few local residents
worked to exploit the influx of visitors to enhance the town’s economy, creating attractions that
charged a profit, expanding transportation, and erecting monuments to guide visitors across the
7
battlefield. Today visitors can still see the wonderful effects made over one hundred fifty years
ago, as consumerism has prospered the town to a status of a tourist hub. How perfect that a battle
not only changed the history of a nation, but also the history of a small, south central
Pennsylvania town.
8
Chapter 1. TRANSITIONS: FROM QUIET TOWN TO TOURISM HUB
“This is America,” boasted my friend’s father. He had never been to Gettysburg. Yet he
was convinced to drive three hours to see the town where his daughter and I spend much of our
free time. In fact many of my family members do not understand the magnitude of Gettysburg, or
why I find it so fascinating. In this small, rural town only ten miles from the Pennsylvania/
Maryland border, history occurred.7 Our nation would never be the same after those three warm
July days in 1863. With a Union win in the North, and a visit from a President, Gettysburg was
catapulted into the forefront of Americans’ minds. In Gettysburg, the war turned in favor of the
Union, ultimately resulting in the preservation of the Union. President Abraham Lincoln recited
his famous address at the dedication of the Soldier’s National Cemetery, forever enshrining the
town as must-see location.
This chapter explores and analyzes the transitions of the battlefield. Town residents
knew, almost immediately, what happened to their town needed to be preserved. First, I share the
demographics of the town in 1863, allowing readers to understand the magnitude of change
experienced. Then, we explore the changes and improvements encouraged and implemented by
prominent townspeople, including the creation of a memorialization association. This association
formulated a set of rules to guide the construction of monuments, and eventually sold its
preserved acreage to the government. Last, this chapter discusses the last group entrusted with
the battlefield land, the National Park Service. The historic grounds of battle transitioned through
management by different groups, all with the goals to preserve the monumental actions of
America’s ancestors and appeal as a tourist destination to families of all backgrounds.
9
Introducing the Town of Gettysburg
Written in her diary only ten days after the fateful fight ended, Sarah Broadhead recorded
the influx of visitors to her small town. “The town is full as ever of strangers, and the old story of
the inability of a village of twenty-five hundred inhabitants, overrun and eaten out by two large
armies, to accommodate from ten to twelve thousand visitors, is repeated hourly. Twenty are
with us tonight….”8 On the previous day, July 12, 1863, Sarah mentioned, “Many persons have
called to-day wanting lodging, but we cannot accommodate all. … Our house has been
constantly full, and every house I know of has been and is full.”9 The town was beyond capacity;
people wanted to be where so many men had died and the war had turned in favor of the North.
From the last day of battle forward, Gettysburg would forever entwine memorialization with
commercialism and consumerism.
From July 1 through July 3 1863, history was made in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Almost
160,000 men waged war through the small town Over those three fateful summer days,
approximately 10,000 men were killed, 30,000 wounded, and 11,000 missing.10 Family members
arranged to find their loved ones. At the same time, thrill-seekers wanted to roam the fields laced
with bullets, cannon balls, and body parts. Town locals quickly realized there were too many
people visiting the town and not enough hotels to accommodate their slumber. Many
townspeople opened their homes, charging the visitors to stay in a clean house—keeping them
closer to the scenes of action they wanted to explore. It is in these earliest anecdotes that we
witness the birth of tourism within the town. Gettysburg was on its way to becoming a tourist
attraction, allowing people from near and far to learn the history of battle.
Let’s look at the demographics of this town. Gettysburg served as the county seat of
Adams County with 2,391 residents, 190 of whom were of African-American descent. Major
10
roadways lead into the town, along with a stop on the Hanover and Gettysburg Railroad,
allowing commerce to survive and thrive. Local businesses included several tanneries, a carriage
manufacturing industry, and twenty two shoemakers. Serving as the county seat, Gettysburg
often had visitors from the county in town for business purposes who needed places to stay; three
hotels and a tavern provided the only accommodations. Public buildings included a post office, a
courthouse, and the county prison. The town also boasted a college, which later became
Gettysburg College, and a theological seminary. According to a census report from around the
time of war, half of the citizens had a craft or artisanal occupation; a quarter were professionals,
merchants, or retailers; and the rest were unskilled laborers.11
Even though Gettysburg was located in non-slaveholding north, the African-American
citizens lived a different and separate life from their white counterparts. They had their own
schools, churches, cemeteries, community centers, and owned little real estate. Prevented from
holding prominent employment positions, most worked as laborers or servants. Their
community resided on the south end of the town, a major location of battle. As word spread of
Confederates moving in close to town, most of the African Americans fled, or went into hiding,
for fear of being sent into the slave market south.12 Most of their homes were wrecked during the
battle, like most buildings in Gettysburg.
After the battle, families returned to houses ransacked and fairly destroyed. When
Elizabeth and Peter Thorn returned to their home east of Cemetery Ridge, they observed “ruined
bedding” and “pilfered belongings” and faced “the grim task of burying one hundred and five
dead bodies.”13 The three days of battle left 51,000 families without sons, fathers, and brothers.
Within days of the battle ending, thousands more flocked to the town to find their loved ones,
dead or wounded. “An immense influx of visitors came to the town,” historian Christina Ericson
11
writes, “as soon as railroad lines were repaired on July 10. Within days the town overflowed with
volunteers, family members searching for loved ones, and the simply curious.”14 Gettysburg
citizens needed to act fast to accommodate the visitors, as well as preserve the historic scenes of
battle.
Preserving the Park
As the townspeople cleaned up the town and tended to the wounded, most recognized an
event of vast national importance had just taken place. The battlefield, they collectively realized,
needed to be preserved. Just a few short weeks after the battle ravaged the town of Gettysburg,
the citizens converged to discuss the preservation of the battlefield and how to memorialize the
events that took place. The first issue pertained to the thousands of brave, dead soldier bodies
scattered from the hill tops to the fields. Local businessman, David McConaughy, had hopes and
plans to make Gettysburg into a place people wanted to visit. Just six short weeks after the last
shots were fired, McConaughy and other townspeople formed the Gettysburg Battlefield
Memorial Association to preserve the battlefield and create services to attract and appeal to
curious outsiders.15
How exactly did the Association propose to achieve these goals? Townspeople and the
like could buy shares of the GBMA and apply to be on the board of directors.16 In this way, the
GBMA provided the answer to townspeople seeking to preserve the history they just witnessed.
McConaughy launched plans to purchase “all the parts of greatest interest…open a broad avenue
along mainlines of battle; erect an observatory on Round Top; also erect everywhere low
monuments and enduring structures.”17 He comes across as a great entrepreneur with goals to
preserve the battlefield and provide visitors with a place to learn about the battle. The structure
and layout of the battlefield closely resembles the rural cemetery ideals that rose in popularity
12
during the late 19th century. “Victorian” rural cemeteries include winding paths and lush
greenery, offering mourners a leisurely walk as they mourn loved ones, feeling a bit of respite in
the process.18 McConaughy, though, never completed his dream. Governor Andrew Curtain
asked a lawyer in town, David Wills, to find land for a Soldier’s Cemetery with the goal of
burying the thousands of dead scattered over hundreds of acres. The best piece of land was
adjacent to Ever Green Cemetery, which David McConaughy owned. McConaughy offered his
land, and even tried to persuade Governor Curtain and Wills to adopt his plan to include
amenities transforming the town into a tourist attraction. After some debate, Wills and
McConaughy reached an agreement: land would be given for the Soldier’s National Cemetery as
long as a fence divided the two properties.
Though the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association solved many early preservation
problems, obstacles still remained. There was an immediate need to improve transportation in
and out of town so as to increase accessibility of the battlefield. For guests traveling from afar,
options to rest and rejuvenate were needed, as well as options for amusement and entertainment.
Many residents viewed these challenges positively. They saw the battle as an opportunity to
boost their economy while preserving their history and giving visitors what they wanted.
The changing and commercializing of Gettysburg continued for months and years after
the battle, and is still adjusting today. The railroad lines were fixed, improved, and extended
bringing new visitors to the town and allowing them easy access to prominent points of the
battlefield. Eventually an electric trolley line was created to transport guests all over the
battlefield and to parks that offered refreshments, souvenirs, and social centers to gather. In this
way, the nascent tourism industry transformed Gettysburg’s sacred ground into a money-making
tourist attraction.19
13
Gettysburg needed state funding in order to restore their town and to properly reserve the
battle. In 1866, McConaughy won a seat in the state senate and continued to fight for money to
be allocated to the preservation of the Gettysburg. He had plans for a hotel and to erect
monuments across the battlefield hoping to help outsiders know what had happened in his town.
Unfortunately, nothing passed through state legislature to help fund preservation efforts in the
late 1870s. Around the same time, the Grand Army of the Republic, a veterans’ organization,
purchased shares in the GBMA and dominated the board’s officer positions.20 With their
influence, the transformation took on a new form benefitting not only visitors but also the
infrastructure of Gettysburg.
By 1900, David McConaughy, and the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association
Board, secured approximately 120 acres of battle land, and continued his fight for improving the
battlefield. He wished to place “artwork” on the historic ground to inform new visitors of the
logistics of battle. McConaughy felt that the markers and monuments “initiated the battlefield’s
transformation from the hell experienced by participants into a landscape of edifying views
infused with the heroic.”21 His goal was to give visitors a glimpse of the land soldiers fought
over and read about their experience. He hoped to ease the flow through Gettysburg and the
retelling of history.
Preserving and memorializing the catastrophic event of the battle was doubly beneficial
as it also improved the commerce of the small town. Citizens quickly realized all the visitors
trekking to Gettysburg presented town residents with a financial opportunity. Money could be
made. The town was centrally located among major cities and transportation routes. An
extensive roadway system linking together large cities ensured business routes passed through
town, making a rest stop in Gettysburg. Many public officials often visited Gettysburg, staying a
14
few nights as they conducted business in the Adams county seat. The extension of the Hanover
and Gettysburg Railroad station on the edge of town allowed for easy transportation of guests
and goods alike. In little time, the town became more advanced than other towns with gas
lighting for street lamps, a public water service, a bank, three newspapers, a college, a
theological seminary, a women’s academy, a rural cemetery, an almshouse, the county prison
and a new courthouse, and several hotels.22 Before the battle even began, the town of Gettysburg
was a small, but strong economic center. Even with its small population, Gettysburg was built to
handle those who wanted to consume the history of both the battle and town, as well as conduct
their business there.
Town Pride and Catering to Consumers
After the battle, many people flocked to the rural city to find their loved ones who were
wounded or killed, but also to simply see the battlefield. Some residents were overwhelmed by
the influx of outsiders. George Arnold, a Gettysburg businessman, described the effect of so
much human traffic in a letter to a friend on August 15, 1863: “Sales are brisk & plenty of work
in the Shop. Our Town is still lively. many strangers Continue to go & come, Mrs Arnold &
myself have been pritty [sic] worn out. Our house as [sic] been full all the time.”23 Much like
Sarah Broadhead, in her diary entry mentioned at the start of this chapter, the Arnolds had
opened their home to the swarms of visitors still curious about the epic battle.
Needless to say, the people of the small, quaint town never saw its return to the quiet
town it was before the summer of 1863. A few residents, such as the Arnolds, profited from the
overflow of outsiders, charging to stay in their homes during their time in Gettysburg. Not all of
those who profited from the influx did so honorably. Bad press exposed the supposed “unethical
behavior” of residents caught charging wounded soldiers and families of deceased soldiers for
15
glasses of water and pieces of bread. The bad press continued for many years after 1863, as
newspapers featured stories reported by exploited visitors. People from other northern towns felt
it wrong for a location that bore witness to so much pain, suffering, and death should profit from
the turmoil. These early opportunists continue to receive scorn today. Historian Jim Weeks
expressed his distaste for how the community of Gettysburg expanded the commerce of the
battlefield: “Townspeople knew their town had made history, and that history as displayed on an
epical landscape could be packaged and sold.”24Yet as I argue, townspeople were making sure
history would not be forgotten and ensured a way to provide to tourists needs.
George Arnold was especially proud of his town, even though he and his wife felt
exhausted from their visitors. In a letter to a friend, Arnold described the vast changes that
transformed Gettysburg in the wake of the battle:
… if you have not been over our Battlefield it is worth seeing, I consider it worth
a trip across the atlantic [sic]—you no doubt have noticed from the papers that the
ground has been purchased, & our noble brave dead are all to be collected and
intered [sic] upon one scared sacred spot set aside for that purpose, and each state
in all probability will erect a suitable monument for its own honored dead. Our
Town has now become immortalized & we wish to make the enterprise as
attractive as possible by encloseing [sic] and beautifying those grounds moistened
with the blood of our heroic brave- I have no doubt that our Town will be much
benefited by it for years to come…25
The proud businessman encouraged his friends to visit. He knew his town earned a spot in
America’s heart and would be the perfect town to visit.
Town-boosters of Gettysburg wanted to increase the profits for its citizens with its tourist
offerings, thus improving the overall commerce of the town. How could they improve a visitor’s
experience? Organization of special committees handled any and all aspects of a visitor’s needs.
Town-boosters encouraged residents to open their homes and charge visitors, especially when
people came in to town six short months after the battle for the dedication to the Soldier’s
16
National Cemetery.26 In the months after July 1863, most of the visitors to the battlefield were
war veterans who may have fought there or family members who had lost a loved one. Some can
understand the bad press and opposition to the reality of what visitors faced. Yet, the negative
attention did not decrease the town’s preservation goals or improvement techniques. Visitors’
sojourn would be enjoyable and insightful—the ultimate goal of Gettysburg residents and
organizations.
Structures, Services, and Monuments
Over the post-battle years, a variety of structures, such as observation towers, were
constructed to enrich the visitors’ experience, enhancements combining memorialization with
tourism. In 1881, a 50-foot tall, wooden tower was constructed by George Arnold, the
businessman who encouraged visitation to his town. . Battlefield pilgrims climbed to the top,
viewing the landscapes of the battle for a simple twenty-five cent charge. Arnold’s tower was
removed in the 1890s to make room for Union General Winfield S. Hancock’s equestrian
monument. In 1884 a metal tower was built at Big Round Top. A third metal tower was built in
Ziegler’s Grove on Cemetery Ridge. None of the original towers stand today. 27
As tourists explored the battlefield and enjoyed the observation towers’ views, other
citizens offered services as battlefield guides, as will be described in chapter two. As a way to
earn money, battlefield guides retold stories mostly composed of both rumors and accounts told
by veteran soldiers, nurses and doctors treating the wounded, and tales from civilian witnesses.
Some veterans’ spoke of their experiences at reunions and anniversaries of the battle, never
allowing younger generations to forget their dedication to their country.28
An improved visitor experienced was constructed in 1884. A spur of the Gettysburg/
Harrisburg Railroad transported guests through town and delivered them directly to portions of
17
the preserved battlefield. The railway line moved guests to the western side of town, to
Washington Street and Railroad Street. Another spur ran southward directly across Pickett’s
Charge fateful field and ended on the eastern side of Little Round Top. The railroad spur does
not exist due to its removal by the Gettysburg National Military Park who purchased the land and
tracks in 1896. Almost all of the tracks were removed by 1939, as part of the federal
government’s renewed vision of the battlefield.29
Monuments quickly became the main process through which we remember and tribute
those who sacrificed their lives. As years passed, Civil War veterans were given access to design
and dedicate monuments and markers that honored them and their fallen comrades. The
monuments proclaim the location of a specific infantry, cavalry, or regiment fought, and include
the number of men who died. At first a small portion of Northerners’ disagreed with the
placement of monuments on the historic ground, especially those dedicated to Confederate
troops. But McConaughy and other town-boosters pushed for the monuments to be erected,
knowing it would increase tourism to the town.30 Monuments served as public chalkboards in the
battlefield classroom, teaching visitors locations of action and connecting them to soldiers who
fought.
John Badger Bachelder, a photographer and artist who designed the “High Water Mark of
the Confederacy” monument, worked with the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association to
formulate the limitations and requirements directed to states and their veteran groups regarding
the design of their monuments. 31 The Gettysburg Battle-field Memorial Association committee
of around 25 men to created rules for the monuments and memorials. The committee’s report
also included a number of recommendations to ensure a popular and attractive monument for
each regiment. The Superintendent of Grounds for the GBMA granted states an approved
18
location and permit indicating the placement of their monuments. States fully funded the
monuments and markers, which had to be granite or real bronze, of their military. Included in the
monument requirements were letter sizing, information to be included that was confirmed by the
War Department, and exact location placement. As the rules stated, all monuments must be in the
location at which the troops started their fighting—a rule argued by states who differed in
opinion from the War Department.32
Let us look at the first monument and other important ones. One of the first monuments
erected was a marble urn located at the Soldier’s National Cemetery. Dedicated in 1867 honoring
the First Minnesota Infantry Regiment, who sadly lost almost eighty-percent of its men during
the three days of battle. On the battlefield, the first monument, placed in 1879, honored the
Second Massachusetts Infantry Regiment Colgrove Avenue. At the start of the twenty-first
century, there were still new monuments dedicated to the tremendous battle. The last
Confederate monument, located on West Confederate Avenue along Seminary Ridge, was
dedicated in 2000 to the Eleventh Mississippi Infantry Regiment. The last Union monument, also
dedicated in 2000, honored Delaware State, and can be found on Taneytown Road near the new
National Military Park Visitor and Welcome Center.33
Moving Forward in Preservation
The U.S. War Department advanced the preservation efforts started by the townspeople.
In February 1895, the “Sickles Bill” passed by Congress awarded the War Department a large
amount of battlefield including the acreage accumulated by the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial
Association. The government now controlled the use of the land. At the same time, 600 acres of
preserved land included 17 miles of avenues to travel, and at least 320.34 In 1933, the National
Park Service was granted ownership of the battlefield land, a topic Jennifer M. Murray analyzes
19
throughout her book, On a Great Battlefield: The Making, Management, and Memory of
Gettysburg National Military Park, 1933-2012. Murray reviews the change and mission of the
National Park Service transition of focus on telling the battle’s story and placement in American
History.35
The National Park Service changed its initiatives at several Civil War battlefield parks to
include the causes and consequences of the war, not just memorialize those who fought there.
This initiative encouraged the inclusion of diverse stories—a topic previously left out of tourist
maps and brochures. For Gettysburg, this meant changing the experience of the park. No longer
focusing on the “High Water Mark of the Confederacy” theme, the focus shifted to include
stories of African American’s experience, and other individuals or groups previously ignored or
forgotten. The new theme, “A New Birth of Freedom” appeals to visitors from all backgrounds
and includes information regarding the causes of the battle, historical, factual details of the
battle, and rebuilding life after the battle. The new Visitor and Welcome Center, completed in
2013, offers a movie of the same title, teaching visitors the history they are about to be
enveloped in as they pass through the museum and venture to the battlefield.36
This new focus brought drastic changes to the landscape. The old Welcome Center and
Cyclorama building built in Ziegler’s Grove was torn down in early 2013, as the new National
Park Service Visitor and Welcome Center opened on the outskirts of the battlefield on
Taneytown Road. After Congress and the National Park Service revised their standards for
preserving historic landscapes, Gettysburg was revamped. Many trees that had been planted after
the battle were chopped down and ripped from the ground.37 A large tower built in the 1970s that
obstructed the landscape but offered wide-sweeping views of the battlefield was knocked down.
20
Bulldozers were brought in to move and reshape the landscape, shifting its appearance to keep it
forever the way soldiers saw it in 1863.38
Looking Forward, Honoring the Past
Downtown Gettysburg has also modified over the years, bending to the needs and wants
of the modern tourist. Adjusting their goals beyond retelling history, local residents created more
options to enhance visitors sojourn, encouraging the selection of Gettysburg as a favorite travel
destination. Many families spend their vacation time in the historic town, as a way of educating
their children on a major point in American history, while making memories at the same time. .
A variety of stores line the main streets in downtown Gettysburg. Some offer guests the “true
experience of a Civil War Soldier,” encouraging them to buy a replica hat or gun and to pay a
guide in period dress to escort them through town. Stores carry t-shirts with Abraham Lincoln’s
face and quotes from his Gettysburg address. Union and Confederate flags line store front
windows, enticing visitors to stop in and select their souvenir.
Tourism in Gettysburg demands more restaurants and hotels to comfort visitors.
Throughout town bed and breakfasts, hotels, and chain restaurants are dotted along streets,
utilizing historic buildings or constructing new buildings next to preserved Civil War buildings.
At the square in downtown Gettysburg, restaurants are on every corner. One pub is cleverly
branded Blue and Gray, the uniform colors of the Union and Confederate soldiers. The Civil
War theme extends to their menu appealing to patrons with sandwiches and burgers named after
colonels and generals from both the North and South. When one orders a burger, they are
“choosing” a side to support —Union or Confederacy – a selection which is made public when
waiters deliver the burger to your table, complete with a Union or Confederate flag. Another
restaurant within the historic downtown shares its name with a prominent battle figure.
21
O’Rorke’s, an Irish-American themed restaurant is named after New York Colonel Patrick
Henry O’Rorke.
The historic district of Gettysburg is walkable with access to a multitude of shops,
restaurants, and activities along its main thoroughfares. As I cover in chapter three, ghost tours
are a popular tourist night-time activity. After selecting the perfect tour, visitors can take a quick
walk a neighboring building or down the block for an after dinner delight, such as homemade
fudge, hand-scooped ice cream, or Rita’s Italian Ice. More recently, the wine business has grown
within the city. Local wineries in Adams County create delicious blends of wine with catchy
names such as “Tears of Gettysburg” and “Jennie Wade White.” Tourists can purchase their
Gettysburg wines at local shops and restaurants. Bed and breakfasts, both in historic and nonhistoric buildings, have monopolized on the excitement of their town as a tourist attraction. Some
offer vacationers special packages for purchase to enhance their visit, such as a bottle of local
Gettysburg wine, a gift card to a restaurant downtown, and passes for a Battlefield Bus Tour.
Think of almost any vacation wish – Gettysburg can provide it.
Conclusion
The battle fought on hallowed ground in a small town of only 2,400 people in 1863 was a
catalyst propelling Gettysburg into the national spotlight. President Lincoln’s speech maximized
Gettysburg’s exposure, and enticed people from across the nation to a pilgrimage to the historic
ground that helped preserve our nation. From just weeks after the last shot was fired to the
current day, townspeople fought to preserve their town and create a shrine in remembrance of
lives lost. The Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association acquired battle land and set
standards for monuments and markers. After the National Park Service purchased the acquired
land from the GBMA in 1933, the United States began a progressive movement to restore the
22
battlefield to its 1863 appearance. Changing the focus from the “High Water Mark” to “A New
Birth of Freedom” welcomed visitors from diverse backgrounds to enjoy and learn the
importance of the Battle of Gettysburg.
In the next chapter, we will explore how visitors experience and learn the history of the
battle of Gettysburg. As previously mentioned in this chapter, a spur of the railroad was
constructed to transport guests to the heart of the battlefield. An electric trolley offered trips from
downtown to the south-end of the battlefield, allowing quick access from shops and restaurants
to monuments and memorials. In the late twentieth-century, a Gettysburg entrepreneur
established a tour company offering guests the comprehensive tour package. The National Park
Service has more tour options at their Visitor and Welcome Center. Tourism in Gettysburg is
more accessible than ever, and the easy options entice guests to visit and spend in the quaint,
historic town.
23
Chapter 2. IMMERSED IN HISTORY: EXPERIENCING THE BATTLEFIELD
It is a warm, sunshine filled May morning where the temperature is already climbing to
80 degrees. As I walk up the rocky path to Little Round Top, I listen to a guide as he describes
the carnage of the battle for a tour group. Gunfire, bloodshed, bullets, and bodies strewn over a
field. The anxious guests listen intently as they trample over the weeds that line the narrow path
up to Little Round Top. The group mixes in age, gender, and nationality: an older grandmother
holds tightly to her young grandson’s hand as he hops onto every rock; two young international
students converse in their Asian dialect and confer with a headset that is most likely offering a
translated description; four high-school aged girls are trailing behind the group, giggling about
how they want good luck from rubbing Col. O’Rorke’s bronze-relief nose on the monument at
the top of the hill. Gettysburg is a tourist magnet. Its convenient location off South PA Route 15,
ten short miles from the Maryland border and a short forty-five minute drive from Harrisburg,
makes it the perfect trip location for those both in- and out- of- state.
Through this chapter I analyze how tourists experience the battlefield. First, the railroad
provided improvements to transportation in and out of the town. From there, I cover the electric
trolley and its role as both a convenient way to travel from downtown to popular battle spots and
the controversy behind its placement. Next, automobiles served as a catalyst to new experiences
on traversing the fields and learning history. The Battlefield Bus Tour Company, founded in the
late twentieth- century, created comprehensive, tantalizing, theatrically- sounded bus tours in
both air conditioned coach buses and double-decker open air buses. The National Park Service
was quick to monopolize battlefield tours, acquiring licensing for guides to lead ranger talks or
conveniently join visitors in their car aiding in navigating through the battle ground. They also
sell bus tours of the battlefield, as well as tours of Dwight Eisenhower’s farm house, located
24
within Gettysburg and acquired by the National Park Service. Even through controversies,
transportation services were and are the key to guests experiencing the battlefield in a fun,
exciting way that includes introducing and teaching them the historical battle.
Railways Improving or Ruining Historic Ground
The railroad, a popular form of transportation, played a key role in tourism’s success in
Gettysburg. As a stop on a major railway line, which fruitfully played to the town’s success as
Adams County’s seat and location of their courthouse and prison. For the first time history,
people could travel long distances in a short amount of time by hopping on the closest passenger
train. No longer did it take days to travel from city to city, providing families and business
people the opportunity to stop in small towns along the way for pleasure. That same rail line
transported soldiers and materials in and out of Gettysburg with ease. Unfortunately, the battle
damaged portions of the railway, slowing down the import of foods and material goods needed to
rehabilitate the town. Reconstruction of the rail line began just after the battle and, once fixed,
the trains were heavily used. Doctors and nurses travelled into town by way of the train, while
wounded soldiers left to be cared for in larger hospitals.
With the improvement of the main rail lines finished, local businessmen decided that a
railroad spur would be constructed to transport guests to the battlefield. The spur, constructed
from downtown and across battle lands, including the area where Pickett’s army marched across
just a few years earlier, gave easy access to the fields.39 Jim Weeks shares a snippet from a news
article posted by the New York Times a little over two years since the fighting ceased in
Gettysburg. Within the excerpt, the New York Times predicts that Gettysburg could be a great
resort town catering to tourists from across the globe—as long as they fix their railroad spur to
allow for easier travel.40Here we should remember that the Civil War coincided with a wave of
25
railroad-building that transformed the country’s transportation system.41 With the improvement
of the railroad spur, visitors travelled to Gettysburg from large cities such as Baltimore,
Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington, and New York City.42
The railroad was the popular form of transportation for years. In an undated newspaper
insert entitled, “The Greater Gettysburg Area: ‘Where History Comes Alive,’” advertisements
appear, exciting future visitors. A page headlines, “Gettysburg, Close to Everywhere- Nowhere
Is There More To See and Do,” we find “Railroads Operate Gettysburg Excursions.” The
advertisement appeals to visitors with one of a kind service:
Residents of the Washington- Baltimore area are the beneficiaries of special trains
operated by the affiliated Chesapeake and Ohio and the Baltimore and Ohio
railroads, in cooperation with the Western Maryland Railway.
The trains, consisting of air-conditioned, self-propelled rail Diesel cars, usually
leave from the Silver Spring, Maryland, station, stop at both Laurel and Baltimore
to pick up passengers. After leaving Baltimore, the trains operate over a Western
Maryland line not usually used for passenger service.
The trips are planned for rail enthusiast and for Civil War “buffs” and historians.
Rail companies acted on the need and the importance of direct transportation to Gettysburg.
Some companies created excursion trips using their best cars to keep guests comfortable as they
travel to their vacation spot.43 In Gettysburg, tourists were transported straight to the battlefield
by way of the train; no longer did they need to find transportation to carry them to sights such as
Little Round Top.44 Railroad companies also issued guidebooks, luring visitors with everything
Gettysburg offers, making it the perfect trip destination.45
But the railway initiated a major conflict in the early 1990s as Gettysburg preservationists
scoffed at a behind-the-scenes trade between two important entities. Gettysburg College, known
as Pennsylvania College during Civil War years, is located just a few blocks outside the square
26
of downtown. Union and Confederate regiments used campus buildings as makeshift hospitals
during and after the battle, assuring a direct relation to the historic event that swept through its
campus. Much of the first day of battle occurred on land the college, both previously and
currently, owns. In 1990, Gettysburg College traded 47 acres of its athletic playing fields for a
mere seven and a half acres owned by the National Park Service. The purpose of the trade was to
allow the college to divert a rail-line through a different part of campus, allowing the college to
expand without affecting historic battle ground and gave the National Park Service land directly
involved in the first day of battle. Drawing little attention at first, the swap eventually attracted
national attention.46
National newspapers and government legislature got involved. According to articles in
both the New York Times and Seattle Times, the college was looked at as hiding its true motives.
Rumors spread of the college possibly violating details of the land transfer deed. Preservationists
were astounded. By moving the railroad tracks, the college essentially sliced into Oak Ridge, an
area contested by historians to be the grounds of the first day of battle. Concerns of the National
Park Service’s ability to control historic land and to assure battlefield preservation attracted the
attention of Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives who instigated an investigation. While
nothing ensued to negatively impact that college or the National Park Service, the railroad cut is
still a contested topic for Gettysburg enthusiasts.47
The Electric Trolley Railway
In the mid-1890s, a new form of transportation envisioned by a great Gettysburg
entrepreneur, enhanced visitors’ mobility to the battlefield. William H. Tipton, a famous
photographer, served politically as town burgess after elected in 1884, and as a Pennsylvania
State Legislator from 1897 to 1898. He also served on the Gettysburg town council, allowing
27
him to influence townspeople with his plans to transform Gettysburg into the ultimate vacation
town. In doing so, he earned the nickname “Boss Tipton.” After persuading the town council,
Tipton granted the newly founded Gettysburg Electric Railway Company access to battle land
and the best streets in town.48 The Gettysburg Electric Railway included a six mile stretch of
trolley line both to and from Southern portions of town to well-known battle locations. The line
included six trolleys named after Union generals including Hancock, Howard, Reynolds,
Sedgwick, Sickles, and Slocum, followed a main roadway, Emmittsburg Road, crossing over the
infamous Wheatfield to Devil’s Den. Gettysburg Electric Railway investors’ proposed a complex
transportation system, linking key scenes of battle together, appealing to tourists and benefitting
investors pockets. Though not completed, the trolleys transported their first customers on July
13, 1893. Tourists moved quickly and with ease from shops downtown to places of preserved
history.49
But the trolley was not well-received by all Gettysburg preservationists, townspeople,
and veterans. The construction of the rail-line forced a cut in the landscape of Devil’s Den,
blowing up rocks and forever changing its 1863 appearance. During this contested time, Major
General Daniel Sickles sent a friend a telegram voicing his concerns: “Gettysburg will be made a
show, a circus, simply to put money into the purse of a petty, private corporation, unless
something is done to prevent it.”50 Those in disagreement of the electric trolley petitioned for its
removal, making their distaste heard in courts all the way to the United States Supreme Court.51
In 1896 the Supreme Court ruled the trolley line must be removed, but it stayed in operation for
another ten years. By 1902, the land occupying most of the railway was turned over to the
federal government. The popularity of the trolley system decreased even further as more and
more families began purchasing automobiles in the early twentieth century. May 1917 finalized
28
the fate of the trolley lines—the government purchased the land for $30,000 and removed the rail
lines.52
Personalizing the Experience with Automobiles
In the 20th century, the car transformed Gettysburg tourism much as the train had in the
previous century. All aspects of a family’s trip could be controlled by their driver instead of a
train conductor. No longer was there a restraint and limitation to their travel. Mother and father
could select dates that worked best and simply load up the kids and the car and be on their way—
a convenient change from purchasing train tickets and timing out their entire vacation to ensure
they could get there on time. Gettysburg townspeople transitioned what they offered their guests
as well. The War Department widened avenues to allow for vehicles to traverse over the ground
with ease. Informational tablets lined the avenues depicting the names and actions of those who
fought at that specific location. The battlefield was transitioning to the modern tourists,
supplying their needs and demands.
Gettysburg associations dedicated to improving visitor access to their town created
guides, attracting car driving families. In 1923, the Office Service Bureau in Gettysburg
produced the “Tourist’s Map of Gettysburg: Driving Directions for Making a Tour of the
Battlefield with or without a Guide.”53 The front of the map includes the words of Lincoln’s
famous Gettysburg Address, further emphasizing the tourism infrastructure since the dedication
of the Soldier’s National Cemetery. Below the address, two short paragraphs explain to visitors
how to make the most of their battlefield visit and how to use the map. First, it suggests that they
should carefully read the instructions and follow the arrows on the map. In all capital letters, the
map adamantly tells drivers to not exceed twelve miles per hour on the avenues, and to always
29
keep to the right. Details include “Guards stationed at the principal points of interest, will give
gladly directions or information.”
The Office Service Bureau’s map provided families with battle details to ensure a fun, yet
educated drive around the battlefield. Some of the small details of the stops offered in the
brochure include: “24. View of E. Cemetery Hill (to west). Scene of Attack by Hay’s and Hoke’s
Brigades of Early’s Division, on evening of second day. Confederates reached summit but were
repulsed. Follow avenue along slop of…” and “31. Jennie Wade Museum. Free admission,
attendant in charge.” The back of the tourist map includes short descriptions of “Interesting
Facts Connected with the Battlefield.” The Office Service Bureau includes information ranging
from details of the battlefield to the town’s heroic citizens, John Burns and Jennie Wade. The
description regarding John Burns informs readers: “Being far too old for enlistment, John Burns,
a citizen of Gettysburg, appeared before Colonel Wistar and asked to be allowed to fight. In the
pockets of his brass buttoned, swallow-tailed coat was plenty of ammunition. He carried a rifle
and a powder horn. He was wounded twice but fought on until 4:00 P.M., when a bullet wound
in the ankle disabled him. He died in February 1872 and is eulogized in Bret Harte’s Poem.” The
small descriptive paragraph details to visitors a short story of connected facts, ensuring they
could envision what soldiers and citizens witnessed in 1863. It is history retold in exciting ways.
The Office Service Bureau encouraged families to hire a guide and ask him to stop at all points
of interest and fully explain that battle. If a family rather experience the history on their own as
they navigate their way through the map, they could purchase a guidebook with the map to aid in
their tour.54
The local newspaper also catered to tourists with cars. To further encourage people to
drive their cars to visit Gettysburg, a small column in a newspaper insert titled, “The Greater
30
Gettysburg Area,” lists locations full of “Ample Parking For Tourist.” For tourist readers,
business names and their addresses are provided to be easily accessed. At the perimeter of the
same newspaper page is an advertisement for Hertz Car Rental, who offers to deliver a car to a
motel or the airport..55 The automobile transitions the experience of the battlefield. In the 1950s
and 60s, tourism rates doubled due to vehicles personalizing how people visited and understood
the battle, allowing them to take it in at their own pace.56
Impressive Tours by Way of Guides and Buses
Gettysburg visitors yearned for easier ways to learn the history of the battle. Local guides
and bus tours provided the ultimate experience. Within the same year of the battle ending,
townspeople offered their services as a battlefield guide to tourists wanting to explore and know
more about the battlefield. Most of the guides retold stories they had heard from veterans, from
others who had witnessed scenes of battle, or from conversations with neighbors. Tourists
needed and wanted the guides to tell them a story that wove human interest stories to the
monuments and markers engraved with death tolls and regiment numbers. An 1867 visitor to
Gettysburg, Schuyler Colfax, who became Vice President to Ulysses Grant, hired a guide who he
termed “a walking encyclopedia” and had a “vivid and clear recital” of the movements of troops
across the battlefield.57 Some guides, such as William D. Holzworth, William T. Ziegler, and
James T. Long, were popular among visitors, gaining enough money to build hotels and travel
the country to give presentations, luring more people to Gettysburg.58Often, tourists were
charged any fee a guide seemed fit, with no regulation in prices. It was not until 1915 the War
Department began controlling and regulating battlefield guide pricing.59 When the National Park
Service bought the military park in 1933, guides were trained and provided to guests through
their services. Now the guides go through a rigorous training and a four-step test to become a
31
Licensed Battlefield Guide. Once official, guides are available to tourists in a multitude of
ways.60
Bus tours combine automobiles and licensed guides to provide a comprehensive
battlefield experience. Both the National Park Service and private companies established bus
tours that included guides or audio tapes retelling the battle. In the 1950s, three Gettysburg
entrepreneurs met for a round of golf and conversed a new business: Gettysburg Tours, Inc.
Cliff Arquette, popularly known as TV personality Charley Weaver, and two other men,
including LeRoy E. Smith, bought some Mercedes passenger vans, hired actors to record a two
hour theatrical audio tape, and charged visitors to ride the avenues of the battlefield. Arquette’s
and Smith’s company offered a new and exciting way to learn the history of Gettysburg. Guests
no longer need to drive themselves along the avenues, forced to imagine the story of the three
days by reading small tablets dispersed at scenes of major fighting. The bus tours filled that
void.61
Battlefield Bus Tours rose in popularity as the preferred way to experience the battlefield.
With an increase in ticket sales, Arquette and Smith purchased double-decker and coach buses,
each providing a unique experience. Double-decker bus tours offer wide views for those who
dare to achieve the wind-blown hair look enhanced by the headphones they wear, with loud war
action sounds and battle details playing in their ears. For those who prefer a more comfortable
experience, especially during hot and steamy summer months, the air conditioned coach buses
offer the same theatrical soundtrack sans headphones and messy hair. Arquette and Smith
worked with the National Park Service to ensure their guests could have the full battlefield
history.62
32
Cliff Arquette and LeRoy E. Smith expanded their passion for retelling and preserving
the battlefield, creating new businesses appealing to visitors of all ages. Cliff Arquette purchased
a former Civil War orphanage, filled it with battle relics and collectibles, creating a soldiers
museum. LeRoy E. Smith founded both the Historic Gettysburg- Adams County organization
and the National Heritage Associates group in an effort “to acquire and preserve historical sites
in and about Gettysburg.”63 Smith also played a large part in keeping the battlefield bus tours a
thriving business. Though ownership of the business has changed over the years, battlefield bus
tours continue to operate and offer exciting tours exposing history to guests of all ages.
The National Park Service also created ways for visitors to become enveloped in the
historic moments of Gettysburg. A quick Google search of the phrase “visiting Gettysburg”
supplies the family vacation planner with a link to the National Park Service’s website. Through
their website, guests can plan their entire visit to the preserved battlefield. The Gettysburg
National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center located at 1195 Baltimore Pike, is owned and
operated by a private organization, The Gettysburg Foundation. While the entrance fee to the
center is free, any activities beyond exploring the bookstore requires a ticket. A comprehensive
package including entrance to museum exhibits, viewing the movie “A New Birth of Freedom”
voiced by Morgan Freeman, and a tour of the battlefield is available to guests seeking the
complete Gettysburg experience.
Opportunities to explore the battlefield are provided in a variety of ways. First, a free
battlefield map with directions for the Auto Tour is available at kiosks in the Welcome Center.
A Licensed Battlefield Tour Guide, trained and hired by the National Park Service, is available
to accompany guests in their personal car. This purchasable option provides an intimate form of
connecting history and moments of battle, and allows guests to ask an educated guide specific
33
questions. Another popular option available during busy summer months include purchasing a
ticket that grants access to air-conditioned coach buses that escort guests around the Auto Tour.
A Licensed Battlefield Guide brings history to life, announcing major points of battle through a
sound system on the bus. The bus stops at popular scenes of fighting, such as Little Round Top,
Devil’s Den, and the Pennsylvania Monument, as a guide describes the perilous fight of our
ancestors over the landscape tourists gaze upon.
Parents and children visiting the battlefield are interested in learning what happened
centuries ago on the historic ground, and consider visiting the town fun, exciting, and
entertaining. Thomas A. Desjardin describes the impact of tour guides in Gettysburg in the
introduction of his book, These Honored Dead: “…a battlefield tour was the adult equivalent of a
trip through the haunted mansion or Cinderella’s castle.”64 Desjardin equates visiting the
battlefield at Gettysburg to a family’s visit to Walt Disney World. Parents with small children
take the battlefield bus tours or following the auto tour, teaching their kids history in a creative
way, immersing them in the landscape that witnessed gunshots and heroism. Desjardin
strengthens the idea that Gettysburg is an environmental classroom: “Gettysburg was a place
where the message and lessons seemed clear, simple, and basic, even if not every American
agreed on what those were.”65 Tours through the battlefield, whether led by a guide or by driving
the Auto Tour, teach visitors the actions of America’s ancestors.
Options Beyond Battlefield Tours
The National Park Service continues to offer visitors a variety of choices to experience
and learn history. In addition to Licensed Battlefield Guides providing personal tours in family
cars or group tours on a bus, free ranger talks amuse guests during warm summer days. Some of
the talks are directly outside the Visitors Center under a tent providing shade and include a
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ranger detailing facets of soldier life to an anxious group of kids and parents. Ranger walks allow
tourists to trace the steps of a soldier, often marching through the same fields and up the same
hills Union and Confederates trampled over years ago. “Living history” presentations are
scattered throughout the battlefield’s Auto Tour path, showcasing men in 1863 period dress
“camping” in makeshift tents similar to soldiers’ life over 150 years ago. Through this
programming, visitors from all over the country will learn about the monumental battle, as well
as the life of generals and soldiers fighting through the war. Most programs are focused on
sharing stories that involve soldiers from all classes and races, enforcing the National Park
Service’s new theme of “A Birth of New Freedom,” rather than the “High Water Mark” that
controlled so much of the town’s history in previous decades.66
With the purchase of President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s farm, Gettysburg and the
National Park Service covered a wide span of history, linking two wars together. Previous to
1980, tourism in Gettysburg was declining. With the acquisition of Eisenhower’s farm, the
National Park Service offers bus trips to the farm. Tours of the Eisenhower home immerse guests
into the iconic “Mamie pink” and army green decor, and visitors learn Eisenhower’s perspective
of the World War in the United States. Visitors to Gettysburg may purchase tickets from the
Visitors Center that provide them entrance to an air-conditioned shuttle bus transporting them to
Eisenhower’s farm for an almost two hour tour. Arrival at the farm includes views of the rolling
green hills, while entering the house sets guests back to the early and mid- 1900s. The combined
experience of seeing a historic battlefield from one period, and a historic home from another,
attract more guests who appreciate America’s history and want to share it with their children.
World War II “living history” events occur each September and include a replica of American
military Camp Colt. Reenactors dress in World War II uniforms and drive replica vehicles
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around the farmland at Eisenhower’s estate. Visitors interact with the “soldiers,” learning more
about Eisenhower’s command during World War II and the experiences of an American
soldier.67
What’s next?
Tourism in Gettysburg excels at teaching history to visitors no matter their age, class, or
race. The very core of the word “tourism” has exactly what brings that to fruition: tour.
Immediately after the battle ended, the use of trains allowed citizens from across the nation easy
access to Gettysburg. Not only could wounded soldiers be transported to treatment at larger
hospitals, but also mothers and wives could travel to find their sons and husbands. At the same
time, thrill-seekers packed their bags and hopped aboard steam engine trains, wanting a glimpse
of the war torn fields. The railroad spur led trains to the battlefield from providing a quick way to
travel to popular scenes of battle. The Gettysburg Electric Trolley Company gave guests another
way to travel the field. Looping from downtown to sites such as Devil’s Den and Little Round
Top, the trolley quickly moved guests around Gettysburg. As will be discussed in the next
chapter, the trolley aided in the creation of leisure and amusement parks on the battlefield.
Popularity of the automobile in the early 20th century increased visitation and changed
how guests experienced the battlefield. Further, Gettysburg Tours, Incorporated offered a new,
fun way to explore the battlefield in the 1950s. Under Cliff Arquette’s and LeRoy E. Smith’s
creation, Battlefield Bus Tours offered visitors a comfortable, yet entertaining way to learn the
history of battle. Whether on an air-conditioned coach bus or the iconic double-decker bus,
tourists are immersed into the fighting by listening to a theatrical story of the battle and gazing at
the hallowed ground. With help from the government and a private foundation, the National Park
Service improved the experience of the Gettysburg National Military Park by creation of the auto
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tour map and Licensed Battlefield Guides who could accompany a family in their personal car or
on an air conditioned coach bus. Acquiring President Eisenhower’s farm expanded tourist
activities and linked two major wars.
Townspeople of Gettysburg realized they needed more to offer visitors, including a
source of entertainment. Some guides transformed their battle stories and tours into night-time
entertainment with the aid of the supernatural and ghosts. Amusement parks providing leisure
and entertainment developed on the battlefield. . With the convenience of the railroad spur and
electric trolley tracks leading to the bottom of Little Round Top, businessmen bought private
land adjacent to preserved battlefield. On this land, dancing pavilions and refreshments afforded
guests a place to relax. Hotels were built so visitors could rest when they became weary,
ensuring they would be in town and spending money for at least two days. Amusement parks
were thrilling areas for children to have fun, convincing families that Gettysburg was a family
friendly town. More than 150 years after battle, the tourism infrastructure of Gettysburg
continues to grow and change to generational wants and needs.
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Chapter 3. PARANORMAL, PARKS, AND PURCHASBLE FUN
“Don’t you want to experience REAL ghosts tonight?” exclaims a woman with a black,
face shielding veil, black lace gloves up to her elbows, and a black hoopskirt dress. She looks as
though she just walked out of a photograph from the late 1800s, yet teenagers wearing jean
shorts and tank tops staring at their iPhone’s are passing by her. She pleads to anyone walking
past, shoving her glossy ghost tour brochure in any open hand. My friend grabs one just to look it
over; we already bought our tickets from our favorite haunted house. As we continue down
Steinwehr Avenue, one of the main thoroughfares in historic downtown Gettysburg, at least five
more period-dressed women are shouting about their ghost tours to anyone that will listen. It is a
clear, comfortable Friday in July. The sidewalks are crowded with groups ranging from families
with small children, to young adults in shorts and tee-shirts. Only in Gettysburg does history and
popular culture combine on this level, with women in period-specific outlets highlighted by car
lights zooming by.
History is shared in convenient packages in Gettysburg. In previous chapters, I covered
how the townspeople and tourists have adjusted to post-war life, preserving the battlefield and
guiding visitors through the tale of the battle. This chapter discusses the entertainment side of
Gettysburg, combining history and fun for visitors of all ages. First ghost tours, showing how
they tantalize our curiosity in the supernatural by weaving historical facts to ghostly hauntings is
covered. These ghost tours exist in stark contrast to the official tours given by licensed guides
discussed in chapter two. Next, entertainment opportunities available on the battlefield, such as a
hotel and spa with “healing water” and leisure park areas is discussed. Finally, Fantasyland, a
themed amusement park that was in operation for over twenty years, provides amusement
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wanted by town visitors. The twenty-first century tourist needs more to be entertained, and
Gettysburg delivers to appease their need.
Supernatural, Super History
Around 8:00 p.m. on a warm Friday in July, my friends and I group together in front of
the Historic Farnsworth House Inn. A young couple holding hands joins us. Soon after a man
dressed as a Union soldier asks if we are there for the “Mature Tour” with the Farnsworth House,
to which we all reply, “yes.” The tour begins with the guide who leads us down old cement steps
to the basement of the inn. Rows of plastic chairs are lined up as though a classroom presentation
is about to begin. My friend spots a wooden bench in the dark, right, back corner and leads the
way, forcing us to cram into the small pew. The lights dim and our guide orates the history of the
house, including its role in Gettysburg before, during, and after the battle. Before the war, we are
told, a family with a little boy who was killed at a young age in a tragic accident resided at the
house. Our guide claims the boy still haunts the house, touching females with blonde hair who
remind him of his mother. He is trying, our guide tells us, to initiate play. Weaving together
historical facts of the house and tales of the supernatural, our guide helps us feel included in the
inn’s storied past, the experience of the battle, and the history of the town.68
Gettysburg has a plethora of ghost tour companies, each offering a unique and different
experience to consume. Most ghost tours take place in the evening, with the more haunting and
daunting story-filled tours occurring late at night, and focus their operation during the busy
tourism season, which often ranges from the warm days in April to the cool, crisp nights in
October. Each company includes tours for thrill-seekers of all ages, and all interests covering
different sections of the historic downtown area. The Farnsworth House Inn includes the Mature
Tour as mentioned above, which starts at 11pm and boasts an “R” rating. The tour takes guests
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into the basement and attic of the inn, and then out to the dark woods located on public property
below the famous Cemetery Hill section of the battlefield.69 A different ghost tour company,
Ghosts of Gettysburg, offers walking tours that are based around streets in the historic district
such as Baltimore Street and Steinwehr Avenue. They often depart around 8 in the evening as the
summer sun is setting.70
Mark Nesbitt’s book series, Ghosts of Gettysburg, inspired the alleged first ghost tour
company in town, branded with the same name as the books. Mark Nesbitt is a former National
Park Service Ranger and historian, who established a publishing company as a recreational
activity upon his retirement. Another passion of Nesbitt’s was writing the aforementioned ghost
story books as a hobby and passion. In 1994, he established the tour company in an alleged
historic haunted house in the famously claimed “most haunted town in America.” Ghosts of
Gettysburg’s forewarns guests of what they may experience:
Armed with tales from his ghost books – and with a few that aren't in the books –
guides dressed in period attire take visitors on evening tours through sections of
town that were bloody battlefields 13 decades ago; through night-darkened streets
to houses and buildings where it's not as quiet as it should be; to sites on the old
Pennsylvania College campus where the slain once lay in rows, and the wounded
suffered horribly, waiting to become corpses themselves; to cemeteries where the
dead lie. . . sometimes not so peacefully.71
Like other ghost tour company websites, Ghosts of Gettysburg boasts about being featured on
television shows, including popular supernatural shows that excite the viewing public. The
company also received the National Paranormal Award for “Best True Hauntings Collection”
and “Best ‘Local Haunt’ Guidebook,” in July of 2004, further establishing itself as prominent
among Gettysburg ghost tour companies. Ghosts, the paranormal, and the supernatural appeal to
visitors and the American public at large. Television shows feature ghost hunting “experts” using
special equipment, as they visit haunted hotels, homes, and land, recording their experience with
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night vision cameras. The thrilling idea of something “other worldly” fascinates and intrigues
viewers of all kinds. 72
Glenn W. Gentry covers the American fascination with ghost tours through a conducted
survey on ghost tours in Savannah, Georgia. Gentry immersed himself in the field of his study,
attending a ghost tour, documenting his experience and then polling the audience that
participated in the tour with him. He mentions that ghost walks provide towns with the means to
respond to the more creative and diverse needs for visitors.73 Gentry classifies ghost tours as
“dark tourism,” which “refers to the transformation of death and disaster into saleable tourismbased commodities.” “According to the literature,” Gentry further explains, “dark tourism
destinations feed a growing public fascination with death and are often used to encourage somber
reflection about tragic aspects of history.”74 With Gentry’s insight, the same principles of
thought explain the popularity of ghost tourism in Gettysburg.
Ghost tour companies weave together legend and lore with historical facts of the battle,
including the rumored haunts of men who died in a specific location. Many men fought in
Gettysburg, and eventually lost their lives, never returning home to their loved ones. The premise
of creating a successful ghost tour walk is comparable to how battlefield guides created stories
and led their battlefield tours. They re-tell stories heard from veterans or witnesses and link the
stories with facts that appear on monuments and markers. To further that argument, the popular
Battlefield Bus Tour Company, featured in chapter two, established Ghostly Images of
Gettysburg, expanding their tours to include the supernatural, appealing to the 21st century
tourist’s needs.
Some ghost tour companies take their guests inside historic homes with haunting claims,
such as the historic orphanage building, the Jennie Wade House, and the Farnsworth House.
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Ghostly Images of Gettysburg leads guests through the haunted orphanage building, including a
trip to the basement, rumored to be the resting place for beaten children’s souls and the evil
orphanage master who allegedly took their lives. Ghostly Images kept the integrity of the
original basement, but updated the house electronically, remodeling it to serve as their
headquarters. The same company also offers tours through the Jennie Wade House, the building
where Jennie Wade was kneading bread dough for soldiers when a stray bullet pierced through
the door and instantly killed her. Ghostly Images of Gettysburg claims spirits looking for loved
ones and friends still linger in the historic homes.75
Ghost tours link history with entertainment. While not all the stories told on the hourlong walks can be verified, most are linked to historic people and events. The sheer amount of
death and destruction in Gettysburg allows an easy connection of history and the paranormal.
Tour companies use the historic facts of the battle as an empirical foundation, upon which they
add the personal stories of souls who are trapped in Gettysburg, haunting tourists and residents.
When a patron chooses a ghost tour, they are immersed in the town’s history as well as thrilling,
spooky entertainment. In a way, ghost tours may be considered a form of “history for dummies,”
built off of original battlefield tours and appealing to all tourists.
Playtime in the Park
Tourists of the late 19th- and early 20th- century travelled to Gettysburg to witness the
land on which the great battle was fought and for leisure and enjoyment. With enhanced
battlefield access from the addition of the railroad spur and the electric trolley line, visitors were
transported to popular locations of battle such as Little Round Top and Devil’s Den. Gettysburg
entrepreneurs expounded on the need for an area of fun and relaxation at pivotal points along the
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trolley line. Thus, amusement parks were established to accommodate tourists traveling to the
battlefield.
One popular area was Tipton Park, located just east of Devil’s Den. William H. Tipton, a
famous photographer and supporter of the electric trolley, bought thirteen acres of land in April
1892, establishing an amusement area for battlefield visitors to relax and enjoy time with family
and friends. Souvenirs and relics were sold at a stand in the park, which included a refreshment
stand, amusement area, dance pavilion, and a photographer gallery. Though the park was
purchased by the U.S. War Department after a few years of operation, its entrepreneurial spirit
was not diminished: souvenirs and relics actually rose in popularity under Federal management.
Visitors were fascinated that they could take home a piece of battle, such as bullets, scraps of
bloody clothing, and pieces of bullet-hole ridden wood. Tipton had a successful business. Along
with his park, he purchased buildings along the electric trolley rail line, including one he
transformed into a restaurant run by his wife, Mary.76
Located near Tipton’s Park was Round Top Park, which featured “a spacious pavilion, a
kitchen with range, two wells of water with pumps and all necessary buildings.” A prominent
Gettysburg family, the Rosensteels, purchased land adjacent to Round Top Park in 1886 and
built a pavilion, popular among thousands of guests who visited each month. A refreshment
stand built by the Rosensteels advertised delicious treats such as, “sandwiches, ice cream, cakes,
pop, ginger ale, cigars and tobacco.” A large collection of relics was displayed to tourists,
showcasing a glimpse of tangible history. Upon the park’s closing, the Gettysburg National
Military Park acquired the relic collection, and currently most of it is on display at their Visitor
Center museum. Eventually, the popularity of the railroad spur waned as the use of the
automobile rose, resulting in a decrease in the parks popularity. In 1896 the park was purchased
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by the Gettysburg National Military Park Commission and preserved the land as a piece of the
battlefield. 77
The electric trolley line also sponsored Wible Park, sometimes referred to as “Wheatfield
Park.” A picnic site in the Rose’s Woods area of the battlefield, Wible Park featured a dancing
pavilion, two food stands, two cedar water pumps, and tables and benches. To emphasize the
popularity of the park, St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church held a picnic open to the community
and also charged an entrance fee. The church provided fun activities for all ages including games
and competitions.78 Shortly after the war, William Wible purchased the George Rose Farm, as
well as the land acquired by the electric trolley company for Wheatfield Park. Wible leased
rooms in his home, creating in the process a makeshift bed and breakfast for visitors. He offered
guided tours of the battlefield for a price, and even established a small quarry on the farm where
stones were harvested to be used as the monuments and flank markers. Eventually, the War
Department bought Wible’s land in their battlefield preservation efforts.
Some view the use of the battlefield land for leisure and pleasure as disrespectful to the
men who selflessly gave their lives on that land and to the families who mourned their men. Why
create an area of joy, pleasure, and leisure where so many lives were lost? We must acknowledge
that tourists often travelled to the parks by way of the electric trolley or the railroad spur, built
for easy access to the popular scenes of battle. While guests may have been seeking a day of
leisure in the dancing pavilion and sipping refreshments, they were also immersed into the
battlefield. The relics at Round Top Park exposed visitors to bullets and other battle
paraphernalia by the brave Civil War soldiers. Monuments, makers, and descriptive tablets
placed at pivotal points around the battlefield provide an easy way for guests to learn the history
of battle.
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Hotels and Healing Water
Monuments and leisure parks were not the only attraction drawing visitors to town. In
1865, springs discovered on the battlefield near Willoughby Run added another facet of tourism.
Battle veterans believed the springs had healing powers, soothing and mending their war
wounds. A Pennsylvania College, now known as Gettysburg College, professor studied and
tested the water and found it to have “Lithia,” a rare mineral with therapeutic claims. The
Katalysine Springs Company formed and developed the springs into a spa destination. Further
improving the relaxing atmosphere, a hotel was built near the springs. The four-story structure
promised the perfect restful retreat, as the resort included a cupola for observing the battlefield,
an artificial lake, beautiful landscaping, a billiard room, a bowling alley, bathing rooms, and
well-appointed rooms to comfort around 200 guests. Springs Hotel also served as a social venue,
hosting events such as cotillions and balls. Although the claims found in advertisements were
never proven true, the springs healing powers appealed to veterans and other patrons who wished
for a cure to their ailments.79
Visitors travelled to Gettysburg to visit the Springs Hotel, looking for a leisure vacation
away from the busy, dirty, industrial cities. When guests arrived in Gettysburg they were greeted
with lush trees, transportation directly to popular battlefield locations, parks for merriment, and
the hotel for rest and relaxation. An advertisement for the hotel in 1881 boasts the natural aspects
appealing to guests, urging them to leave the city.
The Hotel is located on the site where the battle commenced, and owing to the
contour of the mountains, a belt or current of dry air, decidedly cooler than can
be found a half mile on either side, is forced over the locality where the House is
built. And from the same cause, the rain fall is less frequent. A shale rock
underlies the surface, affording an excellent underdrainage, which with the other
cases named, makes the locality particularly healthy and dry. It has a capacity of
about two hundred, entirely first-calls in all its appointments, gas, water, bathes,
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etc., and is within but one minute’s walk of the celebrated Katalysine Springs,
which has produced some of the most wonderful cures on record in cases of
Kidney Affections, Rheumatism, Dyspepsia, etc. Hot and Cold Baths of this
Water will be furnished the guests at not more than the usual rates. The Hot
Baths of this spring are pronounced by experienced physicians and surgeons as
fully equal, if not superior, to the Hot Springs of Arkansas. There are Iron and
Sulphur Springs also in the immediate vicinity.80
The flyer describes a tranquil scene, inviting elites from far and wide to enjoy the natural
benefits of Gettysburg. The popular “healing water” from the spring was packaged and sold
through town, as well as shipped to large cities across America.
While guests may have originally travelled to the hotel only for healing or leisure, it is
impossible for them to ignore the monuments and markers they pass on the way to the hotel from
historic downtown. Jim Weeks states: “Yet for the genteel visitor, what distinguished Gettysburg
from other summer resorts was the fusion of landscape and epic into a single providential event.
Gettysburg offered a new kind of attraction that enabled tourists to see the hand of God not only
in nature but in the Union triumph as well.”81 Tourists travelling to Gettysburg were guaranteed a
new experience that combined amusement, leisure, and history into a single trip. The hotel had a
few promising seasons during the 1870s and 1880s, but the spa side closed its doors in the 1890s.
Following the closure of the spa and its springs, the popularity of the hotel diminished, and the
building eventually closed. A fire destroyed the hotel in 1917.82 Currently, the Gettysburg
Country Club covers the hotels former location.
A Thematic Thrilling Time
Over four decades after the ruin of the Katalysine Springs Hotel, a husband and wife duo
of entrepreneurs added another unique attraction to the town. In January 1959, Gettysburg gained
its first themed amusement park. A. Kenneth Dick and Thelma H. Dick bought land on the
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outskirts of the preserved battlefield and the historic town to build their dream business:
Fantasyland. A story-book themed amusement park, Fantasyland served as the ultimate
destination for families with children. Featuring a twenty-three-foot-tall Mother Goose at the
entrance, Fantasyland was divided into different sections with each pertaining to a story-book
tale many American children grew up reading. The inside of an advertisement brochure details
the specialties of the park as “a treat for the whole family.” The park includes twenty-three acres,
free parking, areas to picnic, and landscaping including tulips and wildflowers.83
Surviving documents provide us with a window into Fantasyland’s extensive marketing.
The park brochure’s front cover features two small pictures on the bottom with the caption,
“Fantasyland has been honored many times by distinguished visitors. The Kennedy Family
shown below talking to Mother Goose, and the Eisenhower’s returned often to relax and have
fun.”84 The amusement park advertised its importance in the American mind by affiliating itself
with famous American families that enjoyed their park. The back of the brochure features a
photograph of the entrance, an open, larger than life storybook cover, made to look like a house
that transports guests into the story. Park-goers enter through a door and travel into Fantasyland.
The caption below this pictures provides what guests will encounter once inside: “A tiny door in
a giant Storybook is the entrance to an exciting and unforgettable experience to Fantasyland.
Chat with Mother Goose and she will guide you down a winding path into the Enchanted Forest,
with its babbling brooks, gay songbirds, wild flowers, and huge moss-covered rocks. Along this
path you’ll find your fairy tale friends, and many beautiful things you’ll never forget.” The
description of the park as intertwined with nature is paired with details of the park’s proximity to
large cities, such as being “just 1 ½ hours from Wash[ington] D.C.”85 Fantasyland’s location in
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Gettysburg ensured a large guest count every year during their open season of April through
November.
In order to understand the impact of Fantasyland to the tourism of Gettysburg, we must
consider the time frame in which the park was in operation. After World War II, most families
had two working parents with kids in school from September to May. Many families traveled
away from their suburban homes to destinations providing activities for the whole family.
Gettysburg flourished as a tourism hub that included historical tours through battlefield land,
hotels and restaurants, museums and souvenir shops, and now an amusement park for children to
have fun. Knowing that the first families of the United States also travelled to Gettysburg and
enjoyed their time at Fantasyland appealed to other families trying to live the American Dream.
Unfortunately, Fantasyland was forced to close its doors after twenty-three summer
seasons. The National Park Service continued to buy more and more land to preserve the
battlefield and restore its 1863 appearance. This included moving Fantasyland from its location.
A news article from the Gettysburg Times details the transaction:
Under terms of the $1,382,650 transaction recorded late Friday in the county
courthouse, the government will take immediate possession of 43.04 acres of the
Taneytown Rd. and will lease the remaining 29-acre amusement park to
Fantasyland originators, A. Kenneth and Thelma H. Dick, for 10 years or until the
National Park Service completes its plan to restore the Taneytown Road to is
1863 appearance.
At that point in time, the park had only been in operation for sixteen years. The Dicks’ response
to the agreement was positive: “If and when the government asks to leave,” Dick said, “we’ll
simply pick up Fantasyland and move to another location beyond the National Park
boundaries.”86 The article also expresses the National Park Service’s hope for those who own
private property on historic land will freely give it over to them to ensure the battlefield is
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preserved and restored to the appearance and similar topography the soldiers fought in those
three fateful days in July 1863. When Fantasyland finally closed, rumors spread that the park’s
attractions were moving to Ohio amid the Dicks search for buyers. When the Gettysburg Times
featured news of the possible sale, it was not finalized or confirmed by the Dicks, stating it was
tied up in legal matters.87 The National Park Service took over the area that Fantasyland used to
occupy, and eventually paved part of it as a parking lot for the new Gettysburg National Military
Park Visitor and Welcome Center which opened in 2013.
The Finale
In the years since the battle, how tourists spend their time in Gettysburg has been
transformed. With a style similar to the first guided battlefield tours, ghost tours offer visitors an
exciting and spooky walk through the historic district of town, intricately lacing facts of the
buildings and people to paranormal experiences. The Farnsworth House Inn offers tours for the
mature crowd, taking their guests in the both the basement and attic of the historic home, as well
as the dark woods next to the battlefield. The original ghost tour company, Ghosts of Gettysburg,
follow streets through the historic district, repeating stories featured in Mark Nesbitt’s popular
books to which the company owes its name. Gettysburg ghost tour companies allow guests to use
their imagination and link it to historic facts they learned by walking through the town.
Another form of amusement was the parks located on the battlefield close to stops on the
electric trolley line and the railroad spur. Located near Little Round Top, Tipton’s Park and
Round Top Park, as well as Wible’s Park located in Rose’s Woods, featured dancing pavilions,
refreshments, water pumps, and souvenirs for purchase. Tipton displayed his photographs while
Round Top Park boasted a collection of relics from the battle. Visitors had the opportunity to
travel to the battlefield, learning its facts and numbers from the monuments and tablets, and then
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enjoy an afternoon of respite at one of the shaded pavilions. Guests also traveled to and stayed at
the Katalysine Springs Hotel, located near springs claimed to have healing properties in their
water. The elite and wounded rested at the Springs Hotel, ensuring they would spend ample time
in Gettysburg.
To appeal to families with young children, Fantasyland offered amusement and fun just
outside the heart of the historic district of Gettysburg. Featuring attractions related to favorite
childhood story-tales, Fantasyland was visited by two presidential families and attracted those to
who wished to enjoy nature. Advertisements boasted their shaded picnic areas and beautiful,
bountiful flowers. With Fantasyland, Gettysburg became the perfect family vacation location.
Not only could they spend a day or two traversing the battlefields, but they could spend a day
having fun as family in a friendly amusement park.
Gettysburg continues to change to the demands of the modern tourist. Though
Fantasyland closed with the National Park Service’s continued mission to return the fields back
to their 1863 appearance, the town still appeals to families. Privately-owned businesses line the
streets of the historic district of town, offering anything from toy guns to t-shirts featuring
Lincoln’s face and the Gettysburg Address. On the outskirts of town, chain restaurants and hotels
have established businesses, opening their doors to the Gettysburg tourist who wants something
safe and familiar. New options to tour the battlefield excite tourists who want to learn history
while experiencing a brand new activity, such as riding a Segway through the park. Businesses in
Gettysburg continue to grow and transform, appealing to people from across the globe making
the statement of American History in Gettysburg matters, and they will have plenty of options to
stay busy and have fun.
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CONCLUSION
On a clear, crisp, cool Saturday in November, my husband and I drive to Gettysburg for
at least the fifth time within two months. As we near downtown, we spot Civil War period
dressed men and women standing on the sidewalks with those in more modern apparel. The
mixed group is talking to one another as they peer down the road, waiting for the parade to pass
by. Only two days after the 153rd anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s oration of his
famous Gettysburg Address, the town of Gettysburg holds a Remembrance parade, part of a
weekend long celebration of the dedication of the Soldier’s National Cemetery. Due to the
parade closing the streets familiar to us, we get lost navigating side streets to the Adams County
Historical Society for another round of research. After a few hours of meticulously filing through
archival data, we stop to get dinner at a popular pub and restaurant located at the town square.
Seated next to us at Blue and Gray, a couple still in period dress order a round of beer and cheer
on the college football game on the television above their table. With their Remembrance
Weekend celebrations, Gettysburg provides modern tourist amenities and history lessons all in
one experience.
Gettysburg is consistently changing what it offers to guests, morphing together the
modern tourists wants and needs while keeping the integrity of the town’s history and heritage.
Since 1863, Gettysburg citizens have rallied together to maintain the integrity of the battle and
accommodate the influx of outsiders flocking to their town. Although many scholars feel that the
tourism and consumerism of American history in Gettysburg is detrimental to preserving the
monumental battle, I have argued that the tourism infrastructure aids in the educational
experience to visitors from all ages and walks of life. From monument guidelines, to enhanced
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transportation, to amusement parks, I have explored the multiple facets of the tourism industry’s
benefits to the town.
Preservation efforts started just weeks after the Confederates left town, assuring the
citizens took pride in the battle and the need to let others experience it, too. Thus, the Gettysburg
Battlefield Memorial Association formed and established guidelines for states to follow in
regards to the design and placement of their monuments and markers. With President Lincoln’s
speech, Gettysburg was launched into the collective minds of American’s as the ultimate location
of sacrifice and pride to preserve the Union. Chapter one discussed the different management
organizations that aided in keeping the battlefield in the front of American minds. Gettysburg
morphed into the town Americans make a pilgrimage to, witnessing history and learning stories
of our brave ancestors.
Aiding in the growth of Gettysburg as a tourist attraction, transportation moved guests
into the town and through the battlefield, as chapter two describes. The Gettysburg and Hanover
railroad leading into town was reconstructed and built a spur for easier access to the battlefield.
In the late 1800s, the Gettysburg Electric Railway Company built six miles of track to transport
guests from downtown to popular sections of the battlefield including Little Round Top.
Automobiles and buses gave tourists a personal and theatrical visiting experience, combining the
comfort of an air-conditioned vehicle with the opportunity to be taught by licensed guides or
tablets lining the Auto Tour path created by the National Park Service. Lastly, chapter two closes
with the National Park Service’s combination of two wars in one town with their purchase of the
farm of President Dwight Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in World War II,
and a shuttle transporting guests from the visitor center to his farm. Gettysburg continues to
improve the visitors’ experience.
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Informing readers of the various entertainment options provided for guests, chapter three
focused on tourist options that combined history with leisure. Entrepreneurs from different
decades established amusement parks, both on the battlefield and adjacent to the historical
ground. William Tipton established a park near Little Round Top during the late 19th century.
Guests rode the electric trolley to the amusement area which featured a dancing pavilion,
refreshment stand, and souvenir stand featuring battlefield relics. Half a century later, A.
Kenneth and Thelma Dick opened a children’s amusement park Fantasyland, with a 23-foot tall
Mother Goose welcoming guests and rides and characters from popular children’s stories.
Though all the amusement parks were bought out by government agencies to preserve the land,
their entertainment efforts were mimicked by entrepreneurs for years to come. Most recently,
ghost tours transformed history into entertainment, as companies weave together historical facts,
civilian stories, and supernatural mystery and lead guests through the historic district of
Gettysburg. Through these types of entertainment, Gettysburg morphed into the tourist hub
known for history and pleasure, establishing the town as the perfect vacation location.
Gettysburg still continues to evolve and adjust to tourists needs. Businessmen interested
in history have flocked to the town, purchasing historic homes and converting them into
museums such as the Shriver House Museum88 located on Baltimore Street. Other businessmen
established companies providing a new form of battlefield tours. Some of these businesses
provide Segways89 for guests to move through the battlefield, or two-person motorized “minicars” to peruse the battlefield with a trained guide that retells the historical battle90. More localowned small businesses line the historic streets and sell tourists mugs with general’s faces,
Confederate flags, and books featuring Gettysburg’s history and haunts. Tourists can sign up to
receive a tourism brochure entitled “Destination Gettysburg,” which includes advertisements for
53
businesses in town, entertainment options, festival weekends, and popular restaurants. On their
website, one can plan their entire trip or simply follow their suggestions for single day or multiday trips.91 Gettysburg is packaged into the complete family vacation option, combining history
and fun into a one-stop-shop.
Although Gettysburg is one of the most popular topics for historians and authors, there is
still much to be studied. For future projects, and with more time, I plan to investigate the
archives of the Gettysburg National Military Park to find more information regarding their role
in the evolution of Gettysburg into a tourism hub. As this was a thesis, there came a point in
stopping the research and focus on the overall argument and motives of Gettysburg transforming
into a tourist hub that teaches visitors history in a multitude of ways. Other historians may
choose to probe more deeply into topics discussed in this thesis, and some may have already. For
this paper, the purpose was to use examples to argue that commercialism and tourism in
Gettysburg helps visitors learn the immense history of the town. Further, there is not a
comprehensive book regarding the historic homes of Gettysburg. In this future project, I will
focus my attention on the builders and the town occupants, analyzing their roles both during the
battle and after as they sought to preserve historic homes.
Gettysburg thrives as a tourist town that provides history and fun for visitors. Tourism
culture has changed through the decades and so have the entrepreneurs and their businesses.
From immediately after the battle to today, visitors learn the impact of the Civil War battle that
forever changed the small town with easy access to the battlefield and limitless options to
experience the town. Trains and automobiles changed the tourist experience, providing direct
access to the battlefield. Guided tours, whether of the battlefield by a licensed guide or through
the haunted town at night, immerse Gettysburg visitors directly into the story of the town. As the
54
needs and wants of tourists change, so do town businesses alter their products and services to
appeal to modern visitors. The battle of Gettysburg served as a catalyst into the tourism industry.
The small town forever changed into a vacation destination appealing to visitors of all ages,
weaving together history and fun, guaranteeing the ultimate experience.
55
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Tim Rowland, “Who Owns Gettysburg?,” America’s Civil War (2011) 28-35.
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Adelman and Smith, 90.
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Office Service Bureau, “Tourist’s Map of Gettysburg,” 1923, Tourism Folder, ACHS.
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Office Service Bureau, “Tourist’s Map of Gettysburg,” 1923.
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Gentry, 223.
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80
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81
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83
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85
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86
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87
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88
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89
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58