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==History== [[File:Lincolnatgettysburg.jpg|thumb|On November 19, 1863, [[President of the United States|U.S. President]] [[Abraham Lincoln]] (center, facing camera) delivered the [[Gettysburg Address]], considered one of the famous speeches in American history.<ref>{{cite book |last=Conant |first=Sean |date=2015 |title=The Gettysburg Address: Perspectives on Lincoln's Greatest Speech |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_bmyBwAAQBAJ&pg=PR9 |location=New York|publisher=Oxford University Press |page=ix |isbn=978-0-19-022745-6}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Holsinger |first=M. Paul |date=1999 |title=War and American Popular Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Oe4AOVHkJ9oC&pg=PA102 |location=Westport, CT |publisher=Greenwood Press |page=102 |isbn=978-0-313-29908-7}}</ref>]] [[File:Pennsylvania - Gettysburg - NARA - 68148252 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Downtown Gettysburg in 1930]] [[File:Pennsylvania - Gettysburg - NARA - 68148246 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Gettysburg in 1935]] ===18th century=== [[File:Adams PA Courthouse 2.JPG|thumb|[[Adams County Courthouse (Pennsylvania)|Adams County Courthouse]]]] In 1760, Irishman [[Samuel Gettys]] settled at the [[Shippensburg, Pennsylvania|Shippensburg]]-[[Baltimore]] and [[Philadelphia]]-[[Pittsburgh]] crossroads, in what was then western [[York County, Pennsylvania|York County]], and established a tavern frequented by soldiers and traders. In 1786, his son [[James Gettys (founder of Gettysburg)|James]] purchased 116 acres of his land, divided it up into 220 lots and sold them, and is thus considered the founder of Gettysburgh.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.achp.gov/preserve-america/community/gettysburg-pennsylvania |title=Gettysburg, Pennsylvania |publisher=[[Advisory Council on Historic Preservation]]}}</ref> The borough boundary was established, with the Dobbin House tavern (established in 1776) sitting in the southwest. Beginning in 1790, a movement seeking to split off the western portion of York County into a separate county had begun. A commission was drawn up to fix the site of the new county's seat; they ultimately chose a location in Strabane Township (now [[Straban Township, Pennsylvania|Straban]] Township), just northeast of Gettysburg. In 1791, additional trustees were appointed to plan to construct public buildings in Gettysburg instead of in Straban. ===19th century=== On January 22, 1800, the [[Pennsylvania General Assembly|Pennsylvania Legislature]] created Adams County, and named Gettysburg as its county seat.<ref name=Rupp>{{cite book |last=Rupp |first=Israel Daniel |year=1846 |orig-year=written 1844 |chapter=History of Adams County: Chapter XXXIX |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LvZb8kntVtkC&q=Chapter+XXXIX |title=The History and Topography of 6 Pennsylvania Counties |location=Lancaster, Pennsylvania|Lancaster City |publisher=Gilbert Hills |access-date=July 30, 2011 |quote=''At present 1844''}}{{Rp|527}}</ref> In 1858, the [[Gettysburg Railroad]] completed the construction of a [[railroad]] line from Gettysburg to [[Hanover, Pennsylvania|Hanover]], and the [[Gettysburg Railroad Station]] opened a year later. [[Passenger train]] service to the town ended in 1942. The station was restored in 2006. In 2011, Senator [[Bob Casey, Jr.|Robert Casey]] introduced S. 1897, including the railroad station within the boundary of Gettysburg National Military Park.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bill Text 112th Congress (2011β2012) S.1897.IS|url=http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112s1897is/pdf/BILLS-112s1897is.pdf|work=www.gpo.gov|access-date=March 25, 2012}}</ref> By 1860, the borough had grown in size to consist of "450 buildings [which] housed carriage manufacturing, shoemakers, and tanneries".<ref>{{cite web |title=History of Gettysburg |url=https://www.gettysburgpa.gov/history/slideshows/town-history |access-date=March 27, 2022 |work=History of Gettysburg Pennsylvania}}</ref> ====Civil War==== {{Main|Gettysburg campaign}} {{Further|Battle of Gettysburg|Gettysburg Address}} [[File:Lincoln Bust at Gettysburg.jpg|thumb|A bust of [[Abraham Lincoln|Lincoln]] at Gettysburg]] Between July 1 and 3, 1863, the [[Battle of Gettysburg]], one of the bloodiest battles during the [[American Civil War]], was fought across the fields and heights surrounding the town. The [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] [[Army of Northern Virginia]], under the command of [[Robert E Lee]], experienced success in the early stages of the battle but was ultimately defeated by the [[Army of the Potomac]], commanded by [[George G. Meade]]. Lee executed an orderly withdrawal and escaped across the [[Potomac River]] without being drawn into another battle. Meade was heavily criticized by President [[Abraham Lincoln]] for his cautious pursuit and failure to destroy Lee's retreating army. Casualties were high, with total losses on both sides β over 27,000 Confederate and 23,000 Union. The residents of Gettysburg were left to care for the wounded, and bury the dead following the Confederate retreat. Approximately 8,000 men and 3,000 horses lay under the summer sun. The Union soldiers' bodies were gradually reinterred in what is today known as [[Gettysburg National Cemetery]], where, on November 19, 1863, [[Abraham Lincoln]] attended a ceremony to [[Consecration of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg|officially consecrate]] the grounds and delivered his [[Gettysburg Address]]. A 20-year-old woman, [[Jennie Wade]], was the only civilian killed during the battle. She was hit by a stray bullet that passed through her kitchen door while she was making bread on July 3.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gettysburgbattlefieldtours.com/gettysburg-tours/jennie-wade-house/|title=Jennie Wade House {{!}} Gettysburg Battlefield Tours|website=www.gettysburgbattlefieldtours.com|language=en-US|access-date=June 15, 2017}}</ref> Physical damage can still be seen in some of the houses throughout the town, notably the Schmucker House<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.gettysburgdaily.com/gettysburgs-samuel-schmucker-house-artillery-shell/|title=Gettysburg's Samuel Schmucker House Artillery Shell {{!}} Gettysburg Daily|date=January 15, 2009|work=Gettysburg Daily|access-date=June 3, 2017|language=en-US}}</ref> located on [[Seminary Ridge]].
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