Gettysburg battlefield produces steady supply of news
The goddess Victory is part of the handle to U.S. Grant’s silver and gold sword. The former Union general in chief’s initials are monogrammed in diamonds. This sword, estimated to be worth $2 million to $2.5 million will be auctioned in Gettysburg, June 24-25. The story of the sword appeared in the York Sunday News in June, another in a long line of Gettysburg stories. Background posts: Gettysburg statue damage spawns memories of Ellsworth Zouaves and U.S. Grant dines at Mick E. Dees.
The York Daily Record/Sunday News regularly covers Gettysburg battlefield news with the idea that not only will Adams County readers eat it up, but so will our primary circulation base in York.
When you add stories from our sister paper, the Hanover Evening Sun, to our regular story lineup coming from Adams, it’s a heavy lineup of high-interest news to thousands of readers.
Many appear in our history section or in this blog’s Civil War archives.
The following represents a short list of recent Gettysburg/Civil War stories produced by the Daily Record/Sunday News or the Hanover Evening Sun:
– Part of Gettysburg’s Wills House leased: “Main Street Gettysburg said Tuesday it will offer a five-year lease for the top floor of the Wills House to a motivational-speaking company.”
– Gettysburg train station could soon open: Gettysburg’s Lincoln train station could soon be open to the public seven days a week, thanks to a coalition of historic groups led by the National Trust for Historic Gettysburg.
– Battle over Gettyburg tour system: The National Park Service and a battlefield guides’ association are at odds over a planned reservation policy that the association said could hurt guides’ incomes, but the park service said it will improve tourism in Gettysburg.
– Grant’s sword, Custer’s flag are expected to be sold for $2 million each at an auction in Gettysburg: The tattered silk is stained and worn. Chunks are missing, edges are frayed, and a blue section has faded into more of a gray. But someone might pay more than $2 million to get their hands on the fabric. That’s because Gen. George Armstrong Custer carried the flag, made by his wife, during the last days of the Civil War. A jewel-encrusted sword that once belonged to Ulysses S. Grant is expected to draw the same amount.
– G’burg ghost tour owners fear limits on group size: The Gettysburg borough public safety committee discussed an ordinance recently that would cap the number of participants in walking-tour groups, and some tour operators aren’t happy about it. The borough has been considering changes to the voluntary guidelines since last year, when Baltimore Street residents complained about noise, littering and property damage because of the growing number of ghost tours in the borough. At least 13 companies conducted tours last year.
For more battlefield news, see Gettysburg battlefield produces steady supply of news, Part II.
