Tag: Gettysburg Politicians
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John Crawford: Lawyer and Gentleman Farmer
As with much of the Underground Railroad, very little can tell us whether John Crawford knew what Basil Biggs was up to when he lived on as a tenant farmer on Crawford’s land. Biggs and family moved to the area from Maryland in 1858, seeking to be in a non-slave-holding state and looking for educational…
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Charles Hoffman Found Out: Don’t Mess with David Middlecoff
When Charles W. Hoffman wound up in legal and debt disputes with the Fahnestocks and David Middlecoff, he was battling some of the most powerful men in the region. David Middlecoff, in particular, was a nationally recognized politician, businessman, army and militia leader, and lender. Once the relationship turned sour, Charles Hoffman wasn’t going to…
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The Bank of Gettysburg through the Years
The names of people associated with the Bank of Gettysburg, Gettysburg’s first bank, include surnames even casual students of the town would recognize: James Gettys, Jacob Eyster, John McConaughy (father of David McConaughy), and various others. The bank’s original building (now part of the Gettysburg Hotel) was in the famous square (or diamond, as many…
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The Remarkable Life of Henry Benner: Gettysburg Hero
In his time, Henry Benner was one of the best-known Gettysburg residents—a burgess of the town (like a mayor), a war hero with a trove of wild experiences and stories, and a respected business- and family man. Today, the hill bearing his family name is barely visited, and few people know of Henry, his prominent…
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The Legacy of Dr. John O’Neal in Gettysburg’s History
Dr. John O’Neal had many occasions to visit the John Rose family shortly after the battle—he treated their daughter for a nervous condition and he became one of the best sources about Confederate burials in the town and surrounding farms. History mostly remembers him for his work reuniting Southern families with the remains of their…
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David McConaughy, David Wills, and the Feud that Gave Us the Gettysburg National Cemetery
In September 1863, David Wills and David McConaughy were featured side-by-side on the front page of the Adams County Sentinel. In the left column was David Wills magnanimously creating the National Cemetery, and in the right column was David McConaughy generously buying up battlefield land in order to create the Gettysburg National Battlefield Park. Unseen…
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Ed McPherson: Gentleman! Orator! Scholar!
Today, most people know the name Ed McPherson from McPherson Ridge, the site of heavy fighting on Day 1 of the Battle of Gettysburg. But Edward McPherson was far more than the name of a farm one of Gettysburg’s most prominent 19th-century figures—a lawyer, journalist, politician, and government reformer whose life intersected with some of…
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James McAllister’s Mill and the Underground Railroad
What is now known as McAllister’s Mill was originally developed in 1790 by James Gettys and an unidentified partner. James McAllister would not purchase the mill that became a symbol of freedom until 1822. From his early days, James and his family were ardent abolitionists and deeply involved in the anti-slavery cause, which would later…
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James, Henry, and Edward: The Fahnestock Brothers
The girls were first, and judging by Louisa’s naming of her children, they mothered the later-arriving Fahnestock brothers and adored them. The sons came every two years like clockwork from 1825 through 1829. In 1833, when James was 8, Henry 6, and Edward 4, their father Samuel bought the old tavern down the street from…