Living with history
Residents reflect as re-enactors invade Gettysburg
By JOSEPH M. DELEON News-Post Staff
jdeleon @ fredericknewspost . com
GETTYSBURG, Pa. — Every year, children run across neighborhood lawns to ask residents if they can pick flowers from gardens. Tiny hands grip delicate stems as they walk to nearby battlefields and place them on monuments to honor men and boys who died more than 140 years ago. That's what it was like growing up in Gettysburg for Bud Fleshman, 51. He saw his children repeat the same tradition over the years.
“In that little way, the next generation is remembering those boys,” he said while smoking a cigarette on his porch last week.
He remembered playing in the battlefields as a child. He and his friends ran races, played war and caught fireflies.
“When you're young, you just play,” he said. “But when you get older, you realize those fields and rocks were the last thing so many of them saw.”
Many residents of Gettysburg recognize the importance of the town's history, even though dealing with nearly 2 million visitors each year can be a nuisance.
Ronnie Wiseman, 17, started to appreciate the battlefields last year.
“Before, me and my friends would just go there to hang out,” he said while sitting on the steps leading to his house. “But now I realize other people really care about the history of Gettysburg and want to understand the old buildings and what happened on the battlefield.”
Ronnie also grew to appreciate how passionate re-enactors are about their craft.
“It's pretty cool because they dedicate their time to doing it and they try to perfect it,” he said.
Ronnie said traffic is the biggest downside of re-enactments.
“It really slows things down when it's all busy,” he said. “It takes two hours just to get to the grocery store.”
Mr. Fleshman agreed the traffic during re-enactments is troublesome.
“You just accept that,” he said. “You can't have one without the other. I mean, is your life so busy that you can't give up five minutes?”
Ryan Kudasik, 25, moved from Chambersburg to Gettysburg in March to help lead a ministry for teens called Emmaus. He'd heard about the notorious traffic, but doesn't mind; he walks most places.
“I've met people from all over the country who come here to see living history,” he said.
Jacob Lewis, 19, grew up in Gettysburg and also works at Emmaus.
“The thing I really like about Gettysburg is the restaurants and stores that have the Civil War atmosphere,” he said. “It's like going through a time warp.”
Mr. Kudasik agreed.
“It's almost like the whole town is part of the re-enactment,” he said.
They recalled what it was like to visit the re-enactments in elementary school.
Both remembered the clang of the cast-iron pots and pans reenactors used to cook.
“At that age it feels real,” Mr. Lewis said. “The fighting is scary and intense.”
Black powder stung their noses as cavalry and foot soldiers recreated the din of war.
“It makes history relevant,” Mr. Kudasik said. “It's a way to see history and learn it in a real way than to just read about it in books.”
Fear for the future
Gettysburg is surrounded on three sides by historic battlefields, which are protected from development. The only direction the town can grow is northeast.
“Gettysburg used to be beautiful, there were so many more trees,” Mr. Lewis said. “Now, there is so much development out east, it's upsetting.”
Over the past few years, two movie theaters, three hotels and a Wal-Mart have been built near U.S. 30 east of town.
“I just don't like all the new places along the highway with tons of traffic,” Mr. Lewis said. “I'd rather Gettysburg have that small town feel and all of a sudden it's just grown up.”
A casino has been proposed to help bolster the economy. The town's historical parks drew nearly 1.7 million visitors last year, according to the Gettysburg National Military Park Web site.
“As a local wanting to keep Gettysburg historic, I think it's a shame that casinos are trying to pull from that,” Mr. Fleshman said.
He said he's not against gam bling, but doesn't want to see his hometown lose its character or history.
“At the same time, without people like David LeVan it would have taken Gettysburg a lot longer to revitalize,” Mr. Fleshman said. “Nothing makes a town look worse than empty, deteriorating buildings.”
Mr. LeVan is the chief executive officer of Crossroads Gaming Resort and Spa — a proposed $300 million gaming resort at the interchange of U.S. 15 and U.S. 30.
David La Torre, spokesman for Crossroads, said many people believe the resort will rely on Gettysburg tourists for success. He expects the resort will draw tourists to Gettysburg who wouldn't ordinarily visit.
Crossroads investors have set aside more than $30 million to widen U.S. 30 east of the interchange to reduce traffic, he said. Crossroads will also contribute to a shuttle system to transport guests between the resort and Gettysburg.
“When it comes to encroachment and traffic in Gettysburg, this is one place that will not contribute,” Mr. La Torre said. “Mr. LeVan went to grade school in Gettysburg, graduated from Gettysburg College. He understands the historic character of the community and has contributed to preserving it.”
Despite the changes Mr. Fleshman has seen in recent years, the spirit of the Civil War is still alive. He said living next to a national shrine is an honor because it reinforces the reason Gettysburg is remembered today.
“It really hits you when you think that so many young men died so far away from their moms and homes,” he said. “And it makes you proud that the citizens of Gettysburg would gather today to comfort their memory and keep that spirit alive.”