Norman Gasbarro | May 1, 2011
In July of 1863, President Lincoln issued a proclamation ordering a draft to raise five hundred thousand men for the Union army. It was the first compulsory draft in American history. The draft was intended to encourage enlistment, but in many cases it had the opposite effect. Federal troops had to be called out in […]
Norman Gasbarro | April 23, 2011
A recent book donation to the Gratz Historical Society has helped renew interest in a well-known event that took place on the Susquehanna River just south of Harrisburg in the crucial days preceding the Battle of Gettysburg in June, 1863. Flames Across the Susquehanna is a novel by Glenn Banner and is based on the […]
Norman Gasbarro | March 24, 2011
Just outside the current Harrisburg Transportation Center, there are two historical markers recognizing the history of rail transportation in Harrisburg and the historical nature of the site. In today’s post, one of the markers will be examined. In tomorrow’s post, the other marker will be discussed along with some additional thoughts about the role of […]
Norman Gasbarro | March 13, 2011
For the past two days, individual veterans with the surname Hoover have been featured here in posts – on Friday, Pvt. Henry Hoover, who served in the 210th Pennsylvania Infantry, and on Saturday, Pvt. Alfred Hoover, who served in the 177th Pennsylvania Infantry. In the first of those posts, it was mentioned that twelve persons […]
Norman Gasbarro | March 4, 2011
One hundred fifty years ago, on his way from his home in Springfield, Illinois, to Washington, D.C. for his March 4th inauguration, President-elect Abraham Lincoln made a stop in Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. Then, as now, Harrisburg was both the county seat and the state capital. The plan was for Lincoln to remain in Harrisburg […]
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