When my wife and I first relocated to Gettysburg from Omaha, Nebraska, I primarily saw the town itself as a place to have dinner and buy books on the epic battle. It was only in studying for the Town Guide exam that I came to appreciate the drama of 2,400 civilians surrounded on all sides by 165,000 men engaged in a bloody contest that would determine the fate of our nation. Borrowing from historian Gerald Bennett, “The story of what this village community had to endure, and the human resourcefulness and resilience displayed in dealing with the titanic events before, during and following the battle days of July 1-3, 1863, is heroic.” In my former life, I was a Methodist pastor whose preaching relied heavily on story telling. As a Gettysburg Licensed Town Historian, I have the privilege of telling the inspiring stories of what has rightly been called “the most important small town in America.”
I was born and raised in Northern VA, my friend’s family, owned property in Manassas VA along Bull Run Creek. On weekend visits there, his father would tell us stories about the battles of first and second Manassas, and at the age of 12, I couldn’t hear, or read enough about the American Civil War, especially Gettysburg. In 1967 at the age of 15, my grandmother moved us to a small town called Springdale PA.
As years went by, it was there, I married, had three daughters and eventually moved to Hanover PA. (oh so close to Gettysburg, where we spent a great deal of time with our daughters and grandchildren). With my wife’s encouragement and support, I decided to take the test to become a Town Guide.
I’ve been a guide since 2021, and I am very fortunate and truly honored to be permitted to share my passion, love, and enthusiasm with visitors, about stories of the battle, the history of the town and what the citizens of Gettysburg endured in July and the following months of 1863.
I was born at Gettysburg’s Annie Warner Hospital and raised in Cumberland Township, just south of the Borough of Gettysburg. There were two Civil War-era farms in my family when I was growing up. Both farms were used as hospitals during the Battle. My first job was working on the farm with my grandfather and uncle. Finding arrowheads and bullets in the freshly- plowed fields sparked my interest in the Battle - and history in general.
After graduating from Gettysburg High School, I attended Millersville University where I studied history. However, I did not pursue a career in the history field upon leaving Millersville. Recently, I’ve been fortunate to have the time once again to study the Battle of Gettysburg. In particular, I’ve been researching one of the family farms. The civilian stories always fascinated me more than the military operations of the Battle. I have always been proud to grow up in a town that millions of visitors come to visit. I joined the Gettysburg Licensed Town Guides so I could share my stories and love of this community with them.
After earning a Ph.D. in Zoology, Brad has had a 40-year career in higher education, first as a faculty member, and administrator, and finally as a college president at two colleges (Sussex County Community College and the College of Southern Maryland). After 17 years as its President, Brad retired in 2017. He has been a Town Guide since 2018.
In addition to being a Town Guide, Brad has written 17 books on the Civil War, including, most recently, Lincoln’s Visit to Gettysburg and Lee Invades the North: A Comparison of the Antietam and Gettysburg Campaigns. He also is an Antietam Certified Battlefield Guide. Although he has deep expertise in many facets of the Civil War, he enjoys sharing our fascinating Gettysburg history with visitors. He is married and lives in Fayetteville, PA.
I am excited you are considering Gettysburg Licensed Town Guides in your plans. Gettysburg is a special place. All who come here enjoy exploring the great battlefield, but many miss the opportunity to learn the history of our town. To walk its streets and hear its stories will change your understanding of Gettysburg, and perhaps the nation.
I can't remember a time when I wasn't interested in Civil War history, especially Gettysburg. Living in Iowa presented a distance challenge, but luckily my wife indulged my Gettysburg interest. Every year we made the pilgrimage, adding to my knowledge and growing Civil War book collection. Upon retirement there was no question where we would make our home; Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
The people who came before us wanted their stories told, their sacrifice remembered. It is truly an honor for me to share the history of our town.
Ted has been interested in the Civil War, and Gettysburg in particular, since his youth in the long-ago 1950’s. He recalls visiting the battlefield during the July 1963 Centennial. Although his college degrees are in American History, Ted has had a long law career, including 36 years in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Division.
Ted is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Adams County Historical Society. Ted also is a re-enactor with Battery B, First Rhode Island Artillery, a unit that fought at Gettysburg. He has been a Town Guide since 2018. Ted enjoys sharing his love of our local history with visitors.
Civil War history has fascinated Kurt from an early age. He visited Gettysburg in eighth grade and he returned to attend Gettysburg College as an undergraduate. After a decades-long career with the YMCA, he and his wife retired back to the community of their alma mater. Since that time, Kurt has been active in many local civic activities, including board work for the Strawberry Hill Foundation and the Gettysburg Hospital Foundation. He has been a Town Guide since 2018.
Kurt resides in town, in the very shadow of Lincoln’s footsteps en route to deliver the Gettysburg address. Kurt enjoys telling the stories of the civilians’ experiences and sharing the significance of the town’s momentous events in the American journey.
Jerry is the only member of our group who has been a Licensed Town Guide since the organization’s founding. He is a proud veteran of the Vietnam War.
Jerry is a master storyteller; humor plays a significant part in his presentation. As he remarks, “I don’t do boring!”
Born in New Jersey, Alex has been a Civil War reenactor since he was 18 years old. He has a BA degree in History from Shippensburg University, with a concentration in public history. Alex has been an intern at the Adams County Historical Society, has been in the ambassador corps at the Gettysburg National Military Park, and a docent at the David Wills house. He works in the Park’s bookstore.
Alex became a Town Guide in 2016. He enjoys recounting stories of his hometown, especially those of the brave and compassionate women who helped so many soldiers.
Elaine is originally from New Jersey, and she has been a Town Guide since 2007. Her love of the Civil War began when she was a re-enactor, both military and civilian. She lives in an historic Civil War house in Gettysburg. She enjoys reading Civil War and Roman history and painting in oil and watercolor.
After obtaining her Master’s degree in Renaissance literature from Fordham University, she taught English at Farleigh Dickinson University. Post-academia, Elaine was an insurance coordinator at a pension consulting firm in New York City.
Elaine often walks her dog Barksdale on the town’s historic streets and on the sacred battlefield park, always remembering that the people who lived and struggled here were people just like us, with hopes and fears and passionate beliefs. Their very human stories of bravery and compassion should inspire us all today.
John has been a Town Guide since 2006. Over many years, he has given history presentations to various groups and organizations from Gettysburg and New York, focusing on Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg, and the Civil War. One of his tours was recorded for a French radio station and John periodically speaks on a local New York radio program on these topics, as well as local New York regimental histories. He completed a Business Administration Associates Degree and also a 35-year career in the U.S. Postal Service as Postmaster.
John also has taught Gettysburg and Lincoln history courses at Hudson Valley Community College in New York and he also has been a Civil War reenactor. John is a direct descendent of two Union soldiers, who respectively served in the Second Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry and the Third New York Cavalry.
Kevin‘s love of history dates back to 1972 when his uncle lived north of Gettysburg. Kevin is a graduate of Kutztown University and has over 40 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has been a Licensed Town Guide since 2010.
Kevin enjoys discussing Gettysburg’s history and the many exciting things to see and do around town. His passion is the late President Dwight D. Eisenhower -- Kevin never misses an opportunity to talk about the Thirty-fourth President’s special relationship to Gettysburg. Kevin is a member of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Society and the Eisenhower Foundation. In his free time, Kevin enjoys reading, searching for Gettysburg collectibles, and playing with “Ike,” his energetic Parson Russell terrier.
Adrienne has always been fascinated by history and the battle of Gettysburg in particular. Those interests led her to obtain a degree in history from Kutztown University. She has been a Town Guide since 2016.
During the week, Adrienne works in the financial industry. Being able to give tours on the weekends allows her to share her passion for Gettysburg with others. Her other interests include reading, sports, and traveling.
A life-long resident, Karen was born in Gettysburg and spent many childhood Sunday afternoons on the battlefield. She earned a master’s degree in American Studies from Penn State, with a focus on the civilians of Gettysburg. Retiring only months shy of 40 years in the military, she is now focusing her time on her passions: horses, history, and 3 grandchildren!
My love affair with Gettysburg began on a cold December day in 1998. I stood at the angle on Cemetery Ridge and looked across the field towards Seminary Ridge and felt what Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain described during the dedication of the monument for the 20th Maine: “In great deeds, something abides. On great fields, something stays.” His words came alive for me and I was compelled to learn about those great deeds.
As I studied, I realized that there was a larger story. The civilians who lived through the battle have stories to tell, and their words still speak to us. They were ordinary people who experienced extraordinary events.
I am a retired teacher librarian from Montgomery County, Pa. and a former National History Day judge. In 2008, I won first place in the Civil War Trust (now the American Battlefield Trust) teacher lesson plan contest for my middle school unit on the Civil War and, in 2013, I contributed lesson plans for the Trust’s high school Civil War curriculum. I have been a Town Guide since 2020. I also volunteer with the Park Watch program at Gettysburg National Military Park and with The Gettysburg Foundation’s Children of 1863 Museum at the Rupp House.
As a Town Guide, I enjoy sharing my passion, love, and enthusiasm for the memories and stories told to us by Gettysburg’s citizens.