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Business Recognition Nomination |
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GENERAL INFORMATION: On the famous Mason-Dixon line, the historic border between the old "north and south," Adams County is a gateway community founded at the crossroads of some of America's earliest highways. The County seat, Gettysburg, is a short distance from the vibrant metropolitan centers of Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia. AREA AND CLIMATE: Adams County is 526 square miles in area, located 600 feet above sea level. The average annual temperature is 53.4 degrees, with the average maximum being 74.8 degrees and the average minimum being 30.1 degrees. The average seasonal snowfall is 32.2 inches, and the average yearly rainfall is 40.99 inches. POPULATION AND PEOPLE: Gettysburg has a population of 7,490 within the corporation limits, and the population of Adams County is 91,292 (2000 census). The majority of the native-born population are of German, English or Irish background. TRANSPORTATION: Our community is served by two railroads. They are CSXT and Gettysburg Railway Company, Inc. CSXT runs between Baltimore and Hagerstown with connections to the south and west. Gettysburg Railway runs north through Adams and Cumberland counties to Mt. Holly Springs, where it connects to the Norfolk Southern system. Gettysburg Railway serves a number of Adams County industries along its line. MOTOR FREIGHT: There are many large motor freight companies operating out of this area which maintain excellent intrastate and interstate connections providing fast pickup and delivery service on regular schedules. COMMUNICATIONS: Gettysburg has one daily newspaper, Gettysburg Times, with an approximate circulation of 10,000. The Hanover Evening Sun is also delivered throughout Adams County. There are two radio stations broadcasting from Gettysburg -- WGET-AM (1320 AM), a CNNRadio News affiliate, and WGTY-FM (107.7 FM), a stereo Country Music station serving Adams and York County and nearby Maryland. TV reception in this area is excellent and Cable TV is offered in Gettysburg and some of the surrounding areas of Adams County. HEALTH CARE: Gettysburg Hospital, a 99-bed acute and emergency care facility, is a fully accredited hospital supported by a wide range of physician specialties. In addition to the Hospital, Adams County is served by a dynamic network of health and human service agencies, a State Health Center, skilled nursing facilities and other rehabilitative services. Hanover Hospical is located just over the county border in neighboring York County and, along with Gettysburg Hospital, serves the eastern and southeastern portions of Adams County. HISTORICAL DATA: Indians massacred families within the Gettysburg area during the French and Indian War. That fact is almost forgotten now, overshadowed by the area's role in the Civil War. That history, in turn, is somewhat overshadowed by the famed words spoken by Abraham Lincoln as he dedicated a cemetery in Gettysburg to those who had died in the Battle of Gettysburg -- "That government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth." Over 3,500 acres of the Gettysburg National Military Park, with its 3,000 markers and monuments and the quiet cemetery where Lincoln spoke on November 19, 1863, have long been shrines for the American nation and the world. Another shrine has been added -- the home of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, who became the nation's 34th president, and whose farm here was the only home he ever owned. It is now open to the public. Gettysburg is the crossroads of two national highways -- U.S. Route 30 and U.S. Route 15. Partially because of that network of roads, it has also become a crossroads of history. PROTECTION: The Gettysburg Police Department is comprised of a Chief of Police with a full staff and special officers, with patrol cars equipped with two-way radios. The Fire Departments are volunteer companies. There are 27 volunteer fire companies serving Adams County. There is an Adams County Control Center which handles all emergency calls in the county. Dial "911". SCHOOLS: A splendid school system adds to the satisfaction of life in Gettysburg. It consists of four public elementary schools, one parochial school, one public junior high, and one public senior high school. There are five other high schools in Adams County and all of them have new facilities, offering complete courses in academic and commercial fields. For higher education, there is the Gettysburg College, a coeducational liberal arts college (4 years) with an enrollment of approximately 2,100. The Gettysburg Campus Harrisburg Area Community College which offers many of the programs available at its main campus. The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg is a school of theology, which was created and is maintained by the Lutheran Church. Area School Links
INDUSTRIAL SITES: AIR TRANSPORTATION: HOUSING: GOVERNMENT: For more detailed information about the area, |
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