1 - E-Library

1
I
a
h
1
I
1
1
I
1
Adams County. Among these was a turnpike between Hanover and Carlisle, which became
the modern Route 94. Much of the course of this turnpike follows that of the old
Deardorf's Mill Road. However, unlike the earlier road, the course is straightened and
improved, with less regard for dry soils and stream crossings. The new turnpike bypassed
Deardorf's Mill and was run through York Springs. Portions of the bypassed section of the
old Deardorf's Mill Road still exist today as township roads. In 1807, a stretch of this old
road became the boundary between Latimore and Huntingdon Townships. Other portions
of the bypassed road have disappeared from use.
Another example of a historically-important road in Adam County is the Black's Gap Road.
Surveyed in 1747, it is the earliest major east-west route across the county. The road's early
course remains largely intact today, but it too has been bypassed by other, more widelyutilized
routes. A portion of the Black's Gap Road has been improved as modern Route
394. Much of the old Black's Gap Road, however, stretching between Hilltown,
Mummasburg, Hunterstown, and the intersection with US Route 30 west of New Oxford,
exists today as a series of township roads.
The Lincoln Highway was the first transcontinental highway in the United States. It was
established about 1915 and followed much of the present course of US Route 30. Though
the road itself had existed well before it was designated as part of the Lincoln Highway, this
designation has given it a unique historical significance. The Lincoln Highway is closely tied
to the early history of the automobile in the United States. Today, the portion of the
highway through McKnightstown and Cashtown, and which winds westward up through the
gap, is largely unchanged in character from that in the early twentieth century. Like other
historic roadways in Adam County, these examples deserve recognition and protection, not
only to preserve the roads themselves, but to preserve the historic farms, residences, and
villages along their courses in the landscape context in which they were originally
established.
The Battle of Gettysburg
The significance of the Battle of Gettysburg to Adams County cannot be underestimated.
The Battle of Gettysburg is probably the best-known military engagement in American
history. For over a hundred years, it has focused national and world attention on Adam
County and has given the word Gettysburg a recognition that is rarely matched. Even in the
wake of the battle, the reunions, the monuments, the tourism, the trolley, the tower, etc.,
have been the subject of continuous historical study and public debate.
Because the historical focus in Adams County has so often been concentrated upon the
battle, an effort has been made here to stress other elements and resources which contribute
to the county's heritage. In a sense, the battlefield and the adjacent Eisenhower National
Historic Site are already well-protected, and increased attention needs to be given to these
other resources. As mentioned previously, however, the mid- to late-nineteenth century can
2-5-15