Tillie Pierce: Teen Eyewitness to the Battle of Gettysburg

Tillie Pierce: Teen Eyewitness to the Battle of Gettysburg — page 5
Gettysburg was known for making carriages including Conestoga wagons below Theological Seminary opened in 1826 and Pennsylvania now Gettysburg College followed in 1832 One of the main businesses in Gettysburg was carriage making The area was well known for its fine horse drawn carriages It supplied a growing nation with all kinds of vehicles including Conestoga wagons also known as prairie schooners Related businesses such as tanneries iron works and blacksmith shops sprang up Outside the busy little town farmers grew corn wheat rye and hay During the summer and fall the bounty from apple and peach orchards kept families busy making apple butter and peach preserves Some men ran still houses that produced gin rye whiskey and apple brandy TLLIE's HOMETOWN TILLIE PIERCE WAS BORN IN GETTYSBURG IN 1848 In her book At Get tysburg Or What a Girl Saw and Heard of the Battle A True Narrative she describes Gettysburg as it was before the war Prior to the battle it was comparatively unknown to the out side world save to those interested in the Lutheran Theological Seminary here located From year to year it pursued the even and quiet tenor feel of an inland town with nothing