We recently visited the Pennsylvania Room at the Hanover Public Library in Hanover, Pennsylvania. The address is 301 Carlisle Street. Access to the room is free and open to the public. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

The Guthrie Library turns 100 years old this October. As part of the celebration, items of the past are on display in a case outside the entrance to the Pennsylvania Room. They are featuring the Battle of Hanover. This flag, supposed to be the flag of the 114th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment (fought near Sherfy’s Peach Orchard at Gettysburg on July 2, 1863), was one of the items donated to their collection. This view was taken facing west at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

The note with the item declares that it is “part of the flag…” This view was taken facing west at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

“Key to the original telegraph instrument used by Daniel Trone to send out from Hanover the official and only report of the Battle of Gettysburg.” On June 27, 1863, White’s 35th Virginia Cavalry destroyed the telegraph wires leading out of Hanover. They were restored before the Battle of Gettysburg ended. The only report of the Battle of Gettysburg probably means the only report sent by telegram while the battle was still occurring. This view was taken facing north at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

Letter from telegrapher Daniel Trone written on June 30, 1863 and telling of his experiences during the Battle of Hanover, which occurred earlier that day. This view was taken facing north at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

The beginning of the Trone letter. This view was taken facing north at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

The end of the Trone letter. We are not sure how many pages the letter is. This view was taken facing north at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

A piece of the flag of the 5th New York Cavalry Regiment which fought at Hanover. This view was taken facing north at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

A canister ball found at the Henry Winebrenner House at 234 Frederick Street. This view was taken facing north at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

“Civil War bayonet found by Rev. Daniel Yingling in St. Matthew’s Churchyard after the Battle of Hanover.” This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

“Piece of log from the old Charles Wrede house at 108 Broadway. The bullet lodged in the log was fired during the Battle of Hanover.” This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

Confederate money covers much of the bottom of the display case. How did it get to Hanover? This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

This letter from the United States Treasury Department seems to suggest that the Treasury Department sent this money to various libraries for them to display in 1912. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

When the Confederates visited Hanover on either June 27th or June 30th, 1863, they took $1000 worth of jewelry from jeweler William Bodenhusser. He filed a damage claim with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and in January, 1872, received his money from the state. That’s Governor John White Geary’s picture at the bottom of the certificate and signature on the bottom right of the certificate. Even though many of us know citizens applied for damage claims, how many of us have seen an original certificate paying the claim? This view was taken facing north at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

A stirrup found at the Battle of Hanover. Sorry it’s next the best quality shot. This view was taken facing south at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

Here’s a flag, regiment or company unknown, with the date 1862 stitched in it. This view was taken facing north at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

Another flag, regiment or company unknown. This view was taken facing north at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

The extraordinary volunteers responsible for the Pennsylvania Room are the two individuals standing, John McGrew on the left and his wife, Wendy Bish-McGrew holding the sign showing a code to help find items in the Pennsylvania Room. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

Here is the sign that Wendy Bish-McGrew was holding in our previous photograph. This view was taken facing east at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

The books on the wall contain many county and local histories of communities in Pennsylvania and Maryland. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

We like the indexes put together by the Daughters of the American Revolution from the Hanover newspapers. This view was taken facing south at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

Their microfilm has been upgraded with two new “state of the art” machines. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

Page 1 of their list of microfilm holdings. This image was scanned facing north at approximately 9:00 AM on Thursday, July 28, 2011.

Page 2 of their list of microfilm holdings. This image was scanned facing north at approximately 9:00 AM on Thursday, July 28, 2011.

This wall contains family histories, school yearbooks, and other general histories. This view was taken facing west at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

Some of the family histories. This view was taken facing west at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

Lots of maps are available in various locations around the Pennsylvania Room. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

On the black table on the right we found a very interesting item. This view was taken facing west at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

A copy of the newspaper the Hanover Spectator. This issue of November 27, 1863 was never microfilmed. The staff found it stuck in a binder of the newspapers. This view was taken facing north at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

The Hanover Spectator was the newspaper owned at the time of the Battle of Gettysburg by Maria Leader. Her daughter, Mary Shaw Leader (1835-1913) was a reporter for the paper whom, legend says, walked from Hanover to Gettysburg to record President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863. In the November 27, 1863 edition of the Hanover Spectator, she is supposed to have called the address, “A remarkable speech.” The Spectator was a pro-Republican newspaper. The legend states that Mary Shaw Leader was one of the few reporters to write down Lincoln’s entire speech, and the only one present to state that the speech was good. This view was taken facing north at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

According to the McGrews, there are lots of problems with the Mary Leader story. This was a weekly newspaper published on Fridays. The November 20, 1863 edition of the Hanover Spectator didn’t mention anything about the ceremonies in Gettysburg dedicating the National Cemetery. Therefore the first time Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and the ceremonies were mentioned in this newspaper would have been on November 27, 1863. Look at the left column. Under “Addresses of President Lincoln and Hon. Edward Everett” there is this paragraph: “We give the following account of the consecration and the ceremonies of the day, taken from the Phila. Inquirer:…” So none of the descriptions of the ceremony at Gettysburg was written by someone from the Hanover Spectator. The McGrews believe that this newspaper was never microfilmed because its existence would disprove the Mary Leader myth. This view was taken facing north at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

By the way, please take time to read the Philadelphia Inquirer’s version of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. This was not the version that we memorized for school. This view was taken facing north at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

Someone from the Hanover Spectator did cover Lincoln’s visit to Hanover. Here is that short article. This view was taken facing north at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

There are multiple stereo cards and viewers in the Pennsylvania Room. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

The stereo viewer gives the stereo cards a “3D” effect. This view was taken facing north at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

John McGrew wrote the captions for the pictures based on what years the structures existed. This view was produced by Samuel G. Shaffer, who took photographs in Hanover from 1863-1869. It was taken from the Hanover Town Square looking towards the Junction of York Street and Broadway. The Wentz-Overbaugh and Company Dry Goods business existed from 1868-1896. The A.G. Schmidt, Drugstore existed from circa 1865-1882. The building that occupied the lot before the Sprenkle building (where the Famous Hot Weiners restaurant is now located) was built circa 1871. This view was taken facing northeast circa 1868.

This view taken from the junction of York Street and Broadway looking into the town square and down Frederick Street. The Wentz-Overbaugh and Company Dry Goods business existed from 1868-1896. The A.G. Schmidt, Drugstore existed from circa 1865-1882. The “A-Frame” shaped, and light colored Market House was removed in 1872. This view by Samuel Shaffer was taken facing southwest circa 1868.

John McGrew wrote the captions for the pictures based on what years the structures existed. This view was produced by Peter Weaver, who took photographs in Hanover from 1863 until sometime after 1900. It was taken from the Hanover Square looking towards Frederick Street. The Methodist Steeple was constructed in 1864. The Fountain was dedicated in 1874. Albright and Trone, Boots & Shoes existed from 1862-1875. The A.J. Snively Drugstore existed from 1868-1889. This view was taken facing southwest circa 1874.

It view is of the northeast corner of the Hanover Square. Simon J. Diller was the proprietor of the Mansion House from 1878-1884 until he moved to Gettysburg. The First National Bank Building opened on January 1, 1877. John R. Stine, a clothing store, was located on the Hanover Square from 1878-1888. A. N. Michael Hardware existed from 1876-1896. This view by Peter Weaver was taken facing north circa 1879.

The index cards for the photographs are in this cabinet. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

The black boxes contain many more photographs. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

The only drawback to the Pennsylvania Room is that it depends on volunteers to keep it open. When volunteers are not available the room is closed. Check the calendar which is posted to the right of the doors to see when volunteers will be available to open the room and be of service to you. This view was taken facing west at approximately 9:00 AM on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.