Construction at Devil's Den 4-15-22

[JimW]

It looks pretty forlorn now - hopefully it'll once again resume its former striking appearance:

View attachment 437974

IIRC, This is the statue that was dragged off it's pedestal and the head stolen a few years ago isn't it?

https://gettysburg.stonesentinels.c...d-engineers/4th-new-york-independent-battery/

 

[Reconstructed Rebel]

My interest would be more towards what remains to be found under/within the rock formations. Maybe the skeleton of the "Devil" (huge snake)?

Reading stories of how some Confederate dead were dropped down between the crevices at DD (as opposed to having the time or the inclination to try to bury them nearby) has always made me speculate what artifacts might still be among those rocks. I wonder if there was ever a formal search of any sort by park officials?

 

[scotth]

I first visited the old visitor center in August 1963 and always loved how the artifacts were displayed, particularly the cannon barrels standing on end. I made a point of visiting it immediately prior to its closing and sitting through the "Electric Map" presentation several times.

The Electric Map was what made me a lifelong Civil War and Gettysburg fan. I was a mesmerized 8 year old in 1970 when I first saw it.

 

[USS ALASKA]

Sadly, no

Dang, so visiting Confederate sympathizers are literally SOL...unless they use the Blue one to send one last message to that Lincoln guy...

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

 

[infomanpa]

Believe it or not, in the mid 70's when I was a kid, my uncle was an electrical engineer for US Boat doing sonar work for the sub fleet. He built a fairly sophisticated metal detector and we just had to try it out. Off we go to Gettysburg naively unaware of the law....we were detecting between the Angle and the PA monument. You could not move an inch without finding a bullet, part of a bayonet, horse bit, artillery chain or buckle. I would imagine the same at Devil's Den, maybe more so.

A park ranger came lumbering out of the maintenance area behind the ridge and told us he knew we were fairly ignorant of the regs and gave us a break. He asked what we found and as I was holding a snaffle bit, said "just this", he chuckled looked at my Marine fatigues that looked like jodhpurs with all of the pockets full, told us who to contact if we wanted to legally hunt in the area.

The real sad part of the story, my mom threw out all that we found 5 years later when I went off to school, along with my baseball cards.........

You're right. I find it hard to believe that there were so many relics in that area (located in every inch) in the 1970's.

 

[Package4]

You're right. I find it hard to believe that there were so many relics in that area (located in every inch) in the 1970's.

Well, we were there for just under 30 minutes before we were caught and had every pocket full of metal. There was also quite a bit of trash, pieces of cans and cartridge box tins, most were only 3-4 inches deep. Though surprisingly we didn't find a lot of shrapnel, I think only one or two pieces.

My brother used to walk Pickett's charge field just after plowing and would come home with multiple finds, those, I still have. There's lots of stuff still there, both DD and The Angle were park land well before metal detectors so all of the detritus that imbedded is still there.

 

[MRB1863]

I first visited the old visitor center in August 1963 and always loved how the artifacts were displayed, particularly the cannon barrels standing on end. I made a point of visiting it immediately prior to its closing and sitting through the "Electric Map" presentation several times.

I remember the Visitors Center from days past also. Vividly recall walking through the lobby into the atrium area and my first view of the awesome exhibits. I probably looked like a little yokel on a first visit to New York City, standing there not knowing which exhibit to study first but trying to take in all the sights at once. Was totally enthralled by the gorgeous presentation of history and the mystique of the area that seemed dimly lit after coming in from outside. Bypassed the book shops and straight to the exhibits on subsequent visits...the books can wait...I wanted to get to the "good stuff" first! I have often wondered if the feeling would be the same today if the old Visitor's Center was still there and open. Or, did I remember it more grandly because of my young impressionable age...either way I am glad to have toured the site as many times as I had the opportunity.

 

[James N.]

I remember the Visitors Center from days past also. Vividly recall walking through the lobby into the atrium area and my first view of the awesome exhibits. I probably looked like a little yokel on a first visit to New York City, standing there not knowing which exhibit to study first but trying to take in all the sights at once. Was totally enthralled by the gorgeous presentation of history and the mystique of the area that seemed dimly lit after coming in from outside. Bypassed the book shops and straight to the exhibits on subsequent visits...the books can wait...I wanted to get to the "good stuff" first! I have often wondered if the feeling would be the same today if the old Visitor's Center was still there and open. Or, did I remember it more grandly because of my young impressionable age...either way I am glad to have toured the site as many times as I had the opportunity.

There were truly some wonderful items there all right! Unfortunately, however, a few of the exhibits inside needed "thinning out" even when the NPS operated it. I distinctly remember visiting sometime in the 1980's seeing display boards of swords that included obvious (at least to me, a sword collector) Spanish-American War-era U.S. Naval officer's swords identified as Civil War era. Also, there were duplicate, triplicate, and even more examples of common items (like M.1861 rifles, for example) where a single would suffice. I also believe the connection of some of the items (like having naval swords in the first place) to Gettysburg was dubious at best.

 

[Tony Z]

But even with thinning out, it would be much better than the displays at the new VC! Don't know if true, but there were rumors that some items at new VC were reproductions! I love GB, except for the new visitor center. Building is grossly out of scale to the surrounding, plus ya gotta pay to play!

 

[MRB1863]

There were truly some wonderful items there all right! Unfortunately, however, a few of the exhibits inside needed "thinning out" even when the NPS operated it. I distinctly remember visiting sometime in the 1980's seeing display boards of swords that included obvious (at least to me, a sword collector) Spanish-American era U.S. Naval officer's swords identified as Civil War era. Also, there were duplicate, triplicate, and even more examples of common items (like M.1861 rifles, for example) where a single would suffice. I also believe the connection of some of the items (like having naval swords in the first place) to Gettysburg was dubious at best.

But even with thinning out, it would be much better than the displays at the new VC! Don't know if true, but there were rumors that some items at new VC were reproductions! I love GB, except for the new visitor center. Building is grossly out of scale to the surrounding, plus ya gotta pay to play!

All true! But when you are a little kid...never heard of replicas back then. I guess youngsters are very impressionable. And, some adults too, as many were enthralled by the presentations. Gettysburg is still a treasure chest of History today!

 

[MRB1863]

Progress at Devil's Den from 5-25-22:

 

[Tony Z]

Progress at Devil's Den from 5-25-22:
View attachment 441516View attachment 441517
View attachment 441518

Steps look great and fit the landscape very well!

 

[MRB1863]

They do and will provide access to some who otherwise would not be able to experience Devil's Den.