George Thomas
Corporal
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2017
- Location
- Greater Boston (MA) area
Hanover Junction train station looking north
I recently had an opportunity to visit the railroad station at Hanover Junction, PA, which is about 28 miles east of Gettysburg. I have always found the site intriguing since seeing an old photograph in William Frassanito's "The Gettysburg Then and Now Companion" (1997), scene 50. Apparently Lincoln's train switched tracks there in November 1863 and some have speculated that Lincoln appears in one of the photos taken at the site. Frassanito concludes that Lincoln does not appear in the photo, but says it remains a mystery "who took the series [of photographs] and why."
Scott Mingus also had an interesting article in Gettysburg magazine in January 2010 that described some of the action in the area around the time of the Gettysburg campaign ("White's Comanches on the Warpath at Hanover Junction").
The junction is a bit off the beaten path, but has been restored as part of the Heritage Rail Trail County Park. Hanover Junction is one of the access points for a beautiful walking/biking trail that follows the old North Central Railroad from the Maryland state line to York, PA. It is a very interesting trail with some nice scenery along the way. I followed the trail north from Hanover Junction to Brillhart Station. Below are some photos of the station and some sites along the trail. I have also attached some of the old photographs available at the Library of Congress web site.
Hanover Junction train station looking northwest
Scenery along the trail near Seven Valleys, PA
Howard Tunnel looking north
Howard tunnel wayside marker, stating that "Before the Battle of Gettysburg, Union troops manned a cannon on top of the hill to protect the tunnel from Confederates who had been wrecking railroad bridges and telegraph lines."
Companion photos from Library of Congress site, available at:
https://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/cwpb/01500/01531v.jpg
https://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3b10000/3b16000/3b16000/3b16077r.jpg
https://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3a50000/3a50000/3a50400/3a50436r.jpg
https://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/cwpb/01500/01536r.jpg
Looking North
Looking North, closer view
Looking Northwest, house on right side of photo is still there, but it is private property and the yard is overgrown, so I could not include it in the modern version.
Photo is titled "Hanover Junction, Pennsylvania. Bridge at Hanover Junction burned by Confederates before the battle of Gettysburg." I did not find this exact site, but the scenery is certainly similar to what one sees along the trail as you walk north from the junction.
I recently had an opportunity to visit the railroad station at Hanover Junction, PA, which is about 28 miles east of Gettysburg. I have always found the site intriguing since seeing an old photograph in William Frassanito's "The Gettysburg Then and Now Companion" (1997), scene 50. Apparently Lincoln's train switched tracks there in November 1863 and some have speculated that Lincoln appears in one of the photos taken at the site. Frassanito concludes that Lincoln does not appear in the photo, but says it remains a mystery "who took the series [of photographs] and why."
Scott Mingus also had an interesting article in Gettysburg magazine in January 2010 that described some of the action in the area around the time of the Gettysburg campaign ("White's Comanches on the Warpath at Hanover Junction").
The junction is a bit off the beaten path, but has been restored as part of the Heritage Rail Trail County Park. Hanover Junction is one of the access points for a beautiful walking/biking trail that follows the old North Central Railroad from the Maryland state line to York, PA. It is a very interesting trail with some nice scenery along the way. I followed the trail north from Hanover Junction to Brillhart Station. Below are some photos of the station and some sites along the trail. I have also attached some of the old photographs available at the Library of Congress web site.
Hanover Junction train station looking northwest
Scenery along the trail near Seven Valleys, PA
Howard Tunnel looking north
Howard tunnel wayside marker, stating that "Before the Battle of Gettysburg, Union troops manned a cannon on top of the hill to protect the tunnel from Confederates who had been wrecking railroad bridges and telegraph lines."
Companion photos from Library of Congress site, available at:
https://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/cwpb/01500/01531v.jpg
https://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3b10000/3b16000/3b16000/3b16077r.jpg
https://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3a50000/3a50000/3a50400/3a50436r.jpg
https://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/cwpb/01500/01536r.jpg
Looking North
Looking North, closer view
Looking Northwest, house on right side of photo is still there, but it is private property and the yard is overgrown, so I could not include it in the modern version.
Photo is titled "Hanover Junction, Pennsylvania. Bridge at Hanover Junction burned by Confederates before the battle of Gettysburg." I did not find this exact site, but the scenery is certainly similar to what one sees along the trail as you walk north from the junction.
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