Creating the First Founders Day in Gettysburg!
I've only lived in Gettysburg a few years, so I like to walk around and explore occasionally. One day I walked under the big arch into the Evergreen Cemetery. I stopped in front of a large obelisk monument.
GEN. JAMES GETTYS.
PROPRIETOR OF GETTYSBURG
BORN AUG. 14. 1759.
DIED MARCH 13. 1815.
MARY GETTYS.
BORN JULY 15. 1767.
DIED MARCH 17. 1815.
What does ‘proprietor’ of Gettysburg mean? And there’s a round marker on the ground next to the monument that says REVOLUTIONARY WAR. I’m also new to the DAR but I’ve noticed they get excited over Revolutionary War era gravesites. I started trying to learn about General James Gettys, about how he bought 116 acres that included his father Samuel’s tavern and a nearby crossroads. Then he had a surveyor lay out 220 lots, and sold them by lottery. A town was born. And it was named Gettystown.
So he’s the FOUNDER of Gettysburg. I started asking around, does Gettysburg have a FOUNDERS DAY? Has Gettysburg EVER had a FOUNDERS DAY? I think Gettysburg should have a FOUNDERS DAY. And his birthday, August 14th, will be perfect timing.
I wanted to know what our local historian Tim Smith thought about that idea. He liked the idea and offered to ‘say a few words.’ Next we needed to meet with Brian Kennell, the Evergreen Cemetery caretaker. We expressed our concern over the condition of the monument. We got a little push back on that. The gravesite, after all, is private family property. But otherwise, we learned a lot and Brian took our questions about a possible ceremony to the cemetery board members. They gave us permission to have a ceremony at the monument. But when the ceremony is over, you must take everything with you. No problem.
So now we have a place, a date and time, and a speaker. I wonder if we can get a proclamation from the mayors office? Kathy was on it. And so was Mayor Lintal, promising not only to attend, but to read her proclamation making August 14th FOUNDERS DAY!
Every single day, I asked myself if this was a good idea. What in the world have I started? There must be a reason why there wasn’t a FOUNDERS DAY in the past. But there’s no turning back now. The Mayor is coming!
So how do we get the word out? Kathy (our Regent) and Susan (our Registrar) were designing, printing, and supplying me with handfuls of flyers. Then I learned Gettysburg is very strict about posting flyers; you can’t. So I took those flyers everywhere I went. I went door to door around Lincoln Square, and up and down Baltimore Street and Steinwehr Avenue. In the end, about half of the flyers I handed out to shop keepers were actually posted in shop windows. The Gettysburg Hotel posted our flyer electronically on their front lobby monitor. The Emporium and the Dobbin House shared our flyer on their Facebook pages. The event was listed in the calendar of the monthly printed Gettysburg Experience, as well as Destination Gettysburg (.com). We were getting attention.
As the date approached, we were learning many things. And one thing I noticed was, generally speaking, most people know very little or nothing about General James Gettys. So we prepared an information table: a photo of the original town map, a story about his court martial, a story about the dog tax levied against him, and so much more. Speaker gifts were ordered. Four dozen Gettys photo pins were ordered. Six dozen cookies were ordered from the Gettysburg Cookie Company. Aleta (our Chaplain) was ordering flowers for General AND Mrs. Gettys for the wreath laying part of our ceremony. Kathy was busy with invitations and constant changes to the program. We were put in touch with a direct descendant of General Gettys, Jim Gettys, who lives out of state and was hoping to attend. Then one of our shop-posted flyers caught the attention of a descendant of General Gettys’ brother, William Gettys.
When we really couldn’t think of anything else, we got together at the cemetery for a dry run. Everything seemed to be in order. And the only thing that could ruin our event would be a summer thunderstorm, but that was not in the forecast.
On August 14th, 2026, we were blessed with a gorgeous summer day. Everything we ordered had arrived. Our DAR Chapter ladies arrived in force, decked out in their colonial regalia. Men of the PASSAR arrived in their magnificent colonial uniforms to carry the flags for the ceremony opening and closing. District and state officers of the DAR, SAR, and CAR arrived. Our guest speakers, Gettys descendants, and the Mayor, all arrived to be part of OUR FOUNDERS DAY. There was an estimated 75 attendees in all. Everything ran smooth as silk. And we couldn’t be more pleased with our first FOUNDERS DAY! I hope the Gettys’s, past and present, were pleased as well.
In 2027, August 14th falls on a Saturday. And we have tentative plans for something at the Gettysburg Rec Park. But we are going to be basking in the warm glow of our FIRST FOUNDERS DAY for quite a while.
JS
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