The Trolley Operating on the Battlefield Then & Now

Quick Facts

Location:

This photo was taken near Brooke Avenue and DeTrobriand Avenue.

While some people appreciated that the trolley provided easy access to the battlefield, the trolley construction damaged battlefield resources. The Battlefield Memorial Association opposed the trolley and fought to protect battlefield lands. In 1896, the case ended up in the Supreme Court, where the court determined that Gettysburg National Military Park had the right to acquire the lands from the railway company and to protect those lands in perpetuity.

This photograph is part of a series of Then & Now photos of the Gettysburg Electric Railway.