Roots of the Christmas Tree Tradition

By Karen Hendricks

Photo by Karen Hendricks

Evergreens were used to decorate homes in the dead of winter, dating back to biblical times. By the 7th century, the pagan custom became an accepted part of religious Christmas festivities. The tradition of Christmas trees dates back to the 16th century in Strasbourg, Germany, where fir trees were cut from German forests. The first Christmas tree market in America is believed to be Washington Market, New York City, where fir and spruce trees harvested from the Catskill Mountains were sold in 1851. 

Today, the Christmas tree market is booming throughout Pennsylvania and Adams County. According to the 2012 U.S. Census of Agriculture and the Department of Plant Science at Penn State University:

• 33-36 million: Christmas trees produced in North America annually
• 15,500: Christmas tree growers in the U.S.
• 2,000: Number of Christmas tree farms in Pennsylvania (second in the nation behind Oregon)
• 27: Christmas tree farms in Adams County (15th in the state)
• 45,000: Acres of Christmas tree farms in Pennsylvania
• 253: Adams County acres devoted to Christmas tree farms, ranking tenth in the state
• $1.5 billion: Amount spent annually by American consumers on Christmas trees 
• $55 million: Christmas tree revenues annually in Pennsylvania; third in the nation behind Oregon and North Carolina
• $843,000: Revenue generated annually by Christmas tree sales in Adams County; within Pennsylvania’s top 10 counties in terms of revenue

According to 2014 estimates by the Department of Plant Science, Penn State University, the following Christmas tree varieties are grown throughout Pennsylvania:

• Douglas fir  40%
• Fraser fir 35
• Colorado (blue) spruce  8
• Scotch pine  8
• Balsam (Canaan) fir  3
• Eastern white pine  3
• Others  3

Christmas Tree Tips

By Karen Hendricks

Photo by Karen Hendricks

According to Rick Bates, professor of horticulture at Penn State University, taking care of a live Christmas tree has become more challenging through the years, as consumer demand has extended the average time commitment from Thanksgiving through early January. Here are Bates’ tips on caring for a live tree.

• The important thing is to put a fresh cut on the bottom of the tree trunk if it’s been a day or two since the tree was cut down.
• Put it in a tree stand that holds an adequate amount of water—at least a gallon. Bates says some tree stands are too small in terms of water, and the average tree can absorb a gallon of water a day. The rule of thumb is a quart of water per stem diameter.  
• Check the water level once a day. The amount of water needed will slow down over time. 
• Don’t put the tree near heating vents or things that will dry it out. 
• There are various products— tablets or powders—that claim to keep needles from dropping, but none of those really work. “Just plain, clean water is fine—it’s pretty straightforward,” Bates says.

Earn a Little Extra Cash this Holiday Season

By Jennie K. Brown

In need of a little extra cash this Christmas? Here are a few ideas to add some money to your pocket.

1. Consign your clothing. There are a number of quality consignment shops in and around Adams County that allow you to swap your gently used items for cash.
2. Sell online. Another option is to sell old clothing, jewelry, toys, and accessories on eBay, Amazon, or Etsy.
3. Work overtime. If you have an occupation that pays overtime, take advantage of that throughout the year. Decide ahead of time to put all overtime payments in a separate holiday spending fund.
4. Set up a new account. Many savvy shoppers have a stash of cash reserved just for holiday shopping. Try placing a set amount of money per paycheck in an account reserved for present purchasing. 

Getting to Know Them

Black citizens, soldiers, and sailors buried at Lincoln Cemetery and Gettysburg National Cemetery

By Cheryl Sobun

Photo submitted by Adams County Historical Society

Basil Biggs
Burial site: Lincoln Cemetery
Status: Citizen
Born in Maryland in 1819, Biggs moved to Gettysburg in 1858, and his home was reportedly part of the Underground Railroad. Called a “horse doctor” in historical documents, Biggs was a well-respected citizen. He helped bury the bodies of the Union soldiers who died at Gettysburg and was paid 4 cents a burial. He also was one of the founding members of the Society of the Sons of Good Will. Biggs died in 1906.

Abraham Brian
Burial site: Lincoln Cemetery
Status: Citizen
Abraham Brian was a Gettysburg citizen whose name often comes up with the telling of Pickett’s Charge, which took place on July 3, 1863. Brian’s house was right in the middle of Pickett’s Charge, on the right flank of the Union line along Cemetery Ridge. The building still stands today, a white house that looks a bit out of place in the middle of the field and monuments. Brian was a farmer and laborer and was financially sound by the day’s standards. He was one of the black residents who did not live on “the black side of town” but on a 12-acre farm. His farmhouse reputedly served as a safe haven in the Underground Railroad and during the third day battle at Gettysburg. He was 79 when he died in 1879.

Photo by Noel Kline

Charles H. Parker
Burial site: Gettysburg National Cemetery
Status: Civil War veteran
Parker was born in Virginia in 1847 and enlisted in Co. F, 3rd Regiment, of the U.S. Colored Troops on Dec. 7, 1864. He was shot in the leg at the Battle of Gainesville and contracted a severe bout of pneumonia. He was mustered out of service on Oct. 31, 1865. He never regained his health and died in Biglerville on July 2, 1876, at just 29. He was first buried in Yellow Hill Cemetery in Biglerville before being reinterred at Gettysburg National Cemetery.

Isaac Buckmaster
Burial site: Lincoln Cemetery
Status: Civil War veteran
According to his obituary, Buckmaster enrolled at Camp William Penn in Philadelphia on Sept. 15, 1863, with Co. A, 8th Regiment of the U.S. Colored Troops, serving as private. He was only 16. Buckmaster was wounded at the Battle of Olustee in Florida on Feb. 20, 1864. He saw action near Appomattox Court House in Virginia in April 1865 and was honorably discharged on Nov. 10, 1865. He died in 1882 at the age of 35.

Photo by Noel Kline

Henry Gooden
Burial site: Gettysburg National Cemetery
Status: Civil War veteran
A Carlisle, Pa., resident, Gooden of Co. C, 127th Regiment of the U.S. Colored Troops was mustered in on August 26, 1864, at the age of 43 and was mustered out on Sept. 8, 1865. His occupation was laborer, and during the war, he saw limited action. His assignment was in Texas, guarding military posts and herding cattle. He died on Aug. 15, 1876. He was first buried in the Alms House Burying Grounds but reinterred in the Gettysburg National Cemetery in November 1884.

Photo submitted by Adams County Historical Society

Samuel M. Stanton, Jr.
Burial site: Gettysburg National Cemetery
Status: Spanish American War-era and WWI Veteran, Soldier and Sailor
A lifelong Gettysburg resident except during his service to his country, Stanton was born on April 2, 1872. He enlisted in Troop D of the 10th Cavalry on May 18, 1899. He just missed the Spanish American War but served in the Philippines. He was honorably discharged on May 7, 1902, and then enlisted in the Navy, where he served as a ship’s cook, first class. He was transferred to the Naval Reserves on Feb. 12, 1923, and was honorably discharged from the 4th Naval District on Aug. 21, 1931. He was an active member of the community and served annually as organizer and marshal of the annual Colored Memorial Day Parade. He died on May 4, 1937, under mysterious circumstances. Reports of the day say there was an investigation into whether it was suicide or homicide. He was buried in the Gettysburg National Cemetery on May 6, 1937.

Owen Robinson
Burial site: Lincoln Cemetery
Status: Citizen
Robinson was born a slave in Maryland at the turn of the 19th century. His master one day had a change of heart and freed his slaves, so Robinson traveled north to Gettysburg to build a new life for himself. According to the book The Colors of Courage: Gettysburg’s Forgotten History by Margaret S. Creighton, Robinson did not know his exact birthday, but he always remembered the day he was set free: Nov. 5, 1817. He owned a confectionary business in town that was reputedly popular with blacks and whites, and he was listed in the 1860 census as a “confectioner.” He made ice cream in the summer and served oysters in the winter. Robinson was one of the founding members of the Society of the Sons of Good Will. He died in 1900.

Photo submitted by Adams County Historical Society

Lloyd F. A. Watts
Buried: Lincoln Cemetery
Status: Civil War veteran
Imagine someone getting promoted to Sergeant, just five days after enlisting. Such was the case for Lloyd F. A. Watts, Co. B of the 24th Regiment, U.S. Colored Troops. According to several sources, his quick promotion was most likely due to his literacy. Born in Franklinville in Carroll County, Md., on Feb. 6, 1835, Watts was a young boy when his family moved to Gettysburg, where he lived the rest of his life. According to his pension records, he enlisted in the army on Feb. 3, 1865, just a few days shy of 30 years old. He was promoted to sergeant on Feb. 8 and honorably discharged on Oct. 1, 1865. Upon returning home, he was an accomplished town leader and respected by “both white and colored citizens,” according to his Gettysburg Times obituary. He was a teacher of a local school for black children and “an ordained deacon of the A.M.E. Zion church, serving faithfully as president of the trustees’ board for a long time.” He died in his home on May 26, 1918, at the age of 83.

A Gettysburg Gem

By Kerry Mullen 
Photography by Picture This Portraits & Special Events

John J. Bradshaw presents rare gemstones during ALDavid's Gemstone Roundtable

Highly distinguished gemologist John J. Bradshaw chose Gettysburg as the location for an exclusive Gemstone Roundtable earlier this month. Handpicked to participate, attendees shared an appreciation and affinity for custom jewelry. Attendees were given the opportunity to touch and evaluate precious and rare gems while hearing from an expert in gemology and enjoying cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Gettysburg’s newest and only fine custom jeweler ALDavid hosted the event.

Gemstone Roundtables are a unique opportunity for the general public to discover stones they normally wouldn’t see on display in a jewelry store. This event featured colored gems, which include everything except diamonds. Gemstone Roundtables reflect the excitement and diversity of minerals, which Bradshaw says prevent him from picking just one favorite stone.

Along with well-known gems, Bradshaw brought some stones to the event that “many jewelers have never seen let alone know how to spell,” including Sphene, Sphalerite, and Haüyne. Some stones purchased at the October Gemstone Roundtable included Peridot, which is normally produced in Arizona, but Bradshaw’s collection originated from Pakistan and was larger and richer in color than the more common stone. The most unusual stone purchased was Chrysoberyl, selected because of its beautiful yellow coloring and unique fastening.

From an early age, Bradshaw had an affinity for gems and stones. “As a kid before I even graduated high school, I always had an interest in rocks and minerals,” he says. “A friend of the family was a mineralogist, and every time he went somewhere he would bring me back a specific rock.”

Bradshaw has come a long way since those days, building an impressive track record in the gemology world. He started his career at the Harvard Mineralogical Museum as the very first gemologist on staff. The 1985 curator of the gemologist department recognized Bradshaw’s talent and invited him to examine the museum’s collection. During his time here, Bradshaw went through each and every mineral and gem in the collection to confirm their grade and classification. Currently, Bradshaw is on call for the Smithsonian and the U.S. Department of Justice as a gemologist consultant.

Guest Nicole Bucher looks at a rare stone through the loop.

The venue for this exclusive event, ALDavid Custom Jeweler opened its doors on Oct. 15 to this new Gettysburg location after operating a successful studio in New Hampshire for 26 years. The store is centrally located at 18 S. Carlisle St., Suite 201 across from the Majestic Theater. ALDavid Vice President Michelle Manahan says, “The majority of people that purchased a gemstone at the event left the stones here at ALDavid to be custom made.”

The Gemstone Roundtable was ALDavid’s first introduction into the community, an exclusive sneak peak before opening day. ALDavid has another Gemstone Roundtable planned in January with esteemed gemologist Sherris Cottier Shank. If interested in attending, contact ALDavid at 800-253-6801 for an invitation.