Gettysburg Daily

Tree Clearing Between the Baltimore Pike and Spangler’s Spring



Hundreds of trees have been cut in a large area between Spangler’s Spring and the Baltimore Pike. The monument to the 3rd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment, on Carmen Avenue is in the foreground. The white building in the background is located near the Baltimore Pike. This view was taken facing west at approximately 12:30 PM on Sunday, March 8, 2009.

Hundreds of trees have been cut between the Baltimore Pike and Spangler’s Spring. This area was open in 1863, and the restoration is looking very good. Now visitors will have a good impression of what the soldiers saw here in 1863, and how artillery on Powers Hill fired at Confederates on Culp’s Hill.



On this map, we have outlined the area that is being cleared of trees in red. This area is between the Baltimore Pike and the Spangler’s Spring area. This map was created facing north at approximately 6:30 PM on Monday, March 9, 2009.



So that you’ll be more familiar with this area as you travel along the Baltimore Pike, we’ll stand by the Nathaniel Lightner House on the west side of the Baltimore Pike. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 12:30 PM on Sunday, March 8, 2009.



Looking north along the Baltimore Pike, the traffic light in the distance is at the entrance to the new National Park Service Visitor Center. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 12:30 PM on Sunday, March 8, 2009.



To the front left, and on the east side of the Baltimore Pike is the old Welcome Traveler buildings. They are now owned by the National Park Service and sometimes house seasonal personnel. This view was taken facing north at approximately 12:30 PM on Sunday, March 8, 2009.



This white barn at Welcome Traveler will be a visible landmark as we take you to other areas of the field. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 12:30 PM on Sunday, March 8, 2009.



Directly across the street from the Lightner House is the area that is being cleared. In the 1860s, this was the James McAllister Farm. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 12:30 PM on Sunday, March 8, 2009.



Looking south on the Baltimore Pike. Just past the house, the guard rail turns to the left on Colgrove Avenue. This is the Baltimore Pike entrance to the Spangler’s Spring/Culp’s Hill area. We will go down there after a little while. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 12:30 PM on Sunday, March 8, 2009.



We’ve now crossed the Baltimore Pike and we are walking east through the newly cleared field. Wolf’s Hill is in the background. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 12:30 PM on Sunday, March 8, 2009.



As we move farther into the field, we see some of the trees that they have cut but not yet removed. This view was taken facing south at approximately 12:30 PM on Sunday, March 8, 2009.

In this panorama we have now moved past the piles of trees. From the left to right, one sees Lower Culp’s Hill, and a white car through the trees near Spangler’s Spring. Farther to the right one can pick out the Indiana State monument at Spangler’s Meadow. A little more to the right, and one can see the 3rd Wisconsin Infantry Monument in McAllister’s woods. Then McAllister’s Hill and Colgrove Avenue on the other side of the rock wall. On the far right is Power’s Hill. This might give one a good idea of how artillery on Power’s Hill fired at Confederates on Lower Culp’s Hill. For a medium-sized version of the panorama click here. For the larger JPEG version, click here. If you’d like to see the uncompressed TIFF file, you can download it here (50.1 MB). This view was taken facing northeast to southwest at approximately 12:30 PM on Sunday, March 8, 2009.
We’re near the same location where we took the panorama. In this video We are following a car on the other side of the stone wall as it moves northeast on Colgrove Avenue and disappears into McAllister’s Woods. This view was taken facing southeast to east at approximately 12:30 PM on Sunday, March 8, 2009.



We’ve walked back towards the Baltimore Pike. We’re going to get in our vehicle, and drive south on the Baltimore Pike and take a left on the guardrail at Colgrove Avenue. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 12:30 PM on Sunday, March 8, 2009.
In this video we begin on Colgrove Avenue near its intersection with the Baltimore Pike. At first as we drive toward’s McAllister’s Woods, there will be trees on both sides of the road as private property is on our left. Then when we reach National Park Service property, the field where we are showing the pictures of the new clearing opens up on our left. We will follow the stone wall towards McAllister’s Woods and its intersection with Carmen Avenue. We don’t think one can understand how large this area is until they approach it along Colgrove Avenue. Look for the white barn at Welcome Traveler near the Baltimore Pike. This view was taken facing northeast to northwest at approximately 12:30 PM on Sunday, March 8, 2009.



We left our vehicle near the monument to the 3rd Wisconsin Infantry Regiment, and have walked back to the stone wall to get a good view of the field. We will climb up on the large rock on the other side of the stone wall to shoot a panorama. Again, the white barn is at Welcome Traveler on the Baltimore Pike. This view was taken facing north at approximately 12:30 PM on Sunday, March 8, 2009.

This panorama shows Colgrove Avenue and the stone wall on the left. Powers Hill is the large Hill on the left. Then we pan right to show Welcome Traveler, with its white barn. If you look carefully, you can also see the Nathaniel Lightner House on the Baltimore Pike. The hill on the right is lower Culp’s Hill. Then we see the rock wall again and the Do Not Enter sign at Carmen Avenue. For a medium-sized version of the panorama click here. For the larger JPEG version, click here. If you’d like to see the uncompressed TIFF file, you can download it here (30.1 MB). This view was taken facing southwest to northeast at approximately 12:30 PM on Sunday, March 8, 2009.