An antique Button off of James Gettys' frock coat.James Gettys was the initial founder of Gettystown in the 1780’s. James named it Gettystown in honor of his father Samuel Gettys. In the year 1800, the town’s name was changed to Gettysburg, and it became the county seat.
A Minié Ball was the type of bullet that killed General John Fulton Reynolds. The General was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1820. He then died on July 1, 1863, due to a Minié Ball to the back of the head. He died instantly.
A child’s shoe that was found under the floorboards in the attic of the Shriver’s family home. The Shriver’s were a family that lived in the house next door to Tillie Pierce. The couple George and Henrietta had two daughters, Sarah (Sadie) and Mary (Mollie). It was a tradition of the German population to place a child’s shoe in a wall for good luck as a house was being built. Modern owners of the Shriver’s home found Mollie’s or Sadie’s shoe when they restored the house in 1996.