At one point, there was an amusement park, dance hall, pavilion, wells, snack stands, small relic museums, souvenirs, and yes, a casino, in the Devil's Den/Little Round Top area. These largely jump started in 1884 upon the completion of the Gettysburg & Harrisburg Railway (which destroyed many sections of the battlefield).
The geologic anomaly of Devil's Den attracted many, thus it became a hot spot for photographers to work their trade. The small stand shown above was first used by the Mumper Family, who used it as a photographic studio. It was later used by famed battlefield photographer William Tipton as his place of business. Finally, it was eventually moved to a spot adjacent to Warren Avenue in front of Little Round Top. (It was located in the general area of the modern restrooms between the hill and the den.)
Here, it became "Blind Davey's Souvenir Stand." David M. Weikert became "Blind Davey" when injured in an explosives accident as a worker on the Gettysburg Railroad. However, his story was not marketed as such. Rather than telling the true story of his blinding, it was said that Davey lost his sight after striking an unseen unexploded artillery shell with his farming plow. Because citizens and local officials felt badly for the man, he was permitted to operate his souvenir and snack stand on prime battlefield real estate with tons of tourist traffic.
Davey was sometimes photographed at his shop with his dog and a gun. (Perhaps the dog aimed the weapon for him.) Needless to say, Mr. Weikert could be considered one of Gettysburg's most colorful entrepreneurs...and there have been many!
To learn more about "Blind Davey," check out Devil's Den: A History and Guide by Garry Adelman and Tim Smith. Also, to find out more about rock carvings and unique sights in the Devil's Den area, I encourage you to get the very new book The Complete Gettysburg Guide by JD Petruzzi and Steve Stanley. There is a lot of good buzz about this upcoming work.
At one point, there was an amusement park, dance hall, pavilion, wells, snack stands, small relic museums, souvenirs, and yes, a casino, in the Devil's Den/Little Round Top area. These largely jump started in 1884 upon the completion of the Gettysburg & Harrisburg Railway (which destroyed many sections of the battlefield).
The geologic anomaly of Devil's Den attracted many, thus it became a hot spot for photographers to work their trade. The small stand shown above was first used by the Mumper Family, who used it as a photographic studio. It was later used by famed battlefield photographer William Tipton as his place of business. Finally, it was eventually moved to a spot adjacent to Warren Avenue in front of Little Round Top. (It was located in the general area of the modern restrooms between the hill and the den.)
Here, it became "Blind Davey's Souvenir Stand." David M. Weikert became "Blind Davey" when injured in an explosives accident as a worker on the Gettysburg Railroad. However, his story was not marketed as such. Rather than telling the true story of his blinding, it was said that Davey lost his sight after striking an unseen unexploded artillery shell with his farming plow. Because citizens and local officials felt badly for the man, he was permitted to operate his souvenir and snack stand on prime battlefield real estate with tons of tourist traffic.
Davey was sometimes photographed at his shop with his dog and a gun. (Perhaps the dog aimed the weapon for him.) Needless to say, Mr. Weikert could be considered one of Gettysburg's most colorful entrepreneurs...and there have been many!
To learn more about "Blind Davey," check out Devil's Den: A History and Guide by Garry Adelman and Tim Smith. Also, to find out more about rock carvings and unique sights in the Devil's Den area, I encourage you to get the very new book The Complete Gettysburg Guide by JD Petruzzi and Steve Stanley. There is a lot of good buzz about this upcoming work.
Family Members
-
Mary Ann Weikert Plank
1825–1916
-
Isaac A. Weikert
1826–1908
-
William H. Weikert
1828–1905
-
Emanuel Weikert
1831–1927
-
Jacob Reuben Weikert
1831–1873
-
Henrietta "Hettie" Weikert Pittenturf
1836–1916
-
Sarah Louisa Weikert
1838–1855
-
Julia Ann Weikert
1841–1841
-
Pvt Levi George Weikert
1842–1909
-
Rebecca Weikert Kitzmiller
1844–1870
-
Amanda Weikert
1845–1845
-
Ida Virginia Weikert Felix
1871–1916
-
Julia Ann Weikert Leach
1872–1947
-
Lillian May Weikert Yingling
1874–1949
-
Ellanora Weikert
1876–1904
-
Howard William Weikert
1880–1930
-
James Edward Weikert
1880–1948
-
Mary Elizabeth Weikert Rife
1880–1955
-
George Sylvester Weikert
1886–1918
-
Annie M. Weikert
1890–1891
-
Catherine Adeline "Addie" Weikert Yingling
1890–1939
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement