Gambling with Gettysburg
GAMBLING WITH GETTYSBURG:
A CROSS-SECTOR STUDY OF THE POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF A CASINO ON THE GETTYSBURG HERITAGE TOURISM INDUSTRY
Statistical and Peer-Reviewed Literature Study
Violet T. Clark, MPA/MPP
DRAFT 2/6/2010
I. INTRODUCTION
“In the expression of the value of each citizen who fell in the war, the body of each was placed in a separate grave. And so thorough was the search for the dead upon every battlefield and over the whole country, that their friends may be assured that, whether identified or not, all rest in grounds consecrated for their abode forever.”
Thomas B. Van Horne
Chaplain, 13th Ohio Infantry
US Army of the Cumberland
(Wright, 2006)
The American Civil War was the defining moment of our national history. Over three million volunteers struggled in a four-year conflict that pitted American against American in a clashing of convictions and a deadly determination to fight for the cause of freedom and the definition of it (McPherson, 1988). The Civil War destroyed the idea of secession, ended slavery, and brought the South to its knees with the sheer and utter destruction of a way of life that had existed for over 200 years.
The brutality of the conflict is almost impossible to imagine. The casualties incurred during the one-day battle at Antietam Creek on September 17, 1862, totaled three times the American casualties on D-Day, June 6, 1944 (McPherson, 1988). 620,000 Americans, many of which shall remain nameless in mass graves across the country, gave their lives as a price for the evils of slavery and the preservation of the country they loved. One would have been hard-pressed to find a family living in the United States from 1860 to 1865 that was not touched in some way by the effects of the bloody struggle.
One the most horrific battles of the Civil War occurred in the wheat fields and peach orchards of small pastoral village in Pennsylvania. The three days of battle in Gettysburg saw 165,000 soldiers overrun the ridges, creeks, farms, fields, streets and houses (Hess, 2001). The extensive losses suffered by Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia proved impossible for the war-stressed Confederacy to replace. With the Union victory at Gettysburg simultaneously occurring with the surrender of the besieged city of Vicksburg, Mississippi, on July 4, 1863, the Union armies were able to seize the initiative that led to the almost-inevitable collapse of the Confederacy (McPherson, 2003).
The departure of the armies on July 4th and 5th did not signal the end of the struggle for the citizens of Gettysburg. More than 51,000 casualties had been inflicted along the streets and in fields (Hess, 2001). Homes, churches, and farm buildings were filled with wounded soldiers, left to the care of army surgeons, Gettysburg doctors, and civilians. Crops, fences, and buildings were destroyed, some houses were ransacked. Shot and shell had left many homes totally demolished. Businesses were destroyed, looted, and devastated. Over 5,000 horses and mules were killed in the battle, and the stench their decaying carcasses during those hot days in July lingered for months to come. Men who had died during the fighting were buried where they fell. Heavy rains for days following the battle eroded shallow graves to reveal hands, arms, and heads protruding from the ground (Eicher, 2003). Not a thing in this once peaceful hamlet was left untouched by the fiery trials of civil war. The three days of fighting changed the town of Gettysburg forever.
No one understood the carnage of war quite like the soldiers who lived through it. Established by veterans of the battle and concerned citizens in 1864, the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association set out to preserve portions of the battlefield as a memorial to the Union troops that fought the battle (Lee, 1973; Eicher, 2003). In 1895, the lands were transferred to the Federal government and Gettysburg National Military Park was established (Lee, 1973; Large, 1999). Administered by a commission of Civil War veterans, the park's primary purpose was to be a memorial to the two armies that fought this pivotal battle, and to mark and preserve the battle lines of each army. The veterans placed their monuments as silent testimony to the sacrifices of their former units. Gettysburg became a gathering place for these old soldiers: 54,000 returned in 1913 for the 50th Anniversary of the battle (Lee, 1973; Large, 1999). Confederate and Union veteran told and retold the old stories and walked arm in arm over what was once a killing ground.
Administration of the park was transferred to the Department of the Interior and National Park Service (NPS) in 1933 (Large, 1999; Lee, 1973). The NPS has continued on in its mission to preserve and interpret the Battle of Gettysburg for park visitors. Today, the battlefield stands a living testimony that bears silent witness to the importance of the battle and the spirit of unity in a nation undivided and free.
Civil War battlefields and sites are a tangible component of America’s rich heritage. These sites are irreplaceable treasures because of the acts of sacrifice and bravery that occurred on their soil. Relationships forged by the Civil War form a thread in the quilted tapestry of our shared national identity. The soldiers who had fought during those three days in July at Gettysburg could not forget it. Veterans returned for years to walk the places where they had faced death and had witnessed the horrors and carnage of battle unfold before them.
II. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
It would be hard for any of us to imagine that our nation’s hallowed ground would ever disappear – after all, a place like Gettysburg is a staple of America’s treasured past. Sadly, America’s Civil War battlefields are being ignored by our generation. The short attention span of the American populous allows the passage of time to block the gaps between the modern and the past. In order to maintain personal conveniences, we ignore the cries of desecrated hallowed grounds that are being bulldozed for strip malls and fast food restaurants. Rather than defend our history, we step aside in the name of progress. We are no longer listening to the stories of ancestors, choosing instead to drown them out with French fries and six lane highways.
Some of America’s most hallowed sites are disappearing under the demands of more pavement, rural development, and urban/suburban sprawl (Civil War Preservation Trust, 2006; Civil War Sites Advisory Commission Report, 1993; National Parks Conservation Association, 2006). Over the last three decades, battlefields have faced the enormous pressure of developers and city administrators who wish to pave over the lands as a means of community expansion. Community leaders often ignore the historic aspects of preservation for the want and need of more tax revenues to fund cash-strapped budgets. Intrinsic motivation and an appreciation of the past are not convincing arguments in the face of rising costs and growing needs.
Given current economic conditions, many state governments are turning to gambling as an answer for their financial woes. Over the past 25 years, the United States has been transformed from a nation in which legalized gambling was a limited and a relatively rare phenomenon into one in which such activity is common and growing (Ham, Brown, & Jang, 2004). Today, all but two states have some form of legalized gambling. Pari-mutuel racetracks and betting are the most widespread form and are now legal in over 40 states. Lotteries have been established in 43 states and the District of Columbia, with more states poised to follow. (Casino statistics & listings, 2009).
Pennsylvania joined the rising tide of states that have decided to establishing casinos within their borders. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board was established in 2004 with the passage of Act 71, also known as the Race Horse Development and Gaming Act (Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, 2010). The Gaming Control Board was tasked to oversee the creation of a casino industry designed to produce tremendous benefits for its citizens. The board is authorized to issue up to 14 licenses for slot machine operations only. Seven licenses may be issued to existing horse race tracks, or racinos, five licenses may be issued to stand-alone casinos, and two licenses may be issued to existing hotel resorts. All can have up to 5,000 machines, except the last two resort licensees, which can have up to 500. The Act also mandated that two of the five stand-alone casinos be located in Philadelphia, one in Pittsburgh, and the remaining two at-large. As of December 2009, 12 of the licenses have been awarded. The remaining two are in the licensing process and include one more racino license and one smaller resort license.
Gettysburg resident and local business owner, David LeVan, tried to obtain one of the original licenses for a casino in 2004. Heavily protested by the historical community and concerned citizens, the proposal was defeated in 2006 after a 20-month battle that was dubbed “the 2nd battle of Gettysburg”.
LeVan has not given up on his dream of a casino being constructed in Gettysburg. Recently, he applied for a license for a casino facility that would be located within ½ mile of the Gettysburg National Military Park at the Eisenhower Hotel and Convention Center. His actions have brought preservation groups together to oppose his efforts once again. The third battle of Gettysburg has begun.
III. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND DESIGN
This study examines the possible affects that a casino could have on town of Gettysburg and its heritage tourism industry. Empirical data from peer-reviewed scholarly journal articles, statistics from national databases, and studies conducted by various non-profit groups will be used to demonstrate both causal relationships as well as concrete evidence to address the following research hypotheses:
QUESTION ONE
How will heritage tourism in the town of Gettysburg be affected by the entry of gaming tourism?
Hn1: The addition of gaming tourism will not have a negative effect on the heritage tourism industry in Gettysburg.
Ha1: The addition of gaming tourism will have a negative effect on the heritage tourism industry in Gettysburg.
QUESTION TWO
How will casino gambling affect the socio-economic conditions for residents of Gettysburg?
Hn2: Casino gambling in Gettysburg will not have a negative effect on the socio-economic conditions of residents.
Ha2: Casino gambling in Gettysburg will have a negative effect on the socio-economic conditions of residents.
Question one will be sub-divided into three sections. Section one will examine research studies conducted in the last five years of visitors to Gettysburg National Military Park. Using empirical data from these studies, we will postulate the possible economic effects of a casino on the heritage tourism industry in terms of real numbers. Demographic information will be included to bolster possible outcomes. Section two will discuss the reasons why visitors come to Gettysburg every year and what they expect from their visit. This portion will constitute a literature review of studies conducted in the past five to fifteen years. Section three will examine, for comparison purposes, the addition of casinos near the Vicksburg National Military Park in Mississippi and the effects that the gaming tourism industry has had on the park.
Question Two will be subdivided into four sections. Section one will address the possible effects of a casino as related to the students attending Gettysburg College and other area schools. Section two will examine the casino industry’s current marketing strategy that targets senior citizens. Section three will discuss research from the past fifteen years regarding the rates of crime when a casino is introduced into the community. Section four will review current research in the economic effects of casino gambling, with particular attention paid to cost-benefits analyses. Each section will constitute a literature review of studies conducted in the past five to fifteen years.
IV. CONTEXT OF THE PROBLEM
Heritage tourism is defined as travel directed toward experiencing the places and activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past and present. It includes historic, cultural, and natural resources such as handicrafts, language, architecture, sense of place, art, music, historic sites, festivals, religion, museums, and education (Brink, 1998; Kennedy & Porter, 1993; Yiping, 2003). One study stated that 81% of the 146.4 million US adults that took a trip of 50 miles or more away from home in 2006 could be considered a heritage tourist (US Department of Commerce, 2005).
Economic Benefits of Battlefield/Site Preservation
Americans have long shown an interest in experiencing the unique charm of their national, regional, and local history (Brink, 1998). Communities with a Civil War battlefield are unique. These fields are living monuments where the history, events, and heritage intertwine to create a local character that sets an area apart from the rest. This unique local character, in turn, becomes an asset with unlimited possibilities. If this asset is destroyed by development, however, it disappears, as well as the unlimited possibilities that go along with it.
Preservationists argue that Civil War battlefields are a substantial segment of the community, generating economic, cultural, and environmental benefits (Cameron & Gatewood, 2000; Tennessee Preservation Trust, 2006; Civil War Sites Advisory Commission, 1993; Kennedy & Porter, 1993). Kennedy and Porter (1993) indicate that battlefields contribute to the sustainability of local economies by generating sales tax revenues for businesses and adding economic value to properties adjacent to the site. Brink (1998) agrees, and advances the argument by adding that minimal capital expenditures are necessary to maintain open spaces.
Cosgrove and Freedgood (2002) argue that open spaces, such as Civil War battlefields, create minimal cost to governments when compared with any form of residential, commercial, or industrial development. The national average cost of open space is 36 cents of every dollar in tax revenue generated. In some instances, it is as little as two cents. In contrast, residential land requires $1.15 in services for every dollar of tax revenue it creates, for a net loss of 15 cents. These numbers are significantly higher for the conversion of woodlands and farmlands where there is a need for new schools, roads, utilities, and expanded public services (Daniels & Lapping, 2005). Unless the tax revenue generated covers the full cost of public services needed for new development, local governments find themselves with budgets in the red. For example, the CWPT (2006) asserts that subdivisions in Straban Township, PA (which includes part of the Gettysburg Battlefield) “cost $1.10 in services per dollar of tax revenue, while open space costs just 6 cents”.