This rightly should have been posted two weeks ago, but it turned out to be more complicated than I expected; I also haven't been feeling my best, thanks to all the shifts in Pennsylvania's weather.
Before we get started, I wanted to let my readers know that the PHMC has begun sharing this year's marker dedication ceremonies on its calendar. The first one will be in Chester County next month, when a marker will celebrate musician Jim Croce. I'm not sure whether I'll be able to make it there myself, but we'll see!
My initial intention with this post was to do it simply about the "Indiantown" marker. The thing is, there's not a whole lot to say about that one. So I ended up having to bundle it in with Fort Indiantown Gap, about which there's plenty more information, and the result is that you get this massive twofer - or if you want to be picky, a fourfer, since Fort Indiantown Gap has three markers to its name.
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| The marker is on Fisher Avenue (PA 934) near Harper Tavern, just south of Jonestown Road and the Swatara Creek |
"Indiantown" in Lebanon County was situated where the community of Annville sits today. (We visited Annville previously in the posts about Lindley Murray and the Blue Mountain Forts.) "Indiantown," of course, was what the European settlers called it, not the Native Americans themselves. The earliest known residents were an Iroquois tribe called the Susquehannocks (the Susquehanna River gets its name from them), who were first encountered in the 1600s. In the mid-1700s it was the Lenape, who got on quite peacefully with their new English, German, and Scots-Irish neighbors. That peace was disrupted by the French and Indian War, however, when tribes who allied with the French colonists were induced to raid the English settlements; if you read my post about the Gnadenhuetten massacre, that might ring a bell.
The Indiantown region was subjected to many such raids, and the government (such as it was at that time) had to take action. In 1755, a chain of fortifications was established across northern Lebanon County, and these included Fort Indiantown Gap. It took the "Indiantown" from the Native settlements, and "Gap" came from the fact that there's, well, a gap in the Blue Mountains. It creates something of a shortcut through the region, which was used by the stagecoaches of the time.
Oddly, there's also a gap in the history of the place, because nothing I've managed to find has any information about Fort Indiantown Gap between its establishment prior to the American Revolution and its significance in the 20th century. One can only presume that for about 180 years, it was there. It does, however, feature in the regional apocrypha of the late 19th century, when a group of men known as "the Blue-Eyed Six" conspired to murder a man for insurance money. Five of the six were found guilty and hanged for the crime, which took place along Indiantown Run; it was not at that time part of the fort's property, but it is today. It's alleged that this murder inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to write the Sherlock Holmes story "The Adventure of the Red-Headed League," although I haven't found an official confirmation of this.
The actual fort resurfaces in historical record in the 1930s; in 1931, the Pennsylvania National Guard was deemed too large for its training facility at Mount Gretna, so they were authorized to acquire land in Dauphin and Lebanon Counties. The land they acquired included Fort Indiantown Gap, which the National Guard began using for training maneuvers in 1933. Meanwhile, World War II was exploding on the horizon and the United States was preparing to get involved, so the commonwealth agreed to allow the Army to use Fort Indiantown Gap for training purposes.
FIG, as it's often called, had to be prepared for the arrival of troops and supplies. By the time of its formal dedication in 1941, it included more than 1,400 buildings - three fire stations, a hospital with 400 beds, nine chapels, a bus station, and a number of recreational facilities for the soldiers such as theaters and a sports arena. It was given the formal name of Indiantown Gap Military Reservation, or IGMR, but FIG is frankly more fun to type. It served as the staging area for the New York Port of Embarkation during WWII, and more than 150,000 troops received their final training there before being shipped overseas. It also served as a German POW compound after the Allies gained a foothold in Europe.
Later in the war, the fort added a transportation corps training center, providing education to soldiers who would eventually be part of port battalions. FIG is also where three dry landships were built to be used for Army stevedore training; these were the S.S. Manada, S.S. Swatara, and S.S. Indiantown. I had to look it up, but I'll save you the trouble - a stevedore is a person employed at a dock to load and unload cargo from ships. In other words, these landships existed for teaching men how to efficiently process supplies on military vessels.
After WWII ended, FIG served to demobilize the soldiers who had served overseas and help them return to civilian life. Control of FIG was then returned to the Pennsylvania National Guard, and it stopped being a federal post. It resumed that designation following the outbreak of the Korean War, however, and from 1951 to 1953 it was the home of the Army's 5th Infantry Division. 32,000 troops were trained at FIG to replace soldiers in Korea.
FIG experienced another name change in 1967, following the death of former Pennsylvania Governor Edward Martin. He had been the one who had recommended FIG as a National Guard training site in the first place, way back in 1931, at which time he was a General in the National Guard. The Legislature of Pennsylvania wanted to name FIG after him, which he declined, but after his death they went ahead and changed its name to the Edward Martin Military Reservation. The change was mildly controversial, in the sense that the personnel who served there never completely accepted it for whatever reason. In 1975, in order to maintain consistency with other active duty military bases throughout the country, it became Fort Indiantown Gap for good and all.
During the 1960s and 1970s, FIG provided the largest summer camp for the Army's Reserve Officer Training Corps, and many of the young officers who trained there later served in Vietnam. FIG was also used as a refugee camp - first for Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees in 1975, then for Cuban refugees in 1980. Military operations in Grenada, Panama, Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, Bosnia, and Kosovo were all served by personnel who were trained at FIG. In 1998, the federal U.S. Army Garrison at FIG was closed and control was once again given to the Pennsylvania National Guard. Following the events of 9/11, FIG became a mobilization center for troops supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Today, it continues to serve as headquarters for the Pennsylvania National Guard and a major reserve component training post; its several important facilities make it the second largest employer in Lebanon County.
In 1976, a section of FIG was turned into a national cemetery. 677 acres, part of it donated by the commonwealth to the Veterans Administration, make up Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, the final resting place of many veterans from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland. It's home to the Pennsylvania Veterans' Memorial, the largest monument in any of the VA's national cemeteries, which was dedicated in 2001. They conduct yearly events, including ceremonies for Memorial Day and Veteran's Day, rain or shine. I did not go into the cemetery proper, as it was relatively late in the day when I got to take my pictures, but you can see the flag-adorned entrance road leading into its grounds; this is the Avenue of Flags, which is maintained as a tribute to all veterans.
FIG is currently in the process of constructing new gates, in order to bring the facility up to contemporary standards for military installations. Despite this, however, the public is encouraged to visit. During business hours, there's no need to coordinate with authorities to visit the Pennsylvania National Guard Military Museum, the community club and pool, or any of the static displays. Photography at public locations is permitted. Visiting anywhere else on the grounds requires coordination for access, so visit the website or call the post operator at 717-861-2000 for the correct number. The fort does not offer tours. The cemetery is also open to the public every day, from dawn to dusk; the cemetery is owned by the VA rather than FIG itself, and has its own separate list of rules. If you find yourself in Lebanon County, consider making the trip.
The Indiantown region was subjected to many such raids, and the government (such as it was at that time) had to take action. In 1755, a chain of fortifications was established across northern Lebanon County, and these included Fort Indiantown Gap. It took the "Indiantown" from the Native settlements, and "Gap" came from the fact that there's, well, a gap in the Blue Mountains. It creates something of a shortcut through the region, which was used by the stagecoaches of the time.
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| This marker sits on Fisher Avenue, across from Biddle Road, at the entrance to FIG; two more markers, with identical wording, are located on US 22 at both the eastbound and westbound ramps leading onto Route 934 |
The actual fort resurfaces in historical record in the 1930s; in 1931, the Pennsylvania National Guard was deemed too large for its training facility at Mount Gretna, so they were authorized to acquire land in Dauphin and Lebanon Counties. The land they acquired included Fort Indiantown Gap, which the National Guard began using for training maneuvers in 1933. Meanwhile, World War II was exploding on the horizon and the United States was preparing to get involved, so the commonwealth agreed to allow the Army to use Fort Indiantown Gap for training purposes.
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| Welcome to FIG |
Later in the war, the fort added a transportation corps training center, providing education to soldiers who would eventually be part of port battalions. FIG is also where three dry landships were built to be used for Army stevedore training; these were the S.S. Manada, S.S. Swatara, and S.S. Indiantown. I had to look it up, but I'll save you the trouble - a stevedore is a person employed at a dock to load and unload cargo from ships. In other words, these landships existed for teaching men how to efficiently process supplies on military vessels.
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| Map of FIG as it appears today; my apologies about the glare. Click for a larger version. |
FIG experienced another name change in 1967, following the death of former Pennsylvania Governor Edward Martin. He had been the one who had recommended FIG as a National Guard training site in the first place, way back in 1931, at which time he was a General in the National Guard. The Legislature of Pennsylvania wanted to name FIG after him, which he declined, but after his death they went ahead and changed its name to the Edward Martin Military Reservation. The change was mildly controversial, in the sense that the personnel who served there never completely accepted it for whatever reason. In 1975, in order to maintain consistency with other active duty military bases throughout the country, it became Fort Indiantown Gap for good and all.
During the 1960s and 1970s, FIG provided the largest summer camp for the Army's Reserve Officer Training Corps, and many of the young officers who trained there later served in Vietnam. FIG was also used as a refugee camp - first for Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees in 1975, then for Cuban refugees in 1980. Military operations in Grenada, Panama, Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, Bosnia, and Kosovo were all served by personnel who were trained at FIG. In 1998, the federal U.S. Army Garrison at FIG was closed and control was once again given to the Pennsylvania National Guard. Following the events of 9/11, FIG became a mobilization center for troops supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Today, it continues to serve as headquarters for the Pennsylvania National Guard and a major reserve component training post; its several important facilities make it the second largest employer in Lebanon County.
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| Entrance to Indiantown Gap National Cemetery |
FIG is currently in the process of constructing new gates, in order to bring the facility up to contemporary standards for military installations. Despite this, however, the public is encouraged to visit. During business hours, there's no need to coordinate with authorities to visit the Pennsylvania National Guard Military Museum, the community club and pool, or any of the static displays. Photography at public locations is permitted. Visiting anywhere else on the grounds requires coordination for access, so visit the website or call the post operator at 717-861-2000 for the correct number. The fort does not offer tours. The cemetery is also open to the public every day, from dawn to dusk; the cemetery is owned by the VA rather than FIG itself, and has its own separate list of rules. If you find yourself in Lebanon County, consider making the trip.
Sources and Further Reading:
Official website of Fort Indiantown Gap
Official VA website of Indiantown Gap National Cemetery
Indiantown Gap National Cemetery at FindAGrave.com
The Pennsylvania National Guard Military Museum
Gates, Hon. G. Thomas. "The Trial of the Blue-Eyed Six for the Murder of Joseph Raber." The Lebanon County Historical Society: A History of Hangings for Homicide in Lebanon County. Volume XIV, no. 6, 1971. Transcribed for the internet by Earl H. Shott, Jr., 1997; link courtesy of the Wayback Machine.
Indiantown and Indiantown Gap Military Reservation at the Historical Marker Database
Except where indicated, all writing and photography on this blog is the intellectual property of Laura Klotz. This blog is written with permission of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. I am not employed by the PHMC. All rights reserved.
Official VA website of Indiantown Gap National Cemetery
Indiantown Gap National Cemetery at FindAGrave.com
The Pennsylvania National Guard Military Museum
Gates, Hon. G. Thomas. "The Trial of the Blue-Eyed Six for the Murder of Joseph Raber." The Lebanon County Historical Society: A History of Hangings for Homicide in Lebanon County. Volume XIV, no. 6, 1971. Transcribed for the internet by Earl H. Shott, Jr., 1997; link courtesy of the Wayback Machine.
Indiantown and Indiantown Gap Military Reservation at the Historical Marker Database
If you've enjoyed this, please leave a comment!
Except where indicated, all writing and photography on this blog is the intellectual property of Laura Klotz. This blog is written with permission of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. I am not employed by the PHMC. All rights reserved.
Thank you so much for your blog. You have given me many ideas for day trips so that I can learn more about PA. Regarding this post, actually most locals just refer to Fort Indiantown Gap as "The Gap". The new gates are quite controversial as there are two state roadways that run through the Gap. The installation of gates simply because other bases have them and not because of security concerns is just a waste of taxpayer money and will complicate many people's commutes to I-81 and the booming Jonestown area. I encourage people to visit the National Cemetery at the Gap. It doesn't get the news coverage that other National Cemeteries do, but is quite breathtaking after the wreath laying in December and hosts quite a bit of wildlife. As there is no hunting, deer and turkey are common in the cemetery as are hawks and other raptors.
ReplyDeleteThank you for clarifying "The Gap" for me - I didn't see that term used anywhere but I did see FIG, so I assumed it was a common nickname. I'm hoping to go back and see the National Cemetery properly, earlier in the day! I really appreciate your comment, and I'm very glad that you're enjoying the blog!
DeleteI enjoyed reading your description of Indiantown however the marker refered to as Indiantown refers to a rather large Indian camp located on either side of Pa route 934 immediately south of Harpers and having the Swarata creek on the east north and west sides of the encampment. This is what is refered to as "Indiantown" There was a "fort" located at Harpers but I'm not sure it was refered to as "Indiantown Fort" Obviously the gap in the Blue Mountain immediately north became know as Indiantow Gap. The next fort east was known as Swarata Fort and the fort West was the Manada Fort.
ReplyDeleteI have an ancestor who lived in the area just south of the Swarata Gap and on June 26, 1756 a son,Jon Miess, was working in the fields and was killed along with 3 others by a party of Indians coming south through the Swarata Gap.