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Franklin County Visitors Bureau 'springs' into history


CHAMBERSBURG - The Franklin County Visitors Bureau invites the public to travel the trails of Franklin County history with 20 sites to enjoy individually or by joining a caravan tour.

"Spring into history" from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Saturday, April 16, by traversing centuries of American heritage and culture in Franklin County: take in Native American artifacts; explore the frontier and colonial America, the Underground Railroad, and the Civil War; and see architectural and archaeological history.

All sites are free and will be open to the public during the tour, and participants can explore individually at their own pace or as part of a caravan tour. For caravan participants, sites are divided into four tours. Each caravan will include a 12-passenger van with a guide, so attendees can hop on the van while seats are available or join the caravan in their own vehicles. There is no fee for participating in the caravan, and lunch is self-pay.

The four tours are:

- Conococheague Settlement – discover the Franklin County frontier, which was collectively known as the Conococheague Settlement. Learn about the  lifestyle, culture, customs, and challenges of early residents of the Cumberland Valley.

- Social Struggles and An Emerging Nation - chapters of American history played out across Franklin County. The county's proximity to the Mason-Dixon Line catalyzed significant chapters of American history, impacted residents’ sentiments, and even brought war to their doorsteps.

- Made in America: Architecture, Archaeology & Art - experience early American architecture. Excavate and discover artifacts of frontier farmers. See artifacts of early American lifestyle, which is today's art. Discover the customs immigrants brought from their homeland, the resources that built beautiful limestone farmhouses and the inventions of the next generation.

- Over the Mountain: Over Two Centuries of American History - South Mountain is a special landscape. It fed the iron ore industry and sheltered escaping slaves. It saw the strife of the Civil War and was reborn through Pennsylvania's conservation movement. Visit a general store museum and a town where John Brown taught Sunday school, learn how Pennsylvania led the conservation movement and see Smokey the Bear in many shapes and sizes.

For more details, learn the meeting location of each tour and sign up for the caravan tours, contact the Franklin County Visitors Bureau at 866-646-8060 or  visit www.ExploreFranklinCountyPA.com.