Editing Greencastle, Pennsylvania (section)

==History==
===Indigenous People===
The region known today as Greencastle was previously inhabited by the Indigenous people of the Six Nations tribes, who lived in and hunted game throughout [[Franklin County, Pennsylvania]]. <ref>https://www.america250pafranklincounty.com/our-history/</ref> The [[Shawnee]] and [[Seneca people|Seneca]] tribes were most prominent in the region. <ref>https://issuu.com/herald-mail1/docs/your_life_in_greencastle_12-21-2022/s/17624607</ref>

===European Settlers===
James Patton, who came to America at age 17 and moved to [[North Carolina]] in 1793, started the settlement of Canogege (spelled "Conegoge" by George P. Donahoo). Patton said in an 1839 letter to his descendants that the place was "settled by a moral and orderly people."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/2019/09/09/visiting-our-past-pioneer-james-patton-made-example-his-life/2198924001/|title=Visiting Our Past: Pioneer James Patton made an example of his life|last=Neufeld|first=Rob|work=[[Asheville Citizen-Times]]|date=September 9, 2019}}</ref>

Greencastle was founded in 1783 by John Allison from the Barkdoll House. The town was named after [[Greencastle, County Antrim]], [[Northern Ireland]].<ref>{{cite book|last=M'Cauley|first=I. H.|title=Historical Sketch of Franklin County, Pennsylvania|url=https://archive.org/details/historicalsketch00mcau|year=1878|publisher=Patriot|page=[https://archive.org/details/historicalsketch00mcau/page/209 209]}}</ref> It was originally composed of 246 lots. By 1790 there were about 60 houses in Greencastle, homes to approximately 400 people. The town of Greencastle had grown by the mid-nineteenth century to 1,125 residents.

===Latter Day Saint settlement===
In 1845, following the [[succession crisis (Latter Day Saints)|succession crisis]] in the [[Latter Day Saint movement]], [[Sidney Rigdon]] (one of the three main contenders along with [[James Strang]] and [[Brigham Young]] for leadership of the Latter Day Saints following the [[death of Joseph Smith]]) took his followers to Pennsylvania and formed a [[Rigdonite]] [[Mormon]] settlement at Greencastle. This settlement had approximately 200 followers.<ref>Nead, Benjamin M. ''Birth-Place of Mormonism''. Chambersburg, PA: Valley Spirit Press, 1897. http://sidneyrigdon.com/1869Moor.htm</ref> They founded the New Jerusalem settlement between Greencastle and [[Mercersburg, Pennsylvania|Mercersburg]], published the ''Conochoheague Herald'' newspaper in Greencastle,<ref>''The Frontier Guardian'', Vol. I No. 26, January 23, 1850.  http://www.sidneyrigdon.com/dbroadhu/LDS/ldsnews1.htm#012350</ref> and made plans for the construction of a temple. The Rigdonite Mormon settlement at Greencastle only lasted a few years; some former Rigdon followers went to [[Utah]] to join Brigham Young, while [[William Bickerton]], who had opposed Rigdon's move to Greencastle, would eventually reorganize the remaining Pennsylvania branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in [[Pittsburgh]] as [[the Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite)]].

===Civil War===
Early in the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], Greencastle and neighboring [[Franklin County, Pennsylvania|Franklin County]] communities raised the [[126th Pennsylvania Infantry]]. In the summer of 1863, the war touched close to home when [[Confederate States Army|Confederate]] General [[Robert E. Lee]] and his [[Army of Northern Virginia]] invaded southern Pennsylvania during the [[Gettysburg Campaign]]. From mid-June to early July, those residents of Greencastle who had not fled to safety lived under Confederate rule. On July 2, concurrent with the [[Battle of Gettysburg]] in neighboring [[Adams County, Pennsylvania|Adams County]], [[Captain (Union Army)|Captain]] [[Ulric Dahlgren]]'s Federal cavalry patrol galloped into Greencastle's town square, where they surprised and captured several Confederate [[cavalrymen]] carrying vital correspondence from [[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond]].<ref>Adapted from [[Jacob Hoke]]'s book, ''The Great Invasion''.</ref><ref name="ovanwscw">{{cite book| title=Officers of the Volunteer Army and Navy who served in the Civil War| publisher= L.R. Hamersly & Co.| year=1893| pages=419| url=http://all-biographies.com/soldiers/ulric_dahlgren.htm| access-date=2009-02-16}}</ref> After the Battle of Gettysburg, Lee's army began its retreat to [[Virginia]] on July 4 and 5. He sent [[John D. Imboden]]'s cavalry to escort a large wagon train carrying Confederate wounded. The train, nearly {{convert|18|mi}} in length, wound its way through the streets of Greencastle, where a few men of the town attacked the wagon train with axes and hatchets. They succeeded in disabling several wagons before Confederate cavalry chased them away.

===Modern era===
Following the war, Greencastle grew considerably in the late 19th century during the [[Industrial Revolution]], having several industrial factories built inside the town limits, including the Crowell Manufacturing Company, which constructed farming equipment.

In 1902, Greencastle businessman Philip Baer began a tradition where the town holds a triennial social event known as "[[Old Home Week]]". Every three years, Greencastle townspeople and former residents come together for one week in August in a town-wide reunion to reminisce and fellowship. Baer performed prolifically in a [[minstrel show]] which included the use of [[blackface]]. As recently as 2013, the program has featured a "modern minstrel."<ref>https://www.therecordherald.com/story/news/local/2013/08/12/another-old-home-week-celebration/44358104007/</ref> The most recent Old Home Week Celebration occurred in 2022; the next one will be in 2025.<ref>All historical information drawn from one source -''Conococheague: A History of the Greencastle-Antrim Community 1736-1971'' by William Conrad.</ref>

The [[Greencastle Historic District]], [[Mitchell-Shook House]], and [[Martin's Mill Covered Bridge (Antrim Township, Pennsylvania)|Martin's Mill Bridge]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>

Greencastle contains many Christian church congregations with longstanding heritage and rich history. The present-day [[Methodist]] church has origins dating back to 1805 when [[Christian Newcomer]] conducted services in the area.