Town plots restoration of Gettysburg map

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HANOVER, Pa., Sept. 18 (UPI) -- Officials in a Pennsylvania town said they are hoping to bolster tourism with a nearly 50-year-old electric map illustrating the Battle of Gettysburg.

Developer Scott Roland, working together with Hanover Chamber of Commerce official Gary Laird, placed a winning $14,010 bid for the 12-ton electric map. The map receive new electronic lights and its asbestos coating will be encapsulated before going on display next year, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Tuesday.

"This map is a piece of history, and a lot of people around here wanted to see it saved," Hanover Mayor Ben Adams said. "Everybody remembers the electric map. There should be a whirlwind of publicity."

Laird said the map will also receive an "annex" depicting the Battle of Hanover.

Officials said they are hoping the map will attract tourists who head to Gettysburg next summer for the 150th anniversary of the famous Civil War battle, often cited as the turning point in the battle against the Confederacy.