George Washington Shriver was a farmer and working on the family farm along Marsh Creek. At a nearby neighboring farm, there was a young woman that was around George’s age. Unexpectedly, George’s father, George Lewis Shriver passed away in September 1852. George stepped up and became the head of the household and took over the farmstead at the age of sixteen.
George Washington Shriver inherited not only a large farm over 200 acres, but also a bankbarn, and a distillery with a warehouse nearing 3000 gallons of liquor. During that time that he was working on the farm, another farm close-by was that of Jacob and Sarah Weikert. They had 13 children, and one of them was Henrietta “Hettie” Weikert. Henrietta was born in March 1836.
Henrietta “Hettie” Weikert would have a romance with George Washington Shriver, both 18 years old, married in January 1855. Between 1855 and the start of the Civil War in April 1861, Henrietta and George would have three children: two daughters and one son. The one son, Jacob Emmanuel Shriver, only lived a few months and died in 1859. Their two daughters, Sarah and Mollie, were quite young during the battle of Gettysburg.
Before the start of the Civil War in April 1861, George wanted to become a businessman in town and get off the farm. He bought a double-lot on Baltimore Street near the corner of Breckenridge Street for 290 dollars. There at the southern corner was the house that Pierce family resided in. The lot he bought was south of the Pierce family house. Shown below is what the image of the property would have looked like.
Courtesy of the Shriver House Museum on Baltimore Pike
The museum that is located there now would have been in the grassy field on the far right of the picture. Many farmers and business owners thought that the Civil War would only last a few months. In August 1861, George Washington Shriver enlisted into the Federal Union Army in Frederick, Maryland. He became a soldier within Company C of Cole’s Cavalry. Between August 1861 and Christmas 1863, he never saw his family. However, in late December 1863, George Washington Shriver was granted furlough to come to home to Gettysburg to see his family for Christmas. He was only home for four days, but to his daughters and wife, it probably felt so grateful to see him and an eternality of hugs, kisses, and making him food/hearing him talk.
He left town a few days later and sadly, never saw his wife and children again.