The battle of Gettysburg took place in what was already a city. The battlefield itself has been kept free of encroaching commercialism, but even doing THAT requires a substantial amount of development: The crowds are so large that just allowing random meandering would devestate the site. But there are no McDonalds or anything of the like on the battlefields.
That said, being that the battle took place in a city, there is naturally going to be commerce in that city, and since the crowds are so large, a fair amount of that commerce is going to cater to the crowds. But I suppose all you Southern "real Americans" *snicker* would rather that all be done socialistically.
Are you at all familiar with Gettysburg? The development down Steinwehr Avenue is such that there is a McDonalds well within the area covered by Lonsgtreet's Assault. According to contemporary maps, Gettysburg was a small town in 1863. It has done a lot of growing, as have most small towns, which presents a real challenge for historical preservation. Many people, Northern and Southern, would like to have at least a little bit of our history preserved. Personally, I happen to prefer the methods applied by the Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation over the Gettysburg National Military Park.
Deo Vindice!
*sigh* more hate for the south...
how often must we appologize and for how long should we hang our heads down in shame when we have done nothing wrong?