
Saving Our History
And Passing It On
Historian and author Debra Sandoe McCauslin has made presentations to historical societies and Civil War roundtables throughout the region. Among her publications is Reconstructing the Past: Puzzle of a Lost Community (more below), which traces the history of the residents of Yellow Hill. Black Settlement on Yellow Hill, co-authored with Alisha Sanders, appeared in Pennsylvania Heritage magazine. Her work has also been published by the Adams County Historical Society, the Gettysburg Times, and Gettysburg Experience magazine. She produced the documentary Adams County USA, seen on local PBS stations. A descendant of George Washington Sandoe, first soldier to fall at the Battle of Gettysburg, Debra provided research for the story of his life written by T. W. Burger. A Certified Toastmaster®, she teaches community education courses at Harrisburg Area Community College’s Gettysburg Campus. Some of her other activities include:
- Event Organizer U. S. Colored Troops Graveside Salute, National Cemetery, Gettysburg, PA (2007–present)
- Founder Jessie Mathews Vann Memorial Scholarship, Menallen Friends Preschool, Bendersville, PA (2007–present)
- Board Member Healthy Adams Bicycle/Pedestrian, Inc. (2009–present)
- Advocate Historic Gettysburg–Adams County (HGAC) effort to include four Adams County sites in the National Park Service Underground Railroad Network to Freedom (2008–11)
- Third Prize Sponsor Adams County Arts Council Juried Art Exhibition, Gettysburg, PA (2009–11)
- Presenter Journey Through Hallowed Ground Annual Meeting, Manassas, VA (2011)
- Sponsor & Host Appearance and booksigning by Christopher Webber, author of American to the Backbone, Gettysburg, PA (2011)
- Instructor Road Scholars (formerly Elderhostel), Gettysburg, PA (2010–11)
- Tour Guide The Underground Railroad in Adams County for students from Yale University’s Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition (2010)
- Facilitator Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation, YWCA of Gettysburg & Adams County (2010)
- Sponsor “Five Guys” exhibit featuring local artists, Gettysburg, PA (2010)
- Sponsor & Event Organizer Re-enactment of the 1845 kidnapping of Kitty Payne and her family, and placement of wayside marker commemorating their kidnapping, Bendersville, PA (2010)
- Presenter The Pommerian Early Music Guild Children’s Workshop, Menallen Friends Meeting, Bendersville, PA (2009–10)
- Speaker Pennsylvania Historical Museum Black History Conference, Carlisle, PA (2009)
- Presenter Women’s History Month Celebration, Harrisburg Area Community College, Gettysburg, PA (2009)
- Regional Advisor Journey Through Hallowed Ground African American Presence Initiative (2008–09)
- Research Source A Virtual Secret of History by John Messeder, an article about the life of Mary Jemison, USA Today magazine (2008)
- Event Coordinator 250th Anniversary of the Capture of Mary Jemison, Gettysburg, PA (2008)
- Presenter The Underground Railroad: Uncovering Voices of Women, Albany, NY (2007)
- Panel Discussant The Underground Railroad, Thomas Balch Library, Leesburg, VA (2007)
- Tour Guide Gettysburg College Civil War Institute, Gettysburg, PA (2006)
- Mistress of Ceremonies Adams County Heritage Festival, Gettysburg, PA (2001)

Reconstructing the Past
Puzzle of a Lost Community
What happened to the thriving Yellow Hill community? Follow Deb McCauslin as she searches for answers in Reconstructing the Past: Puzzle of a Lost Community. This 76-page book is available online (or you can print and mail this form) and in Gettysburg at the Adams County Historical Society (111 North West Confederate Avenue; 334-4723) and Gallery 30 (30 York Street; 334-5006).
“A fantastic, easy read that someone put a lot of research into. Thank goodness this fascinating community has not been lost to future generations . . . a learning lesson for everyone.”