Arthur Rothstein, a Farm Security Administration photographer, visited Hagerstown in Maryland in October 1937. The photographer strolled the town’s streets for an afternoon, taking pictures of residents and documenting their everyday lives.
Jonathan Hager founded Hagerstown in 1762. He was a gunsmith, fur trader, farmer, and politician. Upon settling, he quickly increased his wealth and acquired over 10,000 acres of land, which he used to lay out the town’s plans. The city was initially named Elizabethtown in honor of his wife, but it was later changed to Hagerstown in honor of him.
During the 1820s, Hagerstown became a central stopping point along the Cumberland (National) Road. Northern and Southern armies alternately occupied this city during the American Civil War. Within 30 miles (48 kilometers) are some of the bloodiest battlefields of that war, including Gettysburg, Antietam, and Harpers Ferry. The construction of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad spur in 1867 led to the town’s economic revival after the war. Consequently, it became a major transportation hub for the agricultural area and a significant manufacturing center.
Today Hagerstown serves as a gateway to the Baltimore and the Washington, D.C. area and the “hub” of government, commerce, and recreation for the tri-state area.
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