Hagerstown , Maryland

NEW 155-PAGE BOOKLET

Utilizing a mixture of colorful tales, factual data, and individual biographies, this excerpt from J. Thomas Scharf's History of Western Maryland, tells you just about everything you'd like to know about the early days of Hagerstown, the principal city in Washington County, MD. The original book was published in 1882 by Louis H. Everts of Philadelphia. To somewhat update the history, we've added a brief excerpt from Maryland, a Guide to the Old Line State, a 1940 WPA publication.

The 155-page book is printed on 8 1/2" x 11" quality paper. The covers are an 80# card stock, with the front cover protected with a vinyl sheet.

Topics include: The first settler, Jonathan Hager; Cresap's Fort, Incorporation of the town, the First officers, an 1822 description of the town, early residents, Early notes and reminiscences - such as a rumor that the old Episcopal Church was haunted, tales of grave robbing, letters from presidents, etc.; Religious denominations, lists of those buried in various church graveyards and at Rose Hill Cemetery, Ceremony for the Burial of Confederate soldiers in a portion of Rose Hill Cemetery; Bench and Bar of Washington County with names, Notable Early Trials and Executions; Medicine and Physicians with names; Newspapers; Schools and Libraries, Hagerstown Academy, Hagerstown Charity School, Hagerstown Female Seminary (pix), Public School, Linden Seminary, Hagarstown Lyceum; Market Houses, Bellevue Almshouse (pix), Water works, Hotels and a hotel fire with names; Telegraph, Street Lighting, Trade and Industries of Hagerstown and Banks, Fire Companies and fires; Pre-Civil War Military, Agricultural Societies, Secret Societies; and the Theatre and other Amusements, such as "a Male Camel from the deserts of Arabia" and horse racing.

Among those to whom Special attention is given are the following: Attorneys: Frederick A. Schley., John Thomson Mason, Judge John Thomson Mason, Judge John Buchanan, Judge Thomas Buchanan, Gov. William T. Hamilton (pix), William Price, Robert J. Brent, Richard H. Alvey (pix), George Freaner, Andrew K. Syester (pix), Judge Daniel Weisel, Judge George French, William B. Clarke, George Schley (pix), William Motter, Henry Kyd Douglas, Francis Moore Darby, John F.A. Remley, and Jervis Spencer. Doctors: Frederick Dorsey (pix), Lancelot Jacques, James Dixon, Charles Macgill, John A. Warton, Joseph Edward Claggett and James Thomas Notely Maddox. Publishers: John Gruber,, Thomas Grieves, Stewart Herbert and W.D. Bell, Edwin Bell, Peter Negley (pix), Josiah Knodr, Mittag & Sneary, James Maxwell, Thomas John Chew Williams, Peter Augustus Witmer (pix), Ira W. Hays, and Overton C. Harne. Others: Rev. Bartholomew Booth, Henry K. Tice (pix), and William Updegraff (pix).

Three other booklets on this area are available. One concerns the History of  Washington County, one concerns the History of the Districts of Washington County, and one concerns the Civil War in Western Maryland. All are taken from Scharf's history and offered on eBay at various times.

Wouldn't this make a unique gift?