The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1948-06-03
HORSE AND
BUGGY DAYS
by
Ida 10 Martin

Here is an interesting comment
on early Hagerstown, found in the
diary of a gentleman who visited
here when Hagerstown was just a
young village of thirteen summers.
The Rev. Philip V. Fithian, of the
Presbyterian Church, stopped here
in May of ITS. Here is his journal
entry:
"Hagerstown-a considerable vii
age 1t may contain two hundred
houses. Some of them are large and
neat, built with stone or brick, but
the greater part of the houses are
built with logs, neatly squared,
which indeed make a good house.
There are many stores here and
many mechanics, and it is a place
of business. The inhabitants are
chiefly Dutch. East and southeast
of this town the Blue Mountains APP
pear like thick, hazy thunder clouds
Just above the horizon in summer.
There is here a Dutch Lutheran
Church and they are building an
English church"
Many historian and visitor have
since added this good word for Hag-
erstown Business and industry have
continued to be the prominent
characteristics of Hagerstown."
And now here are just a few ran
dom notes concerning the beginning
of few of the other villages and
town of our valley and Washington
County. Most of these have interest
ing details of history, adventure and
romance, which could be told, and as
there is time and space l will tell
at greater length of some of them.
Sharpsburg was named for the
onetime governor Of four State, Gov.
Horatio Sharpe. This town was
first founded by Joseph Chapline in
the year 1863, before the country
gained her independence and just
one year after the founding of Hag-
erstown by Jonathan Hager. The
village grew rapidly, and in the year
1765, was awarded the distinction of
a constable, appointed by the court
of the county, then Frederick.
Sharpsburg soon became the bust
ness center for the lower Antietam
valley and in 1776 Wed with Hag-
erstown and others as location for
the County seat. AS has been said
of other places that competed with
Hagerstown for this honor, if they
had won, the history of both towns
would surely have been quite diff
ferent.
Of course there are many, many
tales and stories to be told of Sharps-
burg and its part in the Civil War,
but that must be told some other
time, as we are here dealing with
just the beginnings of numerous
places.
Williamsport made her appear
at a later date. General Ohio Hol-
land Williams, who served in the
Revolutionary War, laid out this
town, by authority of the Maryland |
Legislature, in 1887. The Potomac
was at that time already used eX-
tensively for the shipment of grain
and merchandise, and the new town
at the mouth of the big Conocheague
Creek was an excellent location for |
loading and unloading. The con-
struction of the canal and turnpike
which took place later, proved to be
to further advantage of the new
town.
Prior to the year 1896, two broth
erS, George and William Boone,
owned a tract of land where is now
situated Boonsboro. The village
named for these two brothers grew |
slowly, until the completion of the
famous National Turnpike. Then
the village expanded in size and i'm
portance quickly. But with the
decline of traffic over the great |
wagon road, the town quit growing |
so rapidly, and its prosperity suf-
fered. Today, the opening of the