1765, Aug. Surveyors Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon reached South Mountain.
1766, April. Mason and Dixon surveyed Sideling Hill.
1776. Washington County created from Frederick County.
1790. Stewart Herbert began printing Elizabeth Town (now Hagerstown) Washington Spy, first newspaper west of Blue Ridge Mountains.
1813. Hagerstown incorporated (Chapter 121, Acts of 1813, Dec. session).
1820, Sept. 8. William T. Hamilton (1820-1888), Governor of Maryland, born in Hagerstown.
1823. Williamsport incorporated.
1827, July. Boonsboro citizens erected monument to George Washington, South Mountain.
1828, Nov. James W. C. Pennington, a slave in Washington County, escaped to freedom in Pennsylvania.
1831. Boonsboro incorporated.
1832. Sharpsburg incorporated.
1836. Clear Spring incorporated.
1840. Funkstown incorporated.
1841. Smithsburg incorporated.
1853. Hancock incorporated.
1862, Jan. 5-6. Battle of Hancock.
1862, Sept. 14. Battle of South Mountain; Union troops forced Confederates from Crampton's and Turner's gaps.
1862, Sept. 17. Battle of Antietam (or Sharpsburg), 4,800 dead, 18,000 wounded.
1862, Oct. 10-12. Gen. Jeb Stuart's cavalry rode through Washington, Frederick and Montgomery counties during raid into Pennsylvania.
1863, late June- early July. Lee's army passed through Washington County en route to Gettysburg and in retreat.
1864, July 6. Hagerstown held for ransom by Confederate forces under Gen. Jubal Early.
1872. Keedysville incorporated.
1872.Western Maryland Railroad completed line, Hagerstown to Baltimore.
1892, May 12. William Preston Lane, Jr. (1892-1967), Governor of Maryland, born in Hagerstown.
1898. Washington County Free Library founded at Hagerstown.
1905, April. Washington County experimented successfully with horse-drawn bookmobile.
1925. Ammon H. Kreider and Lewis E. Reisner began building single-engine airplanes, Hagerstown.
1933, July. State Congress of Farmers and Workers convened in Hagerstown.
1939. Fairchild Company won competition for Army trainer with PT-19.
1946. Hagerstown Junior College founded.
1956. Washington County educational television project began.
1965. Appalachian Regional Commission established by federal statute.
1967, Nov. Richard A. Henson inaugurated air service between Hagerstown and Baltimore.
1968. Governor's Council for Appalachian Maryland created.
1970. I-70 opened from Frederick to Hancock.
1971. Tri-County Council for Western Maryland formed.
1998, July 1. Hagerstown Junior College renamed Hagerstown Community College.
2004, March 2. Electronic voting system used during primary elections at polling places and for absentee ballots in all counties and Baltimore City.
© Copyright May 14, 2010 Maryland State Archives