Hagerstown (Maryland)

Hagerstown is a city located in Washington County, Maryland. In 2000, the city had a population of 36,687. It is the seat of Washington County. It is located at the edge of the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area.

It is a city at a crossroads due to the high number of roads that cross it. These include Interstates 81 and 70, and Interstates 11 and 40. The city is served by the Hagerstown Regional Airport. It is a twin city with Wesel, in Germany.

Demography

According to the 2000 census, the city has 36,687 inhabitants, 15,849 households and 9,081 resident families. The population density is 1,328.8 inhabitants/km² (3,441.5 inhabitants/mi²). There are 17,089 housing units with an average density of 619.0 u.a./km² (1,603.1 u.a./mi²). The racial makeup of the city's population is 85.95% White, 10.15% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.96% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.83% other origins and 1.83% from two or more races. 1.77% of the population is of Hispanic or Latino origin, regardless of their race of origin.

Of the 15,849 households, minors live in 29.5% of them, 36.8% are made up of married couples living together, 15.9% are run by a woman without a husband present and 42.7 % are not families. 35.4% of all households are made up of a single person and 12.9% of them include a person over 65 years of age. The average number of inhabitants per home is 2.26 and the average family size is 2.93 people.

25.6% of the city's population is under 18 years old, 9.0% is between 18 and 24 years old, 31.0% is between 25 and 44 years old, 20.1% is between 45 and 64 years old and 14.3% are over 65 years old. The median age is 35 years. For every 100 women there are 87.8 men and for every 100 women over 18 years of age there are 83.6 men.

The median income for a household in the city is $30,796, and the median income for a family is $38,149. Men earn an average of $31,200 versus $22,549 for women. The per capita income in the city is $17,153. 18.1% of the population and 15.1% of families have incomes below the poverty level. Of the total population below the poverty level, 27.0% are under 18 and 13.7% are over 65 years old.

History

Foundation

Hagerstown was founded in 1762 by Jonathan Hager, who also laid the foundation for the 1776 division of Frederick County and the creation of Washington County and its seat.

Civil war

In 1864, Hagerstown was invaded by Confederate troops and the city had to pay a ransom to avoid being destroyed.

Railways

A large number of train lines served Hagerstown. It was the center of the Maryland Western Railroad, Pennsylvania Railroad, Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, etc.

Little Heiskell

One of the most significant symbols of the city is the weather vane known as the "Little Heiskell" which represents a soldier marching with a rifle and bayonet. Its name is that of the craftsman who built it in 1796, it was on the market until 1824 when it was moved to the town hall. During the civil war he was shot. The original weather vane is currently in the Washington County Museum and an exact replica operates at City Hall.