Small Town Series in Wayne County: Hagerstown

Known as the upper terminal of the Whitewater Canal, which extends to Lawerenceburg, Indiana, the town of Hagerstown was born in 1832.

In 1847 the final eight miles of the Whitewater Canal was completed from Hagerstown to Cambridge City. Hagerstown had formed its own company to finish the canal when it was stopped at Cambridge City. Flooding was a problem south on the canal so the canal engineer built Hagerstown’s section on the west side of the valley. It was several feet higher than the level of the stream. Because of the higher elevation, there was almost no flood damage to Hagerstown’s end of the canal. However farther south, flood waters damaged the canal in 1847 and again in 1865. The costly repairs and poor return on investments caused the canal to go out of business.

The Big Four Railroad built on the old towpath of the old canal in Hagerstown. A turntable and engine house for the railroad were at the south end of town on Washington Street. Passenger service was discontinued in the 1920’s but freight service on the Big Four continued until 1931. The Pennsylvania railroad line from Chicago to Cincinnati also came through Hagerstown. The line now is called the Norfolk Southern Railway.

Hagerstown Airport at the south end of Washington Street, built in 1957-1958. The first airstrip was on the south side of Main Street, east of town. Courtesy of Jason Schmittler.

In 1895 a new Hagerstown business was organized, the Railway Cycle Manufacturing Company. Charles N. Teetor invented a “railway cycle” which became the Light Inspection Car for inspecting railroad tracks. Later the company (Teetor-Hartley Motor Company, 1914) manufactured automobile motors. They produced many engines for Indiana car makers and the Auburn was their largest customer. The company sold the motor division but kept the growing business of piston rings. In October 1926, the name was changed to the Perfect Circle Company. It became one of the largest piston ring manufacturers in the world. Perfect Circle was sold to Dana Corporation in 1963. The Hagerstown facility closed in 1995.

There are many interesting characters in Hagerstown’s past. One of them, Johnnie Horine, was known as the “globe-trotting bootblack.” Johnnie shined shoes and saved his small earnings for his world travels. He traveled to the Middle East and the Holy Land in 1925 and attended every World Exposition from the 1890’s. Johnnie always started his trips on his lucky day, June 21, the longest day of the year.

Other historic and interesting facts about Hagerstown:

1809 The Twelve Mile Purchase from the Indians in which Hagerstown was formed.

1834 Jefferson Township was formed.

1867 Wilbur Wright was born in nearby Millville, Indiana.

1912 Boy Scouts started in Hagerstown.

Invented by Ralph R. Teetor, Cruise Control, originally known as Speedostat, was first introduced in the 1958 chrysler.

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