by Andra Damron (Author)
Hyattsville, Maryland, takes its name from businessman Christopher Clarke Hyatt, who was made the area's first postmaster in January 1859. Hyatt's home and general store were located at the intersection of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and the Washington-Baltimore Turnpike, only six miles from the Capitol. Hyatt and other early entrepreneurs transformed the rural countryside, aided by the railroad, into one of the largest communities in Prince George's County by the city's April 1886 incorporation. With its prime location and the advent of the streetcar and automobile, Hyattsville's regional prominence was insured. Today the city's history is reflected by its 1,000-building historic district, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The photographs here, collected from area archives and family memorabilia, depict the life of the community over a 100-year span, including wars, women's suffrage, Prohibition, economic depression, rapid growth, and racial divide. Hyattsville's citizens met these and other challenges with spirit, innovation, perseverance, and tolerance.