Hyattsville

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.