History of Waynesboro Timeline
1764
1749 – John Wallace Sr. settles 633 acres calling it Mt. Vernon
1797 – John Wallace Jr. lays out town “along the country road leading from Greencastle to Baltimore.”
1750 – Settlers begin trickling in to what was then called Wallace town.
1816 – Turnpike from Baltimore to Pittsburgh is built. This provided locals with work as blacksmiths, wagon makers, and harness shops.
1831 – Waynesburg switched to Waynesboro after federal government decides that two post offices in same state can’t have same name.
1839 – Population reaches 888
1853 – Waynesboro opens first bank, Waynesboro Savings Fund Society
1861 – George Frick buys shop in Waynesboro in order to manufacture Peter Geiser’s grain separator.
1863 – ( November) First National bank opens.
1863 – (June) General Jubal Early brings his confederate force up to Waynesboro from Smithsburg and uses the town hall as head quarters.
1867 – George Frick sells shop to Geiser, Price and Company in order to raise capital.
1873- A group of locals armed with $34,000 in capital stop Frick from moving to Hagerstown by investing in new facilities.
1879 – Railroad comes to Waynesboro.
1879 – Frick moves his operation closer to railroad at the west end of town.
1879 – Geiser Manufacturing Co. buys Landis brothers steam engine works.
1880 – Population reaches 1,988
1883 – The telephone arrives in Waynesboro.
1890 – Landis brothers start their own factory, manufacturing grinding and boring machines.
1897 –Landis Tool is spun of the Landis brothers’ original factory.
1893 – Electricity is introduced.
1900 – Population reaches 5,396
1903 – Landis Machine is spun off the Landis brothers’ factory.
1920 – Population reaches 11,000
1930 – Per capita income almost doubles national average at $5,600
- Frick employs: 1,200
- Geiser employs: 1,000
- Landis Tool employs: 800
more coming…
Sources: #’s 3
