Founded in 1762, the small city of Hagerstown, Maryland sits just south of the Mason-Dixon line and changed hands several times during the Civil War.

In October 1937, Farm Security Administration photographer Arthur Rothstein, in the course of his assignments covering everyday life across the country, passed through.

He paused there for an afternoon, strolling the streets of the humble town, documenting the residents milling about on the main thoroughfare, chatting, shopping and attending an auction.