William Hoblitzell was born in 1864, the son of Solomon Hoblitzell, in Pokomoke City, Maryland. He was an amateur photographer and worked as the chief clerk for the Northern Pacific Railroad from 1890 to 1894. He lived in Missoula, Montana, during this time, but returned to Maryland after that, ultimately settling in Washington, DC, where he worked for the Census Bureau.
From the guide to the William A. Hoblitzell Photographs, 1886-1901, (University of Montana--Missoula Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library Archives and Special Collections)