MARIETTA. A city and the county-sent of Wtodiington County, Ohio. 125 miles southeast of Columbus; at the junction of the Ohio and the Muskingum rivers, the former being spanned by a bridge connecting with W. Va.; and on the Baltimore and Ohio Southwest ern, the Cleveland and Marietta, the Toledo and Ohio Central Extension. the Za/Nsville and Ohio River, and other railroads (Map: Ohio. 11 7). It is the seat of Marietta College (q.v.). with a library of 60.000 volumes, and has a city park, set apart in 1788. and the oldest church and the oldest building in the Northwest Territory, the latter been the office of the Ohio Land Company. In the cemetery are buried many Rev olutionary soldiers. The city is in a petroleum, coal. and iron region, and has large commereial interests through its river trade; it manufactures flour, lumber products, chairs, tables, and furni ture. ears. tanned leather, and wagons, refined petrolemn. boats, oil-well tools, boilers, wooden bicycle rims, brick, harness, glass, easkets, etc. The government is administered under a charter of 1853. by a mayor, elected every two years, and subordinate official', the majority of whom are appointed by the exec utive subject to the consent. of the council, the
school hoard and water works trustees alone being chosen by popular vote. The city owns and operates the water works and electrie-light plant. Population, in 1890, 8273; in 1900, 13,318.
Marietta, the first. settlement within the present limits of Ohio, was founded in 17Ss by Rufus Putnam and a colony from New England under the authority of the 'Ohio Company' (q.v.). It was named in honor of Marie Antoinette. In July, 17SS, the Northwest Territory was formally organized here by Governor Arthur Saint Clair. Thennerhasset Island. twelve miles below. t he scene of various incidents in the `1;urr Con spirac•y.' Marietta was first incorporated, as a town, in 1800. In 1890 the village of Ilarmar, where, in 1755. Fort. Harmar had been built. was annexed. Consult Hoar, Oration at the Celrbra titm of the Centennial of the Founding of the A orthirest at Marietta (\Vashington, 1855 )