The city of Marietta is rich in history. It has been a major river port and was a center for canals, ferries, and railroads. Marietta history has had its fair share of high points and low points. Its residents have accomplished great things, and some have even been nationally recognized as businessmen and politicians. Charles Gates Dawes, for example, founded the Pure Oil Company and shared a Nobel Peace Prize with President Coolidge.

The Rich History of Marietta, Georgia

The town’s location on two navigable rivers and a major rail line gave it tremendous growth potential, which it took full advantage of in the 1840s. The state-owned Western and Atlantic Railroad from Atlanta to Chattanooga ran right through the square, bringing more people into town and boosting local businesses. Inns, including the Howard House and Cole’s, opened around town, as did a number of factories and warehouses, including tanneries.

John Glover was a successful store owner and politician who moved to Marietta in 1848 and quickly made it his home. He bought the land where the county courthouse now stands and donated it to the city. Three years later the city incorporated.

By the 1850s, the city was booming with people moving in from all over the region. A number of businesses sprang up, including several brick factories and sawmills that supplied the material for buildings; tanyards served the railroad industry; and warehouses housed cargo.

The Civil War slowed down the city’s growth, but it recovered afterward and became even more important to the transportation system in Cobb County. A turning point came with World War II. A county attorney, county commissioner and a mayor worked together to bring Bell Aircraft to Cobb County and put a lot of people to work assembling B-29 Superfortresses.