Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Communicated

Marietta and Washington County Pilot, May 11, 1826 

Messrs. Printers:

A complaint of a very criminal nature was, on the 28th of April last, made before us against Mr. FAYETTE SHERMAN.  As it is probable that reports injurious to Mr. Sherman’s character, will be in circulation: we deem it a duty which we owe him, to state, through your paper, to the public, that at the examination, held at Warren on the first instant, the complaint was not only entirely unsupported, but appeared to be made without the least foundation of facts, of a criminal nature.

The abandoned wretch, who made the complaint, having left the state; Mr. Sherman may be deprived of the opportunity of a public prosecution. – This adds to the propriety of making this statement public.

Justices of the Peace. 
Ephraim Cutler,
Oren Newton.

Warren, May 4th, 1826.


Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Marietta From the Very Beginning Was Industrial Center of The Great West

Sunday Morning Observer, January 20, 1917

When a manufacturer decides to change the location of his plant, he does so because he feels the necessity of improving in one or the other of five factors of his business - transportation, labor, power, raw materials, or markets.

The competition of modern business is keen. The standardization of machinery and the availability of skilled supervision makes it possible for every manufacturer, if he will, to produce high-grade goods.  Economy and efficiency in production are the aims of present-day industrial operators.

It is the part of good management to locate a plant in a place where wasteful and costly transportation of raw materials and finished products may be eliminated and power and fuel may be obtained at a moderate cost and where living conditions are conducive to peaceful relations between employer and employe.  It is of the greatest importance that a manufacturing plant once started may be kept in continuous operation.  Railroad congestion, fuel shortage or unfortunate labor conditions must be avoided, and the location which affords manufacturers a combination of conditions which assure him uninterrupted production is the one which is certain to inspire his confidence and secure his industrial plant.

Marietta could be the largest manufacturing center in the nation because she offers the manufacturer an economical, profitable and well-balanced combination of industrial advantages.

Marietta is situated on two of the great waterways of the nation, the Muskingum tapping the north and  with the construction of but a single dam at or near Dresden, could be in touch via water with the Great Lakes.  The Ohio comes to us from the mountains of Pennsylvania and West Virginia, via Pittsburgh and goes on to the Mississippi and on to the Gulf and the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific via the Panama Canal.

We are in the heart of a settled gas producing country and which experts say will give us gas for fuel for at least 25 years.  Surrounded by coal on every hand that can be reached by both water and railroad.  Two of the nation's greatest railroad systems have lines to our doors and both of them are in readiness to give us better facilities with the increase of trade.

No oil field in all the world is more productive that the fields in and about Marietta and the settled condition of the business assures many years of profitable drilling and operation.

Marietta had her industrial beginning with the foundation of the town, a site selected by the wise men who founded the nation and with Washington, Putnam, Cutler and others.   Marietta was founded and begun to build for the reason of her excellent location.

The great manufacturing of the West had its beginning here.  The first flour mills in Ohio were on Wolf Creek, about a mile from its mouth, erected in 1789, by Col. Robert Oliver, Major Haffield White, and Captain John Dodge.  Mills were commenced soon after on Duck Creek by Enoch Sheperd with Col. E. Sproat and Thomas Stanley, but the Indian War and the flood interrupted.  In 1798 a floating mill was built five miles up the Muskingum by Captain Jonathan Devol, which for some years did nearly all the grinding for the inhabitants on the Ohio and Muskingum for fifty miles above and below the mill.

The "Marietta Steam Mill" in Harmar was completed in 1811.

The first tannery was established by Col. Ichabod Nye in 1791.  In 1813 a cotton factory was built for a company of which William Woodbridge, Joseph Holden, and S. P. Hildreth were directors.  Dr. N. McIntosh was the contractor.  His son, Col. E. S. McIntosh, laid the brick.  The building was on Putnam Street, between Fourth and Fifth, and some twenty years after was converted into the old "Academy" building by the college and later was removed to another location.

Shipbuilding was commenced at Marietta in 1801 by B. I. Gilman and was soon after entered into by William Knox.  The business was prosecuted with vigor and success.  Marietta suffered greatly by the embargo act in December, 1807.

With the Knoxes at the helm, this branch of business flourished for many years and ships and steamboats were built by them till but a few years ago.

Along in the 40's some eight or ten ocean going ships were built here, one of which, the "John Farnum," built for A. B. and I. R. Waters, was sent to Ireland with a cargo of corn in charge of Asa B. Waters.

In January 1829, Dobbins and McElfresh started an iron foundry called the "Washington Foundry," situated north of the old Harmar Steam Mill.  About a year later it was bought by A. t. Nye and was soon after moved to the building erected for a woolen mill and where the business is still carried on by The A. T. Nye & Son Co.

The old Franks foundry on Second Street was established by Franks & Hendrie in about the year 1840.

Efforts to establish cotton and woolen mills in Marietta were never very successful though at Beverly a number of woolen establishments carried on a prosperous business for many years.

The manufacture of chairs and furniture in Marietta began back in 1797 and was continued in a direct line to the establishment of the Marietta Chair Company and today remains one of the largest plants of its kind in the country.

For a number of years the Putnams carried on a gigantic bucket and tub manufacturing business and the products went to the four quarters of the country.

Early in the history of the town and country the hills of Washington County were found to contain a grade of sandstone that produced the very best grindstones to be found in the nation, and from a very small beginning in the early years that business has grown till today it is one of the best in this section of the country, and Washington County sandstones sell at a premium.

There is one other advantage that Marietta has and one which has received but little attention and that is the water power that is afforded on and along the Muskingum River.  Tons and tons of power go to waste every year.

Marietta looks toward the future with confidence that her present industries will continue to grow and that many new large plants will be located here.


 

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

New Music Store Opens Its Doors

Sunday Morning Observer, December 16, 1917

Marietta will see the opening of another up-to-date music store, Monday, when The Carroll Music Company, composed of B. B. Myers, D. C. Moore, W. E. Stewart, C. J. Carroll and M. Cullen, will begin business at 125 Putnam Street. For the past several weeks a force of carpenters and painters have been busy in remodeling the store room under the direction of C. J. Carroll, general manager of the company, and as a result the interior has been finished most beautifully in white enamel.

Sound proof rooms have been installed and the large show window, with its display of the famous Aeolian-Vocalion machines makes a most attractive sight.

Mr. Carroll, who is probably one of the best known men in this part of the state will personally manage the affairs of the new company in this city. Mr. Carroll came to Marietta nearly two years ago from Buffalo, N.Y., and for the greater part of 1916 he acted in capacity of general manager of the Wainwright Music Company. Through his business transactions and his own personality he made many friends in Marietta who will wish him the best of success in his new store.

Manager Carroll said that it was the intention of the company to carry the highest grade of pianos, talking machines and other musical instruments. In this line will appear the noted Steinway, Weber and Steck Pianolas manufactured by the Aeolian-Vocalion Company, recognized as the largest musical instrument manufacturing company in the world. In addition to the Aeolian-Vocalion machine, Mr. Carroll will handle the Columbia and Alethetone machine, the latter being made by the Stevens Organ and Piano Company of this city. String instruments will also be included in the new stock with a large assortment of sheet music and talking machine records.

 

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Deaths: Dye and Berkly

Marietta Intelligencer, January 12, 1853

Drowned.

Mr. Mathias Dye, a son of Daniel Dye of Grandview township, was drowned on Friday night last.  He had been indisposed some days, but on Friday evening was supposed to be getting better.  During the night he left his bed and the house undiscovered and a day or two afterwards his body was found in a pond near his father's house, made by backwater from the Ohio.  The deceased was about 22 years of age, and a very interesting and promising young man.  Further particulars in regard to this distressing occurrence we have not heard.

Killed.

A correspondent informs us that on the same day (Friday), Mr. Samuel Berkly, an old and highly esteemed citizen of Aurelius, was killed by falling from the first floor of his mill to the ground, a distance of some ten or twelve feet.  Mr. Berkley was 66 years of age, and had been a consistent member of the Baptist Church more than twenty years.  He leaves a large circle of friends and relatives to mourn his loss.