Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Formal Opening of New Armory New Year's Eve

The Register-Leader, December 23, 1915

Charity Ball Will Mark the Opening of Fine New Structure in This City.

The new armory building of Company B, of the Seventh Regiment, O.N.G., will formally open to the public on New Year's Eve, the opening being marked by the Charity Ball which will be held at the armory. Visitors will be shown through the building, and an informal reception will be held.

The new hardwood floor of the main drill hall has just been completed and this completed the construction work of the building.

Now that the armory is completed, it will take a prominent place in the life of the city, for in addition to being devoted to the use of Company B, the G.A.R. and W.R.C. will meet in the armory, and social and athletic affairs will also be held there.

 

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Everything is Ready for Big Public Celebration of Xmas

The Register-Leader, December 24, 1915

Marietta will observe its third annual Municipal Christmas Tree Celebration, Christmas afternoon, the program beginning at four o'clock. The Christmas tree, which was placed in its position of honor on the court house lawn a few days ago, will be lighted for the first time tonight, and the tree will be lighted Christmas afternoon at the opening of the program of Christmas songs.

The Marietta band will meet at its hall and will march to the court house steps, where it will give a short concert. As the opening hymn is sung, the lights will be switched on.

The singing will be led by Prof. James Bird, instructor of music in the public schools and the Marietta band. The hundreds of school children in the schools of the city have been practicing the songs for some time, and the six hymns will be sung by a chorus of several hundred voices.

A number of traffic officers will be stationed at the court house corner during the sing, and the traffic in that section will be stopped during the program.

The opening song will be, "O Come, All Ye Faithful," and this will be followed by "The Nativity," (O Little Town of Bethlehem), "Silent Night," "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear," "O Tannenbaum," (in German) and "Joy to the World." The program will be concluded by a selection by the band.

Supper For Kiddies

Following the program a supper will be served to more than two hundred children in the court house assembly room. The room is being tastefully decorated for the occasion, and an excellent menu will be served. A large Christmas tree will be placed in the room, and at the close of the supper, small gifts will be distributed among the children by Santa Claus himself.

Ask Loan of Automobiles

A request was made this morning by Ensign Wilson of the Salvation Army for the loan of several automobiles on Christmas morning to assist in the distribution of baskets of food and clothing which will be distributed under the joint Christmas committee. Those who are willing to donate the use of their cars and their own services as drivers are asked to notify Mr. Wilson today, or be at the Salvation Army barracks Christmas morning.

 

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Stunts of Albert Ritchie

The Marietta Daily Times, November 28, 1930

Come to Marietta Thursday

The people of Washington County and all surrounding communities are invited to come to Marietta Thursday, December 4, at which time there will be presented on the streets in the business section of town, some of the greatest free attractions ever before offered in this part of the state. Albert Ritchie of Wheeling, world's superman, will demonstrate his amazing strength for the entertainment and bewilderment of the thousands of visitors expected to be here.

This giant of physical stamina will place a rope around his neck, attach it to a string of ten trucks loaded with 200 pretty girls, and pull them over some of the business streets. This will occur at the noon hour starting at Front and Greene streets.

Later in the day he will place a long bar on the back of his neck and allow 16 men to suspend their weight from it. At another period he will dance with a dozen or more young women standing on a large plank resting against his head and shoulders. Another feature of Ritchie's program will be a tug-o-war with 50 men, which will be staged on the streets Thursday.

Ritchie has demonstrated his skill and endurance to the entire satisfaction of Marietta's business and professional men during the past three weeks and there is no doubt that he can do all the things he sets claim to. He bends large pieces of iron pipe on his neck and straightens them by vicious blows on his abdomen. With his bare hand he can drive a spike through a one-inch plank and extract the spike with his teeth. Planks of most any size are splintered into kindling wood when Ritchie strikes himself across the head with them.

In connection with this event, Marietta merchants are offering special inducements, which will make the day not only pleasant but profitable for all who come to the city on Thursday. Don't fail to come. You will regret it if you miss the free show to be given by Albert Ritchie, the world's superman.

Time of Public Appearances: 10, 12, 1:30, 5 and 7 P.M.

Thousands on Streets for Stunts
The Marietta Daily Times, December 4, 1930

Nearly 300 girls, young men and children had a novel ride through the streets of Marietta Thursday when Albert Ritchie pulled by his neck the load estimated at many tons, and gave his patrons a "buggy ride" from the Hotel Lafayette to the Auditorium.  Thousands of interested spectators watched the show.

Ritchie's unusual feat was part of the free program that Marietta merchants arranged for the large crowds of people who came to the city Thursday morning for the first annual Gala Sales Day sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. The streets were crowded with spectators and incidentally the stores took on a real Christmas shopping aspect that is expected to be beneficial to all concerned.

The free program of events was started promptly at 10 o'clock, just as Ritchie had promised. His first stunt was to throw away money along the streets. Small coins rattled and splashed over the sidewalks in the wake of Ritchie and there was a mad scramble for money.

The free ride started at 12:30 o'clock and ended shortly before 1 p.m.  Nine trucks of the Railway Express Company were used. They were lashed together in a long train. Ritchie lay on his back on a motor truck ahead and a rope around his neck pulled the trailing express trucks.  Girls and boys and even men and women piled on for the ride and the entire route was lined with spectators while hundreds of others walked along just to see that the thing was "on the level."

It was carried through in realistic fashion and after the ride was finished Ritchie took the young women who had made the ride to the matinee performance at the Auditorium where they were his guests.

Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Sheriff Grosvenor

The Marietta Register, January 16, 1873

Ex-Sheriff [Samuel] Grosevnor now lives in the oldest dwelling house in Ohio; we mean that venerable old frame on the Stockade, once the home of General Rufus Putnam, and afterwards, for thirty or forty years, the residence of Judge Nye. It was part of the fort, built in 1790, and is all that is left of that structure. Across the way is the Ohio Company's office, long used by Judge Nye as a law office. It is in good order yet.