Cross Burned at Macksburg

The Register-Leader, March 13, 1923

Ku Klux Klan activities have spread to Macksburg village according to advices reaching Marietta Tuesday morning. The fiery cross, symbolic of the hooded order, was burned from a hill overlooking Macksburg Monday night, about eleven o'clock.

The fiery spectacle of the cross was preceded by three loud explosions. This is the second time that the cross has been burned in Macksburg.

Baskets of Food Will Be Given Needy

The Marietta Daily Times, December 23, 1933

Christmas Cheer Will Be Brought Many Homes in County

Christmas cheer will be brought to many poor families in Marietta through the distribution of Christmas baskets, each with food enough for a bounteous Christmas dinner. The fraternal organizations of the city, each with its list of private charity cases in the confines of the lodges, are doing their work in distributing food and relief where it is needed.

The Salvation Army, general medium for the distribution for the poor and needy families of the city is arranging to send out 100 baskets that are needed. Although contributions this year are far below the cost of furnishing the 100 baskets, Captain Garland has carried through his original plans confident that generous citizens will come to the rescue and make up the deficit in expense. Today, Saturday, marks the last opportunity Mariettans will have to contribute to the Salvation Army Christmas fund.

The 117 children at the Washington County Children's Home will enjoy a chicken dinner at noon on Christmas Day, and there will be all the good things that make a Christmas dinner. The Santa Claus of the home will make the distribution of Christmas gifts to all the children on Christmas morning, when he will hand down the presents from a large Christmas tree in the dining room. The Christmas dinner table will be decorated with greenery and small lighted trees. The children presented their annual Christmas program at the First Methodist Church on Friday evening before a capacity audience. The program was much enjoyed.

The Woman's Welfare League assisted by the Boy Scouts will fill the baskets in the Salvation Army building this evening and deliver them Sunday afternoon in time for the holiday. 

The Times-Auditorium benefit show on Saturday morning brought in a splendid collection of canned goods and provisions which will prove of great assistance in supplying bountiful Christmas dinners.

The Salvation Army is offering an attractive Christmas season schedule. Sunday morning the program will include special singing and a sermon on "The Gift of the Ages." A pageant will be given Sunday evening at a Christmas Candlelight Service. Mariettans are given a cordial invitation to attend these special programs.

Superintendent and Mrs. L. A. Hall of Washington County Infirmary have arranged for a Belgian hare dinner for the inmates of the home on Monday, and there will be all the trimmings. There are 90 men and women in the county home family, all able to enjoy the dinner. There will be a boiled beef dinner on Sunday on account of the double holiday. One of the classes of the First Baptist Church will present a program at the home at 2 p.m. on Sunday, and there will be distribution of a Christmas treat.

American Legion Auxiliary of Marietta Post No. 64, according to its annual custom of looking after Christmas cheer among World War veterans in Marietta and Washington County will send out a quota of Christmas baskets for families of needy veterans.

Girls Club Name May Be Changed

The Marietta Register, October 7, 1924

Change in name of the Girls Monday Club to the Betsey Gates Mills Club for Girls is proposed in an amendment to the constitution of the organization as drawn up Monday afternoon at the regular monthly meeting of the Women's Board. Action on this amendment will be taken at the next regular meeting of the board to be held the first Monday in November.

Last spring a delegate from the Girls Board consulted Mr. W. W. Mills relative to a new name for the club and since then the matter has been under consideration. Definite action was not taken until the meeting of the Women's board yesterday afternoon.

The club was founded by the late Mrs. W. W. Mills in 1911 at the First Congregational Church and until 1916, their meetings every Monday evening were held at the church. As activities and membership became greater, it was evident that a change in meeting place was to be found. Mrs. Mills purchased the present club house from the church and presented it to the club as a gift. Mrs. Mills was active president of the club from its founding in 1911 until her death in April 1929. She had taken much interest in its welfare and saw its growth until it was a leading organization in Marietta.

Since 1920, Mrs. George Alexander has served efficiently as president of the club.

It is probable that the name will be changed at the next meeting of the Women's Board, on Monday afternoon, November 3. One of the principle reasons for the change officials stated is that the present name gives the impression that the club meets only every Monday and it was on that day only that events were carried on at the club. Due to the rapid growth of the club membership and its activities, classes and other affairs are scheduled for every evening.

Klan Members Stage Parade

 The Marietta Register, October 20, 1924

[The following article contains information regarding discriminatory practices of the past.]

More than 800 Knights of the Ku Klux Klan garbed in the white robes of the order participated in the parade and open air meeting held in Marietta Saturday night.

The parade formed at Camp Tupper and headed by a local band marched down Third Street to Putnam, down Putnam to Second, down Second to Greene, turned right to Front and proceeded up Front Street to the Muskingum Park where the evening program was held.

Rev. F. E. Wilson, northern Ohio minister, in the main address of the evening, outlined the principles of the Klan organization while a fiery cross erected on the river bank at the foot of Lancaster Street blazed forth, casting its reddish hue over the large crowd that stood at the speaker's platform.

Historic Spots Marked

The Marietta Times, December 17, 1891

Marietta, O., Nov. 20, 1891.

To the New Century Historical Society:

Your committee appointed at a recent meeting of the Society to mark historical spots in and around Marietta, in attempting to discharge this duty, have found themselves surrounded with difficulties innumerable and in this report, which is respectfully submitted, they but offer the results of broken history in support of their conclusions.

The Well at Fort Harmar, which for years has been disappearing in consequence of the crumbling of the riverbank and the innovations of man, after diligent search was identified and unmistakable marked by being covered at its mouth by an immense mill stone. Note - This is the stone spoken of as follows in Delafield's Washington County History in 1831, page 28: "In making a pair of mill stones out of a block from a quarry in Salem Township, there were discovered the marks of some ancient working of the same stone, and on penetrating to the depth of a few inches, there was an iron wedge discovered, firmly imbedded in the rock. The stone with this wedge in it is now the upper mill stone in Mr. Merriam's mill in Salem Township." Mr. M. in after years removed his mill to the Muskingum near mouth of Bear Creek, and this stone in 1887 was taken from the river by Capt. Sayre, Sidney Ridgeway and G. M. Woodbridge.

The place of the Landing of the Pioneers, April 7, 1788, (to one of your committee pointed out by one of that number, Amos Porter, many years since) was as nearly marked as possible, and the marking was as follows:

An iron rod once inch in diameter and three feet eight inches in length was driven even with the surface of the ground, near the mouth of Monroe Street, on the bank of the Muskingum River, on the lower side of the gully, 71 feet from the southwest corner of the Dudley Devol house, which point is 10 degrees E of N from the iron rod. From the iron rod to the upper corner of the Nye Foundry, 122 feet 4 inches in southeast direction. The iron rod was placed 33 feet 2 inches in a direct line to the outer curb of pavement 20 degrees northeast.

Picketed Point - Marked as follows: An iron rod, three feet eight inches long, driven even with the surface of the ground at the southwest corner, near the confluence of the rivers. This rod placed near the center of the road now traveled, 122 feet 4 inches, 15 degrees W of N from lower corner of office of Nye Foundry.

The southeast corner, marked by iron rod drive in landing 58 feet from the west corner of the Flat Iron Corner store house built and formerly owned by Dudley Woodbridge (near Boiler Corner); direction from rod 15 degrees west of north.

The northeast corner, marked as other corners, in back of the Ebinger building, now occupied by Mr. Sulzbacher, 90 feet from the east line of Front Street, 12 feet 6 inches from the northeast corner of building, 106 feet from the south line of Butler Street.

The northwest corner, marked by iron rod placed near Muskingum River bank 106 feet south of south line of Butler, 36 feet west of building.

For a more full account of the subject matter treated in this report, inquiring minds are referred to the invaluable work of Dr. S. P. Hildreth, entitled Pioneer History, published in 1848.

Your committee would respectfully ask further time for investigation, and to be allowed in the future to report upon other points of interest.

Committee:

George M. Woodbridge

William H. Leeper

J. D. Cadwallader

Ancient Relics

The Marietta Weekly Leader, January 22, 1884

A grand pageant of three hundred French and Indians commanded by De Celeron, sent out by the Governor of Canada in 1749, crossed Lake Erie and Chautauqua and down the Allegheny and Ohio rivers in the interest of the French government, depositing at the mouth of the principal tributaries of the Ohio leaden plates with the object of their mission inscribed thereon.

Among those found at the mouth of the Muskingum were masonic emblems, consisting of square and compasses, level, plumb and cross with stars enclosed in a circle at the intersection, with an inscription in French engraved upon them. These emblems were in the possession of the late Louis Soyez, a Frenchman, who was mayor of Marietta for several years. A person now living remembers distinctly Mr. Soyez exhibiting them at his store on Ohio Street about 40 years ago to a party of gentlemen consisting of Stephen Hildreth, Lewis Anderson, Timothy Buell, Silas Cook, Benjamin Soule, John Cunningham and others, who after relating the circumstances named above, said that they were dug up by workmen in making a landing at Marietta.

If found, they would be interesting relics in a masonic point of view, as well as in connection with the history of our city. They would attract much attention at the centennial celebration in 1888. 

Who will say eureka?

G. T. H.