The Marietta Leader, August 30, 1890
To the Marietta Leader:
The size and location of the "Stockade" built by the Ohio Company at Marietta and called by them "Campus Martius" is thus defined by Dudley S. Nye, Esq., in presenting the Woman's Centennial Association with a section of one of the picketts which were placed around the fort for its greater protection during the Indian War.
Mr. Nye writes, "The 'Butt' or piece of wood now in possession of your Society presented by me for preservation through you, is the butt or lower end of one of the picketts in the outer wall, or protection around the 'Stockade' or 'Campus Martius', (so called by the Ohio Company), situated between Second and Front, and Washington and St. Clair streets in Marietta, Ohio.
The 'Stockade' or Fort was about 200 feet square. Outside of Corner Block Houses (and settlers houses between), there was around all a row of 'picketts,' made of trunks of trees set in the ground, close together, upright, and about 12 to 14 feet high and from 12 to 15 feet from the buildings.
When Washington Street was being widened and graded, or the wagon way widened by digging down the hill, 1843-44, I saw distinctly in the face of the cut the line of the picketts, the butts of which had been left in the ground (when cut down at the close of the Indian War) all so decayed that they would not hold together, except this butt which I took from the earth nearly opposite the Ohio Company's Land Office (on the opposite side of the street, owned and occupied by my father, Arius Nye, as a Law Office) and near the middle of the Southeast front of the Stockade. The butt has been in my possession ever since."
Mr. Nye lived from childhood to manhood in the General Rufus Putnam house, corner of Second and Washington streets, owned by his father. He is perfectly familiar with all the ancient landmarks of Campus Martius, now nearly all obliterated, and is probably the only person in Marietta who can define them from personal observation.
A.
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