OHIO - When tracing the history of the Buckeye State, the timeline leads to the confluence of the Ohio and Muskingum Rivers. Marietta, established in 1788, holds the distinguished title of the oldest permanent settlement in Ohio and the first organized settlement in the entire Northwest Territory.
The Founding: April 7, 1788
Marietta’s origins represent the first legal expansion of the United States after the Revolution, organized under the Northwest Ordinance of 1787.
- The Ohio Company: A group of Revolutionary War veterans, led by General Rufus Putnam, formed the Ohio Company of Associates to purchase land in the new territory. On April 7, 1788, a group of 48 pioneers (known as the "First Forty-Eight") arrived on a flatboat named the Union Galley (often called the "Mayflower of the West").
- Marie Antoinette: The settlers named the town Marietta in honor of Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France, to recognize her country's critical assistance during the Revolutionary War.
Indigenous Roots
Long before the Revolutionary veterans arrived, the site was a major ceremonial center for the Hopewell and Adena cultures.
- The Earthworks: Marietta is famous for being built directly on top of massive ancient earthworks. Unlike many settlers who destroyed these mounds, the founders of Marietta preserved several of them. The Great Mound (Conus) was incorporated into the Mound Cemetery, where many Revolutionary War officers are buried around its base.
- Historic Tribes: In the 18th century, the region was the hunting ground of the Delaware (Lenape) and Shawnee nations. The arrival of the Marietta settlers marked the beginning of the Northwest Indian War, as indigenous coalitions fought to halt the American advance across the Ohio River.
A Technical Distinction: Schoenbrunn Village
While Marietta is the oldest permanent settlement, it was not the absolute first town built by Europeans in Ohio.
- Schoenbrunn Village (1772): Founded by Moravian missionary David Zeisberger, this was a community for Christian converts from the Delaware tribe. It established the first church and schoolhouse in Ohio.
- The Abandonment: However, the village was abandoned in 1777 due to the pressures of the Revolutionary War and conflicts between British, Americans, and indigenous tribes. Because it was not continuously inhabited (it was reconstructed later as a historical site), Marietta retains the title of the oldest continuous city.
Settlement vs. Incorporation
Marietta holds the priority in settlement, but the race for growth was intense.
- Cincinnati (1788): Founded as "Losantiville" in December 1788, just months after Marietta, Cincinnati grew much faster and became the economic powerhouse of the region.
- Incorporation: Marietta was officially incorporated as a town by the territorial legislature in 1800. It officially became a city in 1852. While other cities like Cincinnati and Chillicothe (the first state capital) grew larger, Marietta remains the "Plymouth Rock" of the Midwest.
Marietta is the oldest permanent city in Ohio, founded on April 7, 1788, by Rufus Putnam and the Ohio Company of Associates. It was the first settlement established under the Northwest Ordinance. The city is unique for preserving the ancient Adena/Hopewell earthworks within its modern layout. While the Moravian mission of Schoenbrunn (1772) was built earlier, it was abandoned, leaving Marietta as the oldest continuous community.
Sources
- Ohio History Connection. "Marietta, Ohio."
- The Marietta Times. "The History of the Pioneer City."
- National Park Service. "Hopewell Culture National Historical Park."
- Historic Schoenbrunn Village. "History."
- Encyclopedia of Ohio. "The Ohio Company of Associates."