The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1888-08-23
ANTIQUITIES OF MARIETTA.
Some Interesting Facts About the Ear
ly Settlers.

udH CeHluiy anu ocSIHe SilSHIly
to age and from its honorable ma
turity to assume staid and metro
politan airs, it is always subject
Of more or less interest to know
who were the pioneers of the place
in the leading vocations and pro-
fessions that in no small measure
form the basis of our civilization
and also, what measure of men"
they were, &c. Little as we are of
ten disposed to give them credit we
may safely say that the pioneers COM
pose the best elements of country.
They are men of pluck, nerve and
will power. and with thews and sim
ews to make those qualities availa-
BILE. 1t can be safely asserted that
no town in Georgia Cor out OF IT'D
was ever settled, take 1t upon the
whole, by nobler class Of men.
There never was public execution
in the county until the place had
become-in this fast age-compara-
lively old. One recollection is that
it was about thirty years from the
organization of the county before
that extreme measure was resorted
to-
Beginning with the professions,
the first physician of Marietta was
DIR. King. He lived in the town
until his death, which occurred in
the beginning of the forties. He
died of yellow fever contracted in
Augusta, though the disease was
not developed until after his arrival
home. DIR. Chester was, perhaps,
, the second. DR.. Geo. Maddox was
: also among the early physicians of
) the place, as was also DIR. Tennent,
+ father of DR.. Gilbert Tennent.
The first lawyer was Joseph Gault ;
0 IN fact we are not sure but that he
e preceded the town. Our earliest
a recollection of him is when he lived
: in a very primitive log house (the
) railroad embankment now covers
the Site near the gate IN FROM of
the famous Mcleod residence. We
were then in company with the
most noted juvenile, perhaps, that
Marietta could boast of-"Joe
Mills who afterward became an
important citizen and something Of
leading character of the Gate
City. After the war he turned re-
publican, got showed under and left
the state.
Joseph Gault was one of the pecu
liar and noted men of Cobb. 1t
would take a small volume to do
his memory justice. In his palmiest
days, next to Judge Underwood, he
was the most mirth provoking man
known to history, or at least since
the days Of Johnny Ballentyne. He
was man of generous impulse and
would often volunteer his profess
sional services to defend the weak
against the strong. He lived to
great age and died few years since.
The first Methodist sermon was
delivered by Windsor Graham, the
first Presbyterian by Hamden G.
Carter, and the first Baptist sermon
was preache by Moses Denmon, all
of whom used the little log court
house heretofore described. In fact
all the uses we ever heard of that
house being put to, were beneficent,
hardly excepting the carriage ex-
position" that has been adverted
to. We may have occasion to give
that useful building more promi-
nence if these early memories are
continued.
Geo. d. Anderson and Geo. D.
Rice were the most eminent mem
bers OF the Marietta Bar of that day
and, perhaps, of any other day.
The former was the most popular
and best beloved judge that ever
presided over the Blue Ridge cir
cult. He dropped dead of heart
disease while presiding at coutt in
an auJ OlHlng cOunty-CaSS county,
we think, now Barlow. He died,
comparatively a young man, nearly
fifty years ago. His father was a
noted man, and his son, the Rev.
Wm.s d. Anderson, is one of the
most impressive speakers Of the
North Georgia conference; grand
man of a grand family.
I Judge George D. Rice, like presi-
dent Andrew Johnson, got his edu-
cation after he was married. By
| perseverance and hard study he
arose from poverty and obscurity to
! the head of his profession. He was
! a superior man and an honor to his
E county and State He lived, in his
early struggles, in little cabin in
;, rear Of the Kennesaw Mills and to-
, ward Kennesaw mountain, not q
~,