The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1888-08-30
ANTIQUITIES OF MARIETTA.
How the State Road Came Near Being
Located West of Marietta.

AS the interest attached to any
place centers principally in it's citi-
zens we shall refer to such as our
memory recalls. JAS. Anderson has
been referred to as possibly the
earlist settler, and may also be call
ed the father of Marietta. He was
a man of culture, of war and sym
pathetic heart, and in remarkable
degree, man of sound, practical
sense. To him more than any other
man, the citizens of Marietta are in
debted for the location, and the adj
mirable and faultless plating of the
future Gem City of Georgia and to
his indomitable will and persever-
ance the people owe a convenience
(Which amounts to o treasurer with
out which the place would forever
have been crippled. We refer to
the location OF the State Road. He
caused it to be run where it is at
present He realized with perhaps
less than halt dozen others, not
only the value of transportation to
a town, but the advantage of having
it convenient. There was on the
part of the property holders of that
day a strong feeling against allowing
the road to run through the place,
imagining that the very ruin of the
town would be the consequence. 1t
may be observed that the citizens of
those days knew next to nothing
about railroads and their fears are
not to be wondered at. But James
Anderson, who, by the way was
Marietta's first post master, was re-
solved that this lovely town, the
very pride of his heart, should not
be throttled in its infancy ifhe could
prevent it. So he called meeting
of the citizens and gave them an
earnest talk, but the meeting was
unsatisfactory, in fact a failure.
He appeared to be in a hopeless
minority. In the mean time the
survey was progressing. The chief
engineer, Long, had reached the
town and was awaiting the decision
of the people to proceed with his
work. In this emergency, Anderson
hurriedly called a second meeting
of the citizens, at which chief engin-
eer Long was present and modestly
favored the cause Of the ardent An
derson. Even this meeting was un-
successful, but there was some in
terest aroused on the subject and
this far-seeing man prevailed upon
Long to hold the location of the
road in allegiance until the people
could be allowed brief space for
further reflection on the subject,
and it was not until his third meet
ing, was permission given to allow
the road to come through the town.
But for the perseverance of Mr.. An
derson the w. & A. would have
been located about half mile more
or less, to the west of the public
square.
As we have considered this an
important chapter in the history of
Marietta, we have thought proper
to dwell on it at some length.
1t will be recollected that the
people of Cassville did not favor the
idea of having the railroad located
within their town, and that once
promising place died of atrophy
brought on by not knowing good
thing when it was offered them, or
at least within their reach.
Since there were two Jas. Ander-
sons, highly respected lcitizens, the
one referred to here, was the father
OF Judge Geo. D. and the grand
father Of the Rev. VIM. D. Ander-
son. PIONEER.
A REMARKABLE funeral took
place at Binghamton one day last
week. DR.. Wheaton, an old and
influential citizen, believer in the
dogma Of ''good cheer died, after
having directed that no outward
signs of mourning be assumed at his
funeral. Accordingly the friends
Of the family, when they met at the
appointed hour, were astonished to
find that the widow and daughters
of the deceased attired in the purest
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