Marietta Georgia : Where “Visitors” Turn Into “Locals”
Just a stone’s throw from both the bustling city streets of Atlanta and the quiet serenity of the North Georgia mountains , there exists a city that seamlessly merges the charms and character of both extremes. Recently honored with an ”All American City Award,” Marietta offers what few places can still deliver–the sought-after environment where “getting business done” and “getting away from it all” can both be realized. Marietta prides itself on a highly walkable downtown square, where both locals and visitors gather to appreciate the vibrant boutiques, restaurants, coffeehouses, farmers markets, museums, and theaters the city affords. Indeed, it’s not uncommon for first-time visitors to quickly aspire to the coveted “local-status” once they’ve experienced for themselves Marietta’s combination of small-town hospitality and big-city diversions.
Of Railroads, Wars, and Senators’ Wives: A City’s True Southern Story
To put it mildly, Marietta has enjoyed an intriguing history. The Georgia legislature deemed Marietta an official town in 1834, and its name was lovingly derived from Senator Thomas Cobb’s wife Mary. (This is also the same “Cobb” for which Marietta is still the county seat.) Like many cities between Atlanta and Chattanooga, Marietta’s beginnings can be traced back to laying down the tracks of the Western and Atlantic Railroad. Businesses sprang up accordingly around the railroad, as did hotels, a bank, and the stately, historic mansions that still line Marietta’s streets.
The city’s prosperity, however, was temporarily ”interrupted” in 1864 by General Willam T. Sherman’s “March to the Sea,” in which Union soldiers set the city ablaze and destroyed the courthouse and businesses around the square. Industry slowly began to regenerate itself after the Civil War, but as a true testament to the adage “that which destroys” also “nourishes,” it was ironically not until another war loomed that Marietta was able to predict its greatest strides toward re-growth. World War II necessitated that the Bell Aircraft Company construct a bomber plant there to keep up with wartime demands. Eager workers flocked into Marietta from the surrounding areas to take advantage of the new jobs that Bell provided. It wasn’t long after that war ended that the Korean War began, and the Lockheed-Georgia company took over the former Bell facility. Lockheed consequently became the state’s largest employer in the 1950′s and 1960′s. Further, the revitalization of downtown district was sparked by the 1970′s creation of the Downtown Development Authority, who encouraged the local merchants to restore the square back to its former glory that we enjoy today.
A Place to “Stay”: Marietta Welcomes You for the Night or For a Lifetime
Whether you’re nestling in for a weekend sojourn at one of Marietta’s bed-and-breakfasts or its Four Diamond-rated Hilton conference center, or perhaps looking to dig more permanent roots by purchasing your own piece of Marietta Real Estate, you will discover on both counts that city extends a warm welcome to you. A visit to the Marietta Welcome Center and Visitors Bureau, located in the Western and Atlantic Passenger Depot building, provides a wealth of information to visitors and residents about the historic and cultural gems in the area. To get further acquainted with the city, you also have the choice to go either on foot with a mapped-out walking tour, ride on a horse-drawn carriage, or partake in one of the regularly scheduled Historic Marietta Trolley Tours. And with such on-going events as the Glover Park concert-series, First Friday Art Walks, and the “Taste of Marietta,” anyone wishing to immerse himself in Marietta culture is presented with plenty of opportunities. Whatever business or pleasure brings you to the city, however, one truth remains certain: for the night or for a lifetime, Marietta is great place to stay.
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