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Marietta, Georgia

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Marietta, Georgia, USA
City
Cobb County courthouse in Marietta
Cobb County courthouse in Marietta
Location in Cobb County and the state of Georgia
Location in Cobb County and the state of Georgia
CountryUnited States
StateGeorgia
CountyCobb
Government
 • MayorWilliam B. Dunaway
Area
 • Total
21.9 sq mi (22 km2)
 • Land21.9 sq mi (21.9 km2)
 • Water0.1 sq mi (0.1 km2)
Elevation
1,129 ft (344 m)
Population
 (2000)
 • Total
58,478
 • Density2,684.1/sq mi (1,036.2/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
30000-30099
Area code(s)770,678
FIPS code13-49756Template:GR
GNIS feature ID0317694Template:GR
Websitewww.mariettaga.gov
Historic Downtown Marietta

Marietta is a city located in central Cobb County, Georgia,Template:GR and is its county seat.

As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 58,748, making it one of metro Atlanta's largest suburbs. Census estimates of 2005 indicate a population of 61,261. Marietta is the third-largest of three principal cities (by population) of and is included in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Georgia metropolitan statistical area, which is included in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Gainesville, Georgia-Alabama (part) combined statistical area.

In 2008, the mayor of Marietta was Bill Dunaway.

Geography

Marietta is located at 33°57′12″N 84°32′26″W / 33.95333°N 84.54056°W / 33.95333; -84.54056Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (33.953353, -84.540614).Template:GR

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22.0 square miles (56.9 km²), of which, 21.9 square miles (56.7 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.27%) is water.

History

Homes had been built by early settlers near the Cherokee town of Kennesaw by 1824.[1]

In 1837 the Georgia Gazetteer reported that the city of Marietta was named for the wife of US Senator and Supreme Court Judge, Thomas Willis Cobb, for whom the county was named. The first plat was laid out in 1833. Like most towns, Marietta had a square in the center with a small courthouse. The Georgia legislature legally recognized the town on December 19, 1834.[1]

Marietta was selected as the home base for the new Western and Atlantic Railroad. Business boomed.[1]

Built in 1838 Oakton[2] is the oldest continuously occupied residence in Marietta. The original barn, milk house, smoke house, and well house remain on the property. The spectacular gardens contain the boxwood parterre from the 1870s. Oakton served as Major General Loring's headquarters during the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain in 1864. [3]

By 1838 roadbed and trestles had been built north of the city. In 1840, political wrangling stopped construction for a time. In 1842, new mangagement decided to use the area that would become Atlanta. In 1850, the railroad began operation. This was another boost to industry.[1]

John Glover arrived in 1848. He was a businessman and politician. The town elected him mayor when they incorporated in 1852.[1]

Dr. Carey Cox promoted a "water cure," which developed into a spa which attracted patients to the area. The Cobb County Medical Society recognizes him as the first physician.[1]

The Georgia Military Institute was built in 1851.[1]

During the 1850s fire destroyed much of the city on three occasions.[1]

The first bank opened in 1855.[1]

Civil War

By the time the Civil War began in 1861, Marietta had recovered from the fires.[1]

In April of 1862, James Andrews, a civilian working with Union soldiers came down to Marietta dressed in civilian clothing and spent the night in the Fletcher House hotel(later known as the Kennesaw House and now the home of the Marietta Museum of History) located right in front of the railroad tracks. James Andrews' and his men known as the Andrews' Raiders had great plans to end the Civil War early. The Andrews Raiders got aboard the waiting train on the morning of April 12th, 1862 with the rest of the passengers. When the train stopped in the town of Big Shanty, now known as Kennesaw, for the passengers to have breakfast, Andrews and the Raiders got back on the train and stole the engine and the car behind it which carried the fuel. The train called The General and Andrews Raiders had begun the episode now known as the Great Locomotive Chase.[1]

General William Tecumseh Sherman invaded the town during the summer of 1864. In November 1864, General Hugh Kilpatrick set the town ablaze, the first strike in Sherman's March to the Sea.[1]

One of the few houses left standing, the Marietta Hotel, was later burned by the town residents who found out the owner of the building had been Yankee Spy during the Civil War.[citation needed]

In 1915, Leo Frank was taken from his prison here and lynched.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 58,748 people, 23,895 households, and 13,022 families residing in the city.Template:GR The population density was 2,684.1 people per square mile (1,036.2/km²). There were 25,227 housing units at an average density of 1,152.6/sq mi (445.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 56.49% White, 33.50% African American, 0.32% Native American, 2.97% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 7.99% from other races, and 2.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 16.93% of the population.

There were 23,895 households out of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.4% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.5% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the city the population was spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 14.1% from 18 to 24, 39.4% from 25 to 44, 15.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 101.3 males. For every 101 females age 18 and over, there were 100.3 males.

Economy

Personal income

The median income for a household in the city was $40,645, and the median income for a family was $47,340. Males had a median income of $31,186 versus $30,027 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,409. About 11.5% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.3% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.

Industry

Dobbins Air Reserve Base on the south side of town and a Lockheed-Martin manufacturing plant are among the major industries in the city.

Infrastructure

The city operates Marietta Power under the auspices of the Board of Lights & Water (BLW). The BLW is also party to the Cobb-Marietta Water Authority. The city formerly operated Marietta FiberNet, a fiber optic network, but sold the network to American Fiber Systems for a substantial financial loss.[4]

Education

The schools are operated by the Marietta City School District. The district is one of the smallest in Metro Atlanta, operating only one high school, Marietta High School, one middle school, Marietta Middle School, and several elementary schools. There is also a Sixth Grade Academy. The Cobb County School District services students outside of the Marietta city limits in Cobb County.

Southern Polytechnic State University (SPSU), Chattahoochee Technical College, and Life University are located in Marietta, serving over 20,000 students in more than 90 programs of study.

Culture

Downtown Marietta features Glover Park, the historic town square and former location of the county courthouse. The Square is the site of several cultural productions and public events. Incorporated in 1982, Theatre in the Square is a year-round professional theatre, producing a five-show subscription season as well as summer and holiday shows. The Strand Theatre is currently being renovated back to its original design and will open to feature classical films. The Marietta Gone with the Wind Museum, also called "Scarlett On the Square", houses a collection of memorabilia related to both the book and the film.

The city has a landmark on US 41, the Big Chicken.

Wine tasting is hosted regularly.

The CSX freight trains between Atlanta and Chattanooga (Western & Atlantic Subdivision) still run a block west of the town square, past the train depot (now the Visitor Center) and the Kennesaw House, one of only four buildings in Marietta not burned to the ground in Sherman's March to the Sea. The Kennesaw House is home to the Marietta Museum of History[5] which tells the history of Marietta and Cobb County.

Famous Mariettans

Sister cities

Marietta has two sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI):[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l History of Marietta retrieved April 24, 2008
  2. ^ Oakton House
  3. ^ History of Oakton retrieved May 1, 2008
  4. ^ Hu, Jim (2005-05-02). "Tangled up in fiber". Political Connections. CNET Networks, Inc. Retrieved 2008-04-18.
  5. ^ [www.mariettahistory.org]
  6. ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1370146/
  7. ^ [http://www.prickmag.net/hankyoungfeature.html Prick magazine} retrieved July 14, 2008
  8. ^ "Online Directory: Georgia, USA". Sister Cities International. Retrieved 2008-04-24.

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