History
In 1776 Congress appropriated lands to army officers and soldiers. In 1783, 285 Continental Army officers presented the Newburgh Petition to Congress. This petition asked for lands in the area that is now Ohio's eastern half. Putnam and Gen. Benjamin Tupper started the Ohio Company, which met in Boston on March 1, 1786. There they decided to raise funds through continental certificates to buy the territory's western lands and to found a settlement. Putnam and Tupper authorized Cutler, one of the company directors, to purchase land on their behalf.
Northwest Territory Governor Gen. Arthur St. Clair established Washington County on July 26, 1788. His proclamation resulted mainly from the efforts of Gen. Rufus Putnam and the Rev. Manasseh Cutler. They orchestrated the formation of the Ohio Company and the Continental Congress' passage of the Ordinance of 1787. Putnam led the 47-person colony that landed in Marietta. They formed the first organized English settlement in the Northwest Territory.
When Ohio became a state in 1803, Washington County already had a small but committed group of abolitionists. Stretches of the Ohio River near Marietta and the Muskingum River were principal escape routes for fugitive slaves crossing the Ohio River from Virginia. To date, 16 Underground Railroad stations in Washington County have been documented.
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Business Opportunities
Business Growth and Potential
Washington County is conveniently situated at the center of a 500-mile area that contains the majority of the U.S. population. Two of the nation's most important highway systems run through Washington County: north-south I-77, and the soon to be completed east-west Appalachian Highway. The landscape is also dominated by two important waterways: the Ohio River, a main transportation route for the nation's commerce, and the Muskingum River, renowned for its scenic beauty and tourism opportunities.
Major Employers
Chevron Phillips Chemical Co.
Eramet Marietta
Haessly Hardwoods
Kraton Polymers
Marietta City Board of Education
Marietta College
Marietta Memorial Hospital
NOVA Chemical
RJF International Inc.
Solvay Advanced Polymers
Thermo Fisher Scientific
Wal-Mart Stores
Warren Local Board of Education
Washington State Community College
Business Support Organizations
Marietta Area Chamber of Commerce
316 Third Street
Marietta OH 45750
(740) 373-5176
Belpre Area Chamber of Commerce
713 Park Drive
Belpre OH 45714
(740) 423-8934
Muskingum Valley Area Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 837
Beverly OH 45715
(740) 984-8259
Southeastern Ohio Port Authority
200 Putnam Street, Suite 504
Marietta OH 45750
(740)373-3233
www.pioneerspirit.us
Buckeye Hills - Hocking Valley Regional Development District
Route 1, Box 299 D
Marietta OH 45750
(740) 374-9436
Educational Opportunities
Marietta Bible College
Muskingum Drive
(740) 373-5556
Marietta College
215 Fifth St.
(740) 376-4643
Washington State Community College
710 Colegate Drive
740) 374-8716
Washington County Career Center
Administrative Offices
Route 2
(740) 373-2766
Tourism and Lifestyle The presence of the Ohio River creates a special ambience in the Washington County, and many events are geared to celebrate its historical and contemporary significance. Every year, on the weekend after Labor Day, thousands of people turn out for the Ohio River Sternwheel Festival in Marietta, home of the American Sternwheel Association. Another crowd-pleasing event is Riverfront Roar, a riverboat race conducted by the ARP/Powerboat Superleague.
Attractions and Points of Interest
Campus Martius Museum
601 Second Street, Marietta
(740) 373-3750 or 1-800-860-0145
Cmmoriv@ohiohistory.org
http://www.ohiohistory.org/places/campus/
The Castle
418 Fourth Street, Marietta
(740) 373-4180
Castle@marietta.edu
Children's Toy and Doll Museum
206 Gilman Street in Marietta's Historic Harmar Village
(740) 373-1168 or (740) 373-0799
Farmers' Castle Museum and Education Center
509 Ridge Street, Belpre
(740) 423-7632 or (740) 423-7367
Fenton Art Glass Co. Museum
420 Caroline Avenue, Williamstown, WV
(304) 375-7772 or 800-319-7793
info@fenton-glass.com
Henderson Hall
Henderson Farms, Route 2 Box 103, Williamstown, WV 26107
(304) 375-2129
Marietta Soda Museum
118 Maple Street in Marietta's Historic Harmar Village
(740) 376-COKE
Ohio River Museum & W.P. Snyder Jr.
601 Front Street, Marietta
(740) 373-3750 or 800-860-0145
Cmmoriv@mcnet.marietta.edu
Oliver Tucker Museum/Log House
State Route 60, Beverly, OH
(740) 984-4250
Railroad Display and Caboose Mini-Museum
Depot Street Park, Belpre
(740) 423-8767
Strait Run School
Box 112, Lowell
(740) 846-2838
Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park
Point Park, departure site for sternwheeler rides to
Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park
(304) 420-4800 or 1-800-CALL WVA
Blennerhassett Museum
137 Juliana St., Parkersburg, WV 26101
(304) 420-4800
Visitor Information
Convention & Visitors Bureaus:
Marietta / Washington County Convention & Visitors Bureau
121 Putnam Street, Suite 110
Marietta OH 45750
(740) 373-5178 or (800) 288-2577
info@mariettaohio.org
Airports
Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport, located about six miles from Parkersburg, West Virginia, serves the Washington County, Ohio, area. The airport has more than one runway. The longest is a paved runway extending 6781 feet.
Tours
The Marietta/Belpre area is imbued with the history of the Underground Railroad along the Ohio River Mason-Dixon Line. There are six sites on the Underground Railroad Tour that visitors can access, either on their own or with a guide. The visitors bureau (800-288-2577) can arrange for school field trips, lectures and group tours. Interested parties may also contact local history expert Henry Robert Burke (email: burkeh@charter.com, phone (740) 374-0893).
Hospitals
Marietta Memorial Hospital
401 Matthew St.
(740) 374-1400
Selby General Hospital
1106 Colegate Drive
(740) 373-0582
St. Joseph Hospital
1824 Murdoch Avenue
Parkersburg, WV 26101
(304) 424-4111
Camden-Clark Memorial Hospital
800 Garfield Avenue
Parkersburg, WV 26101
(304) 424-2111 |