History near your Marietta, GA Rental Apartment

While looking for a rental in Marietta, GA, you may not have given much thought to the town’s historical underpinnings.  But it does have a rich history, and if you are a history buff, you may enjoy exploring the town once you get yourself settled.  Here is a quick review of the area’s historical roots.

Early History

The first to occupy the area were the Cherokee people.  These originally nomadic people were here since at least 1000 C.E.  As the colonies got established, they transitioned to a farming existence, taking on more and more of the white people’s customs as the European settlers started to occupy their lands. However, by the 1830’s, gold had been discovered in Georgia.  This, coupled with the desire of the fledgling nation to expand, forced the Cherokee people into relocation in Oklahoma.

Colonial History

Homes were built near the Cherokee town of Big Shanty, now known as Kennesaw, located a few miles northeast of Marietta.  Marietta itself was designed, like many of the towns of its time, with a central square and courthouse, and finally was recognized as a community by the Georgia General Assembly in 1834.  Because of the devastating 1850s fires, very few original buildings are left standing.  The oldest continuously occupied residence in Marietta is Oakton House.  This property with its spectacular gardens served as Major General Loring’s headquarters during the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain.  The original barn, milk house, smoke house, and well house are still standing.

Marietta received a big economic boost when it was selected as the hub of the Western and Atlantic Railroad in the late 1830s.  Though political problems slowed construction and ultimately ended up causing the hub to be moved to Atlanta, Marietta still shared in the benefits.  However, as mentioned earlier, a huge blow to the city came in the 1850s - fire broke out on three separate occasions, destroying most of the city.  The city didn’t recover until about 1861.

Civil War History

During the Civil War, intrigue was intense in Marietta.  The event known as the Great Locomotive Chase started off here.  In 1862, the civilian James Andrews, working with the Union army, seized a train and drove it north to Chattanooga, destroying the railroad behind them as they went.  They wanted to isolate Atlanta from the North and by doing so, bring down the Confederacy.  Things did not go their way though.  Within 2 weeks, they were caught, tried for espionage, and hanged.

If you are interested, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park has a museum where you can enjoy learning more about the military and civilian history of the area.