Following years of state budget cuts, Ohio Historical Society programs and activities that serve educators, students, families and other Ohioans are once again threatened by state cutbacks. The Governor’s most recent version of the two-year state budget that begins July 1 would reduce the state’s investment in your state historical society to the lowest level since 1986! We want you to be aware of what this could mean to preserving and promoting Ohio’s history. With just days left until the beginning of the next fiscal year, the Ohio Historical Society is highlighting each day one important program, activity or historic site jeopardized by the current state budget crisis.
Day 7: Campus Martius & Ohio River Museums
From Ohio’s First Settlement to the Golden Age of Riverboats, Marietta Has it All
Situated at the confluence of the Ohio and Muskingum rivers, Marietta was the ideal location for settling the Ohio Valley. In 1788, pioneers of the Ohio Company, led by Gen. Rufus Putnam, made Marietta the first permanent settlement in the Northwest Territory. The rest, shall we say, was history!
Today, visitors to Marietta can discover the rich heritage of this riverboat town at two Ohio Historical Society sites ─ Campus Martius and Ohio River museums.
Campus Martius
The museum features the restored home of Gen. Rufus Putnam. Part of the original fort, Campus Martius, it was built in 1788 and today is the oldest house in Ohio. Behind the museum is the Ohio Company’s Land Office.
Exhibits focus on the early settlement of Marietta and Ohio and contain many of the original pioneer artifacts. Other areas explored include: the Native American populations that occupied this area and the relations with the white settlers; surveying of the land; government in the old Northwest Territory; and life in early Marietta. A separate exhibit showcases modern Marietta down through the years.
Ohio River Museum
Because of Marietta’s location on two major navigable rivers, the town grew quickly. Boat building was one of the early industries. Commerce thrived with ships, barges and flatboats moving down the Ohio River to the Mississippi River and then to New Orleans and to ports in the East.The city is proud of its riverboat heritage and at the Ohio River Museum visitors can discover the heyday of steamboats, and learn more about the ecology of the Ohio River system.
The museum consists of six major elements: the 1918 steam towboat, W. P. SNYDER JR., a National Historic Landmark; a replica flatboat; the TELL CITY pilothouse; a replica of a flatboat; a collection of small watercraft; and the museum and its exhibits of river history.
Come on Down!
More than 15,000 visitors a year come to Campus Martius and Ohio River museums. Adults and youth alike can learn about the exciting history of Ohio’s first settlement. Both museums offer a variety of programs like historical lectures, summer camps and special days that teach the history of the area in a fun interactive way.
Campus Martius Museum is at the corner of Washington Street (State Route 7) and Second Street. The Ohio River Museum is block away at the intersection of Front and St. Clair streets. Plan to visit both museums while you’re in Marietta!
Ohio History Matters!
Help keep these museums open to the public by contacting your legislators today! Let us show you how.
Tomorrow: Find out about the Ohio Historical Society’s Local History Office. It works with 800 historical organizations in communities around the state plus coordinates the long-running Ohio Historical Marker program.
Filed under: HistoryMatters Tagged: | historic sites, HistoryMatters
I enjoyed my visits to the museum when I worked on the Delta Queen Steamboat and while traveling on the Ohio in my own boat. It is a gem that I hope will continue to be in operation.