4/28/10

Mayretta Days, and other amazing things about Marietta, Ga.





I am excited to be a part of the 34th annual May-Retta Daze Festival taking place this weekend 5/1 and 5/2. Located around beautiful Glover Park (pictured above), my booth will be located on Cherokee Street, down the street from the beautiful, refurbished Strand Theater. While there, check out Traci Browning's stunning photography and the feel good and green work of Laura Wellem. You just might find your next masterpiece at Mayretta-Daze!

OTHER THINGS TO CHECK OUT WHILE IN MARIETTA:

This weekend marks the opening of the Marietta Square Farmers Market which takes place on Saturday between 9a-12n. This is your chance to buy locally grown food, and locally produced delicacies, such as organic dog biscuits, lcoal honey, soaps, candles among some things available. While there, make sure you stop by the booth of my brother and sister-in-law (Scott and Glendy) and sample their wonderful Jalopy Jelly , jellies made using jalopenos, mangos and peaches.

Make a day of your visit to historic Marietta. Also near the square is the Gone with the Wind Museum, the Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art or the Marietta Museum of History.

What is "May-retta" you may ask? Apparently this is considered the traditional pronunciation of the city Marietta, which is currently pronounced as Mary-etta. However, I grew up in Marietta, and I rarely heard it pronounced May-retta by natives!

SOME QUICK HISTORICAL FACTS OF MARIETTA\

Marietta is older than Atlanta, with the first plot laid out in 1833.

It is the county seat for Cobb County, named for US Supreme Court Judge Thomas Willis Cobb.

Marietta is named after the wife of Judge Cobb, Mary Cobb.

The town was selected at the base for the Western and Atlantic Railroad.

John Glover arrived in 1948 and was elected mayor, when it was incorporated in 1852. Glover Park is named for him.

During the 1850's, fire destroyed much of the city three times.

The city played a crucial part in the civil war, with the Andrews Raiders boarding The General, which led to the Great Locomotive Chase. Read more here

Sherman invaded Marietta in the summer of 1864, and General Kilpatrick set fire to it in November of 1864, beginning Sherman's March to the Sea.

Leo Frank was lynched at Frey's Gin in 1913 (which was located across the street from my kindergarten), allegedly for the murder of Mary Phagan. This incident led to the founding of the Anti-Defamation League. No one was ever prosecuted for the lynching, but rumors have long hounded Marietta families. Read more of the story here.

As a child, I remember the following things happening in Marietta:

On Halloween, 1963, Atherton Drugs (located on the square) exploded while people were shopping for their costumes. Attributed to a build up gases, 6 people were killed. I remember everybody going downtown and standing silently around the empty shell.

The Big Chicken - built in 1963
need i saw more????


Across the street from The Big Chicken was The Thrift Market, which eventually became K-Mart. I remember going to the grand opening and watching the ribbon cut by Jayne Mansfield.

There are other memories, Parkaire Field Airport, Varner's Drive-in Restaurant, the list goes on and on.

So - come out this weekend and visit historic Marietta, and stop in to see me, Scott & Glendy, Traci and Laura!!!!!

5 comments:

Jacqueline Allison said...

A step back in history -- thanks for sharing!

joel c said...

That's one thing I didn't know about Marrietta.

Vickie said...

WHAT DIDN'T YOU KNOW?

Anonymous said...

The store Jayne Mansfield opened was called Thrift City.

Vickie said...

you are right - i remember now. what i looked up was wrong!