Marietta in Washington County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Memorial to the “Start Westward of the United States”
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., May 30, 2009
1. Memorial to the "Start Westward of the United States" Marker
Inscription.
Memorial to the “Start Westward of the United States”. .
Sculpted for Marietta's Sesquicentennial by Gutzon Borglum , , , , , , , , , , . Dedicated July 1938 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as a tribute to those farsighted pioneers who journeyed here from New England in 1788 and established Marietta as the first permanent settlement in the Northwest Territory under the landmark Ordinance of 1787
, , , , , , , , , , . Rededicated July 1988 at the Closing Ceremonies for Marietta's Bicentennial Celebration to the Sesquicentennial Pioneer Caravan and in memory of Edwin “Zeke” Pugh (1917-1988) member of the 1937-1938 Caravan and leader of the 1987-1988 Bicentennial Trekkers.
, , , , , , , , , , . Restored as a Bicentennial project through generous contributions from school children in Marietta and Washington County.
, , , , , , , , , , Other contributors to the 1987-1988 restoration:. Northwest Ordinance/U.S. Constitution Bicentennial Commission, U.S. Capitol Bicentennial Christmas Tree Fund, Wayne National Forest, Marian Baesel Schimmel Sesquicentennial Pioneer Caravan, Ohio Historical Society, Colonial Dames 17th Century, Marietta Mary Ann Genheimer, Mary Gardner Owen Society, N.S.C.A.R., Marietta Bicentennial Commission
Sculpted for Marietta's Sesquicentennial by Gutzon Borglum
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Dedicated July 1938 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as a tribute to those farsighted pioneers who journeyed here from New England in 1788 and established Marietta as the first permanent settlement in the Northwest Territory under the landmark Ordinance of 1787
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Rededicated July 1988 at the Closing Ceremonies for Marietta's Bicentennial Celebration to the Sesquicentennial Pioneer Caravan and in memory of Edwin “Zeke” Pugh (1917-1988) member of the 1937-1938 Caravan and leader of the 1987-1988 Bicentennial Trekkers.
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Restored as a Bicentennial project through generous contributions from school children in Marietta and Washington County.
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Other contributors to the 1987-1988 restoration:
Northwest Ordinance/U.S. Constitution Bicentennial Commission, U.S. Capitol Bicentennial Christmas Tree Fund, Wayne National Forest, Marian Baesel Schimmel
Sesquicentennial Pioneer Caravan, Ohio Historical Society, Colonial Dames 17th Century, Marietta
Mary Ann Genheimer, Mary Gardner Owen Society, N.S.C.A.R., Marietta Bicentennial Commission
Erected 1938 by Marietta Bicentennial
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Celebration and Additional Organizations Seen in Monument Inscription.
Location. 39° 24.943′ N, 81° 27.462′ W. Marker is in Marietta, Ohio, in Washington County. Marker is on Front Street, on the right when traveling south. Marker is next to the Start Westward memorial in Muskingum Park, off Front Street, about 600 feet northwest of Putnam Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Marietta OH 45750, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., May 30, 2009
2. Start Westward Memorial and Marker
Looking from Front Street toward Muskingum River.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., May 30, 2009
3. Inscription on Monument
This group of Revolutionary and Pioneer figures represents the start of American government west of the thirteen original states. Mt. Rushmore's Gutzon Borglum sculptured, from native sandstone, the memorial which was dedicated at the sesquicentennial by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Commemorating the bicentennial, the Marietta Kiwanis Club has added the flags of the six states formed from the Northwest Territory, our national flag, and provided permanent illumination.
July 15, 1988
(Flags can be seen in Photo #2)
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., May 30, 2009
4. Start Westward Memorial (front)
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., May 30, 2009
5. Start Westward Memorial (rear)
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., May 30, 2009
6. Start Westward Memorial
Looking toward Front Street and the Meigs House.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., May 30, 2009
7. Marietta Bicentennial Logo on Marker
Photographed By Rev. Ronald Irick, July 10, 2010
8. Memorial to the "Start Westward of the United States" Marker
the river landing, on the Muskingum, just west of the statue and marker
Photographed By Rev. Ronald Irick, July 10, 2010
9. Memorial to the "Start Westward of the United States" Marker
inscription on what I call “the Front Steps of Ohio”
Credits. This page was last revised on December 2, 2019. It was originally submitted on July 9, 2009, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 1,600 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on July 9, 2009, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. 8, 9. submitted on January 17, 2015, by Rev. Ronald Irick of West Liberty, Ohio. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.