COMMUNITY
MARIETTA
By Shannon Ballew
sballew@mdjonline.com
Marietta, Cobb’s county seat, is continuing to grow and
change as it celebrates a rich history and traditions.
The city has a population of over 60,000 residents,
making it Cobb’s largest community.
At the heart of the town is Marietta Square, featuring
historic buildings as well as some of the most popular
retailers and restaurants. The Square includes Glover
Park, which is 1.35 acres and has a three-tier fountain,
gazebo and playground. Glover Park is home to city
festivals, a free concert series and many other events.
Early settlers lived in the area near the Cherokee town
of Kennesaw as early as 1824, though the city wasn’t
incorporated until 1834, according to the Marietta
Museum of History. Marietta was most likely named
after Mary Cobb, the wife of U.S. Sen. Thomas Willis
Cobb, for whom the county was named after.
When the Western and Atlantic Railroad project
52 FACTBOOK 2021
started, Marietta was originally selected as a hub along
the rail line. The base was later moved to the area
that eventually became Atlanta, but Marietta still saw
economic growth from the railroad. The town was
prosperous when the Civil War started in 1861.
In the summer of 1864, Gen. William Tecumseh
Sherman’s troops moved in and occupied Marietta, and
troops pillaged and ravaged the town daily for months.
That November, the town was set on fire in Sherman’s
March to the Sea.
During World War II, Marietta became known for the
Bell Bomber military aircraft manufacturing plant that
opened there and started new economic growth for the
town.
After the war, the plant closed and was reopened as
Lockheed Georgia, which became Lockheed Martin.
Lockheed was Georgia’s largest employer in the 1950s
and 1960s.
As the county seat, Marietta is home to many of Cobb
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