Date Washington County, Ohio United States
13000-7000 BC Paleoindian Period - Ohio's first human inhabitants
8000-500 BC Archaic Period - Most native people lived as hunters and gatherers.
800 BC-100 AD Adena Culture thrived in Ohio.
800 BC-1200 AD Woodland Period - The region's native populace increasingly relied on agriculture to sustain themselves.
100 BC-400 AD Hopewell Culture built large mound complexes in Ohio.
100 BC-AD 500 Marietta Hopwell mounds and earthworks constructed 
1000-1650 Fort Ancient Culture flourished.
1749 Joseph-Pierre Céloron de Bienville places a lead tablet at the mouth of the Muskingum River and other confluences on the Ohio River, claiming the territory for France
1754–1763 French and Indian War
1773 Boston Tea Party
1776 U. S. Declaration of Independence
1776-1783 Revolutionary War
1785

Fort Harmar established west of Muskingum River to prevent “squatters” from settling. Gerneral Joshiah Harmar commanding

 Land Ordinance of 1785
1785 Page Top Treaty of Fort McIntosh cedes territory of eastern and southern Ohio to the U.S.
1786 Ohio Company of Associates formed at Bunch of Grapes Tavern in Boston
1787 Ordinance of 1787 establishes Northwest Territory (northwest of the Ohio River) US Constitution
1787 Site of the future Marietta chosen by directors of the Ohio Company
1788 48 pioneers establish settlement at Marietta on Ohio Company lands US Constitution is ratified
1788 Origanal town name Adelpehia discarded and Marietta chosen as the name of the town. Tne directors of the Ohio Company named it for Marie Antoinette and in honor of French help in the Revolution
1788 Governor Arthur St. Clair assumes office in the Northwest Territory
1788 First law enacted in the Northwest Territory provides for a militia
1788 Campus Martius is erected
1788 First court of Washington County held at Campus Martius
1788 Washington County created - First county in Ohio/Northwest Territory
1788-1789 First school in the Northwest Territory is established in Campus Martius
1789 Fort Harmar Treaty is signed General George Washington elected President
1789 American Union Lodge of Masons holds the first regular session in Marietta.  It had been a traveling or military lodge during the Revolution.
1790 The swindled “French Five Hundred” arrive at Marietta and move down river to form Gallipolis, Gallia County
1791 The Big Bottom Massacre (Stockport) occurs, beginning the Indian Wars. 2 JAN
1791 First Sunday School in the Northwest Territory is started by Mrs. Mary Bird Lake
1792 The Donation Tract obtained (100,000 acres). Free land for settlers who could help defend against the native Americans
1792

General Putnam's treaty with the Indians provides for their perpetual peace with the U. S.
1794 First regular mail delivery at Marietta is established by Return J. Meigs
1794 Page Top General Anthony Wayne defeats the Indians at Fallen Timbers.
1795 Treaty of Greenville is signed.
1796 First Religious Society formed in Marietta (Congregational Church)
1797 Muskingum Academy founded
1798 First official Courthouse built. After 1822 uses a county jail
1799 Methodism is established in Marietta
1800 Shipbuilding begins in Marietta
1801 Marietta is an incorporated town, co-extensive with Marietta Township
1801 The Great Mound (Conus) preserved from destruction by establishing Mound Cemetery around it
1801 The Ohio Gazette and Virginia Herald founded in Marietta
1802 Epriham Cutler represents the county at the Ohio Consitutional Convention The Ohio Constitution is adopted
1803 Presbyterianism begins in Marietta
1803 Ohio enters the Union Louisiana Purchase, Lewis & Clark expiditon
1806 Capture of the boats of the Burr-Blennerhassett expedition
1808 First Congregational Church building completed in Marietta
1811 First steamboat on the Ohio River First steamboat reaches New Orleans
1812-1815 Page Top War of 1812
1814 Oil discovered in Duck Creek
1817 Universalist Society organized in Marietta
1818 First Baptist Church organized in Marietta
1819 2nd Courthouse buildt at corner of 2nd and Putnam Streets
1819 First agricultural society (fair association) is organized in Washington County
1820 Land Act sells US land at $1.25/acre on credit system over four years
1824 First steamboat trip from Marietta to Zanesville
1825 Second act of incorporation for Marietta passed, providing for a mayor and council form of government
1825 General Lafayette visits (Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette, Marquis de La Fayette) 
1826 St. Luke's Episcopal Church organized in Marietta
1826 The first Washington County Agricultural and Mechanical Fair held in Marietta
1830 The Institute of Education, successor to Muskingum Academy, opens
1832 Marietta Collegiate Institute and Western Teachers Seminary are chartered
1835 Marietta College chartered
1836 The Muskingum River Improvement bill passed by the Ohio legislature
1837 Harmar incorporated as a town
1837 Work begins on the Muskingum River (locks and dams)
1838 Roman Catholic Church organized in Marietta
1839 German Methodist Episcopal Church organized in Marietta
1839 St Paul's German United Evangelical Church organized in Marietta
1840 Harmar Congregational Church organized in Harmar
1841 Muskingum River Improvement completed; slack water navigation begins
1842 Marietta Historical Association organized
1842 Charles Dickens visits Marietta
1846-1848 Page Top Mexican War
1849 Marietta public schools reorganized with a superintendent and graded classes 49ers Gold Rush to California
1850 Marietta High School founded
1850 Western Liberal Institute opened
1853 Marietta incorporated as a second class city
1853 First class graduates from Marietta High School
1855 First Unitarian Society in Marietta organized
1856 First parochial school opened in Marietta
1857 First railroad tracks are laid in Harmar
1858 Catherine Fay Ewing opens first Children’s Home in the US at Moss Run, Lawrence Township
1858 St. Luke's Lutheran Church organized
1860 First oil well in the region drilled near Macksburg, Ohio
1861-1865 Camp Marietta formed to train soldiers for Civil War service US Civil War
1862 "Marietta Register" newspaper founded
1863 West Virginia is admitted to the US
1864 "Marietta Times " newspaper founded
1867 Marietta Rolling Mill is established
1869 Transcontinenal Railroad completed
1873 Marietta City Hall is completed
1888 Marietta celebrates its Centennial
1890 Harmar rejoins Marietta under one government
1901 Present day courthouse built.
1913 The Great Flood occurs in the Ohio River valley
1917-1918 Washington County suffers 70 casualties in World War I. World War I
1920 19th Amendment ratified - women given voting rights
1923 Marietta connected with the National Highway (Route 40) by paved highway
1925-1929 George Dawes elected Vice-president of the United States
1929- 1940 Great Depression
1937 2nd largest flood occurs in the Ohio River valley
1938 President Roosevelt speaks during Northwest Territory Sesquicentennial year celebration
1939-1945 US in World War II
1946-1950 Manufacturing plants open – B F Goodrich plastics, Union Carbide, Dravo
1957 Marietta hosts world premiere of movie “Battle Hymn” about local hero Dean Hess
1968 Interstate Highway I-77 opens to through traffic
1970 Disastrous fire at the Harmar House nursing home; new national fire standards are a result


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