(Photo by Gretchen Dowler) The Start Westward Memorial is located in Marietta’s Muskingum Park.

Citizens of Marietta gathered around the Start Westward Memorial Thursday morning to celebrate the 236th Anniversary of the Northwest Territory Ordinance of 1787.

Starting off the celebration was the ringing of the carillon, a set of bells, in the left tower of the First Congregational Church, Church of the Pioneers.

Members of the community were welcome to climb the spiral staircase up to the bell tower to watch the bells be rung. The bells were played by Sean Lofty, a longtime member of the church and carillonneur for the church. Lofty played such tunes as “My Country Tis of Thee,” “For the Beauty of the Earth” and “God Bless America.”

“There are only 10 bells, so there’s a more limited song selection,” Lofty said about the bells in the left bell tower. “The bells vary in weight from the beginning bell on the wooden lever board being 2,000 pounds to the last bell being 250 pounds. It’s definitely a workout.”

The right bell tower contains the original bell of the First Congregational Church from 1796. The original church was remodeled in 1902 but was completely destroyed in a fire in 1905, before being rebuilt in 1906.

(Photo by Gretchen Dowler) Keynote Speaker Don Jones talks on the topic of education within the Northwest Ordinance of 1787.

The celebration continued with a program of various community and state of Ohio speakers at the Start Westward Memorial. The ceremony began with the posting of the colors and the Pledge of Allegiance by the Marietta Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution. The invocation was led by the Rev. Carla Wobschall of First Congregational Church.

The welcome was then led by former Ohio governor Nancy Hollister, member of the Ohio Commission for the U.S. Semiquincentennial, America 250th. Hollister then introduced Mayor Josh Schlicher who gave a welcome to the celebration as well, and introduced the program’s first special guest, Lila Hill.

Hill, 101 years young, is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She spoke about her lineage and how she became a Daughter of the American Revolution.

While doing research about her lineage and where her ancestors were buried, she found their gravestones in the middle of a cow field.

“Their stones were all worn-down probably from all the cows in the field,” Hill said about the headstones at the gravesite. “The Sons of the American Revolution were kind enough to restore the tombstones.”

(Photo by Gretchen Dowler)Keynote Speaker Dontavius L. Jarrells shares his reflections about the Northwest Ordinance of 1787.

Dr. Sharon Barnett, member of the Board of Directors of the Multicultural Genealogical Center of Southeast Ohio, was then introduced. Barnett is one of six generations from the Mid-Ohio Valley. Barnett introduced the first keynote speaker of the celebration, 1st District Ohio Representative and Assistant Minority Leader, Dontavius L. Jarrells (D-Col.). Jarrells is the Ranking Member of the Finance Subcommittee on Higher Education.

“The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 is a beacon of American history,” Jarrells said about the document. “It was precedented and unprecedented for its time. It stood up against the norm of the moment, and it reflects our time, and people standing up against the norm of the moment. Someone was thinking about another experience, about those of the future. ” Jarrells said that without the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, “Ohio wouldn’t be the flourishing state that it is today.” It is the “living embodiment” of the state, and that it “inspires and continues to propel us forward.”

He went on to quote Martin Luther King Jr. saying, “you only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love.” Jarrells said that the pioneers were determined and “like-minded for the pursuit of entering new states into the union” and that they put up a “fight in the face of adversity.” The pioneers carried 1,000 voices, and Jarrells said he will continue to do “everyday like those 236 years ago.” He closed by saying, “We will continue to fight for freedom, peace, and equality. They’re not just dreams, but realities.”

The second keynote speaker, Don Jones, 95th District Ohio Representative (R-Freeport), followed Jarrells. Jones is the chair of the Finance Subcommittee on Agriculture, Development, and Natural Resources as well as a member of the Primary and Secondary Education Committee.

Jones went on to speak about his time teaching about agriculture and history, and says that there is a lack of education on such matters. He mentioned that the Ordinance of 1787, otherwise known as the “Freedom Ordinance,” stated that education was forever encouraged.

(Photo by Gretchen Dowler)Special guest Lila Hill speaks on her entry into the Daughters of the American Revolution.

“The Ordinance spoke of radical ideas at that time about expanding west, creating new states and territory, and admitting equal power of those states once admitted to the union.”

Jones says that without being taught by county commissioner Kevin Ritter, he wouldn’t have known as much about the Ordinance. He closed his speech by saying, “The Ordinance shows that education was too important at other levels, so it was left to the states for local level. Our young people don’t understand the basics of history. We need to fight to teach them about the Ordinance of 1787 and our other founding documents.”

Hollister and Ritter both closed the ceremony briefly mentioning the America 250th Commission. Jean Yost closed by announcing that 10% of America’s 250th is dedicated to activities in Marietta. Yost is from Friends of the Museums, Campus Martius and Ohio River Museums, and the Marietta SAR.

Gretchen Dowler can be reached at gdowler@newsandsentinel.com

(Photo by Gretchen Dowler)Carillonneur Sean Lofty plays the bells at First Congregational Church starting off Thursday’s celebration.