It’s been 225 years since Gen. Rufus Putnam arrived at the confluence of the Ohio and Muskingum rivers where he and members of the Ohio Company of Associates established the pioneer community of Marietta. Two years later Putnam brought his entire family to the settlement where he lived until his death in May of 1824.

As part of Marietta’s 225th anniversary celebration, many of Putnam’s descendants will gather for what may be the first-ever Rufus Putnam family reunion on June 29.

“As far as we know this is the first time that only the descendants of Rufus Putnam have held such a reunion,” said Mary Jo Hutchinson, a member of the reunion committee and fifth generation granddaughter of Rufus Putnam.

“We’d like to have descendants from each of the Putnams’ children,” she added. “And at this point we don’t know for sure how many people may show up, but we could have a big crowd.”

Putnam and wife Persis (Rice) had nine children, but two of their sons, Ayers and Franklin, died within a couple of years of their births, and daughter Elizabeth, never married.

“She remained with her father and took care of him until he died,” said local historian Glenn Wolfe who, although not descended from Rufus Putnam, developed the idea of a Putnam reunion in Marietta.

The remaining children included William Rufus who married Jerusha Guitteau; Edwin, who married Eliza Davis; Susanna, who married Christopher Burlingame; Abigail, who married William Browning; Persis, who married Perly Howe; Martha, who married Benjamin Tupper; and Catharine, who married Ebenezer Buckingham.

“Susannah and Christopher Burlingame were apparently the only ones (other than Elizabeth) who stayed in Marietta,” Wolfe said. “The other siblings moved to areas of Ohio including Mt. Vernon, Zanesville and Belpre.”

Since then Putnam descendants have spread across the country and beyond. Wolfe noted several Putnam descendants became missionaries to China.

He said Putnam descendants from as far away as the states of Washington, California and Florida are expected to attend next month’s reunion.

“And on Wednesday I contacted another Putnam descendant from Vermont,” Wolfe said. “So we’re hoping to have people from all four corners of the country.”

Hutchinson said the reunion will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 29 in East Muskingum Park and the First Congregational Church on Front Street.

“We’ll begin with a ‘meet and greet’ at the gazebo in East Muskingum Park, and later move into the church, of which Rufus Putnam was a founder, for a presentation on the Putnam family by (local historian) Scott Britton,” she said. “Scott has also offered to provide a tour of Mound Cemetery (final resting place of Rufus Putnam).”

The descendants are also invited to a catered dinner from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. that evening at the Campus Martius Museum, Hutchinson said.

“But reservations are required by June 1 for those who want to attend the dinner,” she said.

Reservations can be made by emailing rufusputnamreunion@gmail.com, or through the U.S. Mail at Rufus Putnam Reunion, P.O. Box 34, Marietta, Ohio 45750.