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When you are ‘fine’ — Feelings inside not expressed

You know how, when you ask folks how they’re doing, many automatically respond with, “I’m fine, how are you?” “FINE” might as well stand for “Feelings Inside Not Expressed,” because those folks aren’t telling the truth about how they feel. In most instances, those folks are lying! Surveys of mental health show that anxiety is now the number one issue for women and number 2 for men (behind drugs and alcohol). One multi-site megachurch surveyed their members and found that 82% of their congregation reported dealing with anxiety and worry, 71% said they were struggling ...

Odd-looking bridge linked Marietta, Williamstown for 82 years

If you are attending the Ohio River Sternwheel Festival this weekend, you cannot help but notice the Williamstown Bridge spanning the Ohio River just upstream from the festival. The rather normal-looking bridge replaced the original Williamstown Bridge in 1992. The original bridge was anything but normal. In fact, it was downright scary. The original bridge carried traffic over the river from Sept. 1, 1903, until July 17, 1985. Rising high above the Ohio River, the huge blue bridge, with its irregular shape, looked more like a roller coaster than something designed to link two ...

The many firsts of Alexander Henderson Jr.

Alexander Henderson Jr. was an early Wood County, W.Va., pioneer with numerous Marietta connections. I was captivated by his life’s many high points, sadly intermingled with tragic low points. Alexander Jr. was known by his nickname (shared with his father), “Sandy.” He was described as ...

The Way I See It: Times starts historical series Friday

Next month The Marietta Times marks 160 years of publication. It’s been an interesting ride that I am glad I have been around to witness a portion of. Newspapers in many communities are among the oldest businesses in town. People depend on newspapers to dig up the facts and explain them in a way that people understand what it means to them and their families. The Times has been doing that since Sept. 24, 1864. Through more than 40,000 editions, the paper has reported on the good and the bad for an incredibly long time. A decade ago, when The Times marked 150 years, we ran an ...

Early Marietta: Shipbuilding in Marietta: Steamboats

One of Marietta’s enduring symbols is the steamboat. When building of sailing ships faded after 1807, a new shipbuilding tradition followed: steamboats. One of the first boats, the MECHANIC, was built on the Little Muskingum River. It was the ill-fated vessel that sank in the Ohio River ...

The many lives of the school on the hill

The large brick school located on the hill beyond the end of Putnam Street has had many lives in its 98-year history as a key part of the Marietta School System. Ground was broken for the “new” high school on Nov. 6, 1924, for the structure that would replace a smaller school on Scammel Street. If you view old photos of the location, there was once a knoll that was removed during construction. The dirt was taken down the hill to the Cisler Brick Yard, where it was fired into brick and sent back up the hill to build the school. Construction of the school would take nearly two ...