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Mills Hall played important role in WWII

The next time you are driving up Putnam Street and pass Mills Hall at the corner of Sixth and Putnam streets, pause and think for a minute about how those that worked in the building in the 1940s likely saved countless of American lives during War World II because of their work building the proximity fuzes that were used in munitions in both the European and Pacific theaters. The building, which started life as part of the Marietta Chair Factory was transformed, as were many Marietta buildings, into producing items for the war effort. Sylvania built millions of tubes used in the fuzes ...

Campus Martius: Marietta’s first community

Imagine a small self contained mini-city with houses, public buildings, school, church, court, water well, recreation area, and protection from attack — all contained within one city block. That was Campus Martius at Marietta in 1788. When the pioneers arrived, there was nothing here in ...

Let’s talk about the birds and the bees

Let’s talk about the birds and the bees folks, but first please get your mind out of the gutter. I am talking about real birds and real bees, more specifically, photographing them. The photos featured on page two of The Times frequently have insects, birds and other wildlife in them. The creatures are doing their part in our efforts to “showcase the beauty of the Mid-Ohio Valley.” Including them in photos adds an additional layer to a photo. I describe it as a secondary subject. In most cases the bug, bird or bull for that matter is the secondary subject in the photo. The ...

Laws and rules

When the Selectboard of Croydon, NH, disbanded their one-man police force in January 2020, they ordered Chief Richard Lee to immediately turn in all of the town’s equipment. Lee gave the key to the police cruiser to the Selectboard and then went back into an office and removed his gun, bulletproof vest, and uniform. Lee put his boots back on and walked a mile through a winter snowstorm in his underwear before his wife came to pick him up. Asked why he hadn’t gone home and changed clothes and then returned the uniform, Lee replied that he had been told to turn it in immediately and ...

Stuebner a great fit for MC

Susan Stuebner, incoming president of Marietta College, appears ready to get to work quickly when she assumes the role. During an introduction to students and staff, she talked about her enthusiasm for the Marietta Forward plan. “Marietta Forward is a great roadmap in terms of where the institution can go … I’m really looking forward to having conversation not only about Marietta Forward but how do we present Marietta to all constituents and help them understand how great this institution is and what a great education students can get here,” Stuebner said. But she went ...

Hannah and the slave catchers

David Putnam, Jr., prominent Harmar merchant, and his wife Hannah were anxious. On a dreary November night in 1844, she was in labor with their 6th child, Hannah. The Putnams’ apprehension grew because of David’s other vocation: he was a “conductor” on the Underground Railroad (UGRR). ...