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The 236th anniversary of the adoption of the Northwest Territory Ordinance of 1787 will be celebrated 10 a.m. Thursday beginning with patriotic music from the carillon bells of First Congregational Church, 318 Front St., in Marietta and continuing at 10:30 a.m. with keynote speakers across the street at the Start Westward Monument in Muskingum Park.
The bell ringing includes an invitation to climb the steps of the bell tower of the Church of the Pioneers to watch Sean Lofty operate the wooden levers to engage the chimes, according to a press release from the organizers of the 236th Anniversary of the Ordinance of 1787 Celebration Committee.
Keynote speakers for the 10:30 a.m. program are Ohio Rep. Dontavius L. Jarrells, D-Columbus, and Ohio Rep. Don Jones, R-Freeport. Jarrells is Assistant Minority Leader and Ranking Member of the Finance Subcommittee on Higher Education.
Jones is Chair of the Finance Subcommittee on Agriculture, Development and Natural Resources and a member of the Primary and Secondary Education Committee.
The day when the Marietta ceremony will be held mirrors the day the Northwest Territory Ordinance was adopted, July 13, 1787.
The ordinance established territories north of the Ohio River to Canada and east of the Mississippi River; abolished slavery; guaranteed religious and civil freedom; laid down the principles for public education; and served as the model for the Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution.
The sentiment of the ordinance, according to information from the Northwest Ordinance anniversary celebration committee, was "Slavery prohibited, religion necessary, and education forever encouraged!" Author David McCullough, in his book "The Pioneers," declared, "The great Northwest Ordinance of 1787 stands alongside the Magna Carta and the Declaration of Independence as a bold assertion of the rights of the individual." Ordinance of 1787 Celebration Committee Co-Chairs are: Josh Schlicher, Marietta mayor; Nancy Hollister, former Ohio governor; Dr. Sharon Barnett, board member of the Multicultural Genealogical Center; Lila Hill, Marietta Daughters of the American Revolution; and Jean Yost, Northwest Territory Museum Society, Campus Martius and Ohio River Museums. In case of rain, the event will be held at First Congregational Church.