RIVERS, TRAILS & ALES FESTIVAL BICYCLE SCAVENGER HUNT The RTA Bicycle Scavenger Hunt is a family-friendly ride that will take you through many of Marietta’s most historic sites! Begin near or at the Armory and travel in any direction you’d like to complete the hunt. *** Post a picture of your adventure using #rtafest and you could win a sweet RTA silipint! *** Complete between July 10 – August 9, 2020 1. Did you know that Marietta is the oldest town in Ohio? Pioneers from New England, many of them having served in the Revolutionary War, traveled here in 1788 and founded the town. They hoped it would become a center of civilization, perhaps even the capital of the newly created United States of America! That particular dream did not come true, but it was still home to some great people and businesses throughout time! Today we will explore many of the civic-minded leaders of Marietta, and uncover the businesses and people that made the town unique. Begin at the Armory Building, an interesting piece of Marietta history in its own right, and follow the bike path to the left. Follow it all the way to the Ohio River, and when you reach the Lafayette Hotel, take the small path to the right. You will be at the point of confluence, which means where the Muskingum and Ohio Rivers intersect. There was once a large business here, the A.T. Nye & Sons Factory. Take a look at the photo below to see how huge the facility was. What did A.T. Nye & Sons make? (Hint: the answer is in the photo) ANSWER: _________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Now return to the bike path and continue along to the fountain in front of the Lafayette Hotel. Pass by the fountain but do not follow the bike path. Find a little garden with stones in a circle just to the left of the fountain. You will see a planter sitting to the side of the garden. This planter is part of an interesting story! Many years ago, in 1814, Woodbridge’s store stood right behind this little garden. A customer ordered a large boiler, but when the boiler arrived, the customer did not have the money to pay. Instead of trying to return the boiler (remember, travel at this time was by steamboat), the boiler was left to sit at this spot for years. It became a local hangout for people beside the river, and as the town was raised up higher to protect against flood waters, the boiler eventually ended up below the ground. The only part of this boiler that still exists above ground is now used as a planter! What was the name of the man who ordered the boiler? (Hint: find the historic marker) ANSWER: _________________________________________________________________________________ 3. Find your way back to the bike path and follow it along the Ohio River towards the Williamstown Bridge. Stop at the intersection of Second and Ohio Streets and take a look at the brick building you find there, now used as a restaurant. Ohio Street is the street along the river, and it was the first street to be bricked in Marietta! That means it was a very important street, many years ago. This was the original hub of business and activity early on in Marietta’s history, and the only building left from the many buildings that used to line this street is the one you see on the corner. It has a three story side, and a one story side. The three story side is older. It was once a hotel. What year was this building built? (Hint: find the historic marker by the building) ANSWER: _________________________________________________________________________________ BONUS: On the one-story part of the building, you will find two faded ads, also called ‘ghost ads’. They make it pretty clear that this part of the building was once a saloon. It was called The Golden Eagle at one time. Can you tell what the ghost ads say? ANSWER: _________________________________________________________________________________ ANSWER: _________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Continue down the bike path to Fourth Street. Turn left and ride up to the large building on the right side of the road. It now houses the accounting firm of Rea & Associates. For many years, this was a Catholic school. The large empty lot to the left of the building was once where the old Catholic church stood, before the congregation moved to its present location about 4 blocks up the hill. The old Catholic church that once stood here faced many floods throughout its time, which led the congregation to seek a new spot on higher ground. What year was the school building (now Rea & Associates) built? (Hint: closely examine the building itself) ANSWER: _________________________________________________________________________________ 5. Continue along Fourth Street toward Marietta College. Cross Greene Street, still heading down Fourth Street. Cross over to the other side of Fourth Street. Stop in front of 213 Fourth Street. Marietta College was founded in 1836, and once consisted of only a couple buildings, it has now grown to encompass many buildings in the area. 213 Fourth Street, now part of the college, was the birthplace of a world- famous violinist. A child prodigy, he began studying at the Chicago Musical College at age 7. He spent his adult life traveling through Europe and performing at some of the most prestigious locations and with well-known people. He even accompanied President Woodrow Wilson’s daughter at her concerts! But from time to time, he returned home to Marietta to visit, and was a sought-after guest in many wealthy homes in the area. What was the name of this famous violinist? (Hint: find the historic marker on the building) ANSWER: _________________________________________________________________________________ 6. Continue down Fourth Street, passing Putnam Street. Stop at the corner of Scammel Street and Fourth Street, crossing until you are in front of the church on the corner. This is currently St. Luke’s Evangelical Lutheran Church. Did you know Marietta once had many immigrants from Germany? Indeed, many of their descendants still live here today, and you can recognize them by their last names: Pfaff, Lang, Fischer, Wendelken, Otto, Schafer and so many more! This church, founded in 1858, was originally a German-speaking church! When did the church stop preaching in German? (Hint: find the historic marker, answer is not an exact date) ANSWER: _________________________________________________________________________________ 7. Continue along Fourth Street. As you start up the hill, take your time to look at the beautiful homes along Fourth Street. Some of the town’s most beautiful homes are located here. Stop at 418 Fourth Street and take a look at the red brick Victorian home taking up 2 city lots. This house, now known as The Castle, was built in 1855 by Melvin Clarke, who later died at Antietam during the Civil War. The home was later occupied by Jessie Davis Lindsay from the time she was 14 years old until she passed away 5 days before her 100th birthday. Marietta has fine examples of many Victorian styles of architecture. What architectural style is The Castle? ANSWER: ___________________________________________*We encourage you to tour the home and visit their carriage house gift shop. The house has been beautifully renovated and the stories of the home’s former occupants are fascinating! 8. Continue along Fourth Street to a large church on the corner of Fourth and Wooster Streets. This beautiful Basilica is where the Catholic congregation broke ground for their new place of worship in 1903. Fun fact! The large house next door that now serves as the rectory was once located where the Basilica is today. The church hired a man named Titus De Boubilla from Hungary to oversee the move of the house. 100 strong men and oxen moved the house to its new foundation, where you see it today. What is the current full name of the Basilica? ANSWER: _________________________________________________________________________________ 9. Continue along Fourth Street and cross Washington Street. Here is Washington Elementary School. Before this building was built, a large home stood on this spot. It was turned into Marietta’s Defiance Fire Company. Just like the rectory, it was also moved but much further down the street and became a residence once more. What year was the current Washington School built? (Hint: examine the building) ANSWER: _________________________________________________________________________________ 10. Continue along Fourth Street. When you reach Warren Street, cross it to find a large mound. This is the largest still existing platform mound in Marietta. It was built by the Hopewell culture over 2000 years ago! It aligns with the setting sun on Winter Solstice, and may have been a place where special rituals took place, as well as a meeting place for the Hopewell. When the Ohio Company arrived in 1788, they were amazed to find a huge earthworks structure (of which this mound was only a part) taking up much of the space along Fourth and Fifth Streets; from Mound Cemetery to this spot. The 3 largest structures were saved as public treasures and you can still visit them. This mound is known as Quadranou because it had 4 ‘ramps’ that led up to it. Capitoleum Mound, where the library now sits on Fifth Street, and Conus Mound located in Mound cemetery on Fifth Street. The large space in front of Quadranou mound that you see before you became ‘Camp Tupper’ later. If you ride over to the Third Street side, you will find a historic marker. During the Civil War, local troops trained here before marching off to war. Who is Camp Tupper named for? ANSWER: _________________________________________________________________________________ 11. If you follow Sacra Via Street down to the river, you will catch the bike path once more. Take the bike path to the left, following the Muskingum River back towards downtown. Stop in front of the River Museum and explore the displays in front of the W.P. Snyder boat. Find the Memorial Navigation Light. Who is the memorial light named for? ANSWER: _________________________________________________________________________________ Fun fact! The mother of the man that the light is named for was also a steamboat captain! She was one of the first female steamboat captains in the United States! Her name was Captain Mary Becker Greene and you may recognize one of the boats that she used to pilot: The Delta Queen. Captain Mary Greene passed away on the Delta Queen and is said to haunt it today! You may be able to ride the Delta Queen again someday; it is currently undergoing refurbishments to be returned to service. Continue to the left along the bike path past Muskingum Park and you will be back downtown. Congratulations! You have completed this year’s RTA Fest Bicycle Scavenger Hunt! Answers can be found at the Marietta Adventure Company or Visit Marietta Ohio (CVB). Answers can be provided electronically by inquiring to [email protected]. Visit the creators of the RTA Fest Bicycle Scavenger Hunt! The RTA Fest History Scavenger Hunt is provided by Hidden Marietta Tour Co. Visit our Curiosity Shop in the old Anchorage Mansion at 424 George Street, Marietta Ohio. Join us for a Ghost Tour of the building, visit our fun Curiosity Shop and let us teach you all the hidden history of Marietta!
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