Old Marietta Map - Those Were The Days

A couple weeks ago I put up a map similar to the one above and yanked it off within an hour or two. Someone emailed me and pointed out in the bottom right corner of the map was a notice of $10.000 award for turning anyone in for copying or reproducing that map.

But as I said, it was similar to this one, with only a few differences… the main difference I saw was there isn’t an award offer on this one.

This is a map of Marietta years ago. It is after 1965 because the I-75 is part of the map. But, not too much after it because also is Popular, Hansel, and Orange Streets are shown and the Marietta Parkway, aka Marietta Loop is not shown.

As mentioned in a previous blog the First Methodist Church of Marietta’s parking lot swallowed up Hansel Street. The Marietta Parkway swallowed up Popular and Orange Streets.

On the corner of Popular and Whitlock Avenue was a Texaco Station that I didn’t realize it was a landmark fixed in my mind until it was gone. On down the hill on Popular Street was Owenby Manufacturing that I think made mostly under garments such as tee-shirts, underwear shorts, and maybe socks.

I ran around with one of the sons of the owner of Owenby Mfg. Co. The other son was a little snobbish – but now, isn’t. I see him from time to time. They moved Owenby Mfg. Co., to Blairsville and the son I was friends with is the plant manager. The used to be snobbish brother runs the administration part in Marietta. I know he must be worth millions, but I have seen him break speed limits with his shopping cart to quickly get to the flashing light when a Blue-Light Special was announced over the intercom at K-Mart.

Orange Street, the best I remember, had a chicken processing factory, a stable (yep, a stable for horses), and a radiator shop.

Orange Street kind of ran parallel with the railroad tracks going through downtown Marietta..

On the other side of the railroad tracks on Whitlock Avenue was a building that housed Kelly Sporting Goods and Ken Stanton’s music. That was where we bought our 45 rpm records. Now, it is a Gone With the Wind Museum.

Across the street was Dupres which was a general store. They sold everything from groceries, feed, seed, appliances, and you name it. When we remodeled our kitchen in the 80s we bought our stove-top there. Now, no stores of that are downtown anymore. The store is still Dupres owned by the Dupres, but now it is Dupres Antiques Store.

In the 60s when passenger trains came through Marietta often it was not unusual for motorists going west on Whitlock Avenue have to wait in from of a dining car while people got onto the train.

Once my friend Larry was next blocked by the RR cross bar and in front of him was the dining car and people dining. It was Friday evening and he and his sister were taking a bunch to the Marietta High stadium for a football game. To Larry’s sister and her friend, who both were riding in the front seat, the diners looked like snobbish Yankees. They decided to give them a taste of the redneck south.

They put their butts up to the front window and down went their pants. Then, reached over and pressed the thing to make the horn blow. They mooned the diners.
Larry fussed at them the whole time.

Those were the days.