Editing Marietta, Ohio (section)

===Railroads and oil===
Local development began with the [[Belpre and Cincinnati Railroad]] (B&C); it was founded in 1845. It was intended to connect from [[Belpre, Ohio]], the next town downriver, to a planned [[Baltimore and Ohio Railroad]] (B&O) spur to [[Parkersburg, West Virginia|Parkersburg]]. But, for years, the Virginia government did not allow the B&O to construct track south of [[Wheeling, West Virginia|Wheeling]]. In 1851 developers changed the Ohio state terminus to Marietta and changed the name of the railroad to the Marietta and Cincinnati Railroad that year. The right-of-way for an alternate connection to the B&O extended upriver from Marietta to [[Bellaire, Ohio]]. The M&C was bankrupt by 1857, but construction of track continued west to reach [[Cincinnati]]. The first through-train from Cincinnati ran on April 9, 1857. The M&C got out of bankruptcy in 1860.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}}

In 1871, the Ohio Valley Railroad was formed and for the next two years built tracks going north for 103 miles. Their home office was in Marietta, with treasurer offices in Pittsburgh. The Ohio Valley railroad was reorganized as the Marietta and Cleveland. The Pennsylvania Railroad in its expansion later purchased the railroad and its right-of-way between Marietta and Bellaire.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}}

Passengers traveling between Marietta and Parkersburg, Virginia (now West Virginia) had to take a steamboat for the 14 miles between the two towns and transfer. With help from the B&O and the Baltimore City Council, the Union Railroad finally connected Marietta to [[Belpre, Ohio]] in 1860. Later absorbed by the B&O, this section of track is still in operation (2008), with unit coal trains providing most of the traffic.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}}

The planned [[Parkersburg Bridge (CSX)|bridge]] from Parkersburg across the Ohio River to Belpre was finally built 1868–1870 by the B&O, as part of its main line from Baltimore to [[St. Louis, Missouri]].<ref>[http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/hh:@field(DOCID+@lit(WV0105)) ''Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, Parkersburg Bridge, Ohio River, Parkersburg, Wood County, WV''], Historic American Engineering Record, accessed August 22, 2012</ref> This cut Marietta off from traffic and trade, although it retained local and Ohio service. In the early 20th century, 24 passenger trains served Marietta each day, most of which ran on the PRR tracks.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}}

[[William P. Cutler]] was a major figure in the M&C. He also backed the [[Union Railroad (Ohio)|Union Railroad]] and the Marietta, Columbus and Cleveland Railroad, among other local railroads. Cutler served as General Manager and as President of the M&C for many years.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}}

In 1860, oil was first drilled in the Marietta region. Oil booms in 1875 and 1910 made investors rich, who constructed numerous lavish houses in town, of which many still stand.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/11/06/travel/escapes/06amer.html?hpw |work=The New York Times |title=A Historic River Town Where the West Began |first=Robert C. |last=Yeager |date=November 6, 2009 |access-date=May 12, 2010}}</ref> The Dawes brothers of Marietta founded the [[Pure Oil Company]].{{when|date=March 2017}} All four brothers became nationally prominent businessmen or politicians: [[Charles Gates Dawes]], [[Rufus C. Dawes]], [[Beman Gates Dawes]] and [[Henry May Dawes]]. Charles Dawes was elected in 1924 with President [[Calvin Coolidge]] to serve as the 30th [[Vice President of the United States]] (1925–1929). In 1925, he shared the [[Nobel Peace Prize]], based on his work on the [[Dawes Plan]] and relieving an international crisis in 1923 related to German reparations after [[World War I]].

In 1880, the first [[Putnam Street Bridge]] was opened to connect Marietta to Fort Harmar. It provided the first free crossing of the [[Muskingum River]].{{citation needed|date=March 2017}}