In 1934, residents of Marietta, Ohio, began discussing plans for a formal acknowledgment of the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the Northwest Territory, to be commemorated in 1937. The movement captured the attention of the United States government, which formally established a 14-person Northwest Territory Celebration Commission in August 1935. The commission, whose members included President Franklin D. Roosevelt, organized commemorative activities and publications. From December 3, 1937-April 7, 1938, a group of 36 men traveled by ox-driven Conestoga wagon and flatboat from Ipswich, Massachusetts, to Marietta, Ohio. Twenty-eight men made the entire trek, using the journals of Rufus Putnam and Manasseh Cutler to approximate the pioneers' equipment, route, and experiences in the late 18th century. From late January to early March 1938, the party stayed in West Newton, Pennsylvania, where they constructed several boats for their travels down the Youghiogheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers. At many stops, the travelers performed a historical pageant for local residents and visitors. The group used portable printing equipment to produce daily letters about the trip, which they sent to subscribers throughout the country.
From the guide to the Northwest Territory Celebration letters, 1937-1938, (William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan)
