Before there was an Atlanta or a Chattanooga there was Marietta, Ga. A small cluster of homes near the Cherokee town of Kennesaw were reported as early as 1824. An early road in what would become Cobb County crossed the "Shallow Ford" of the Chattahoochee and ran just south of these settlers. Incorporated in 1852, the city of Marietta, Ga., is a full-service municipality distinguished by its unique history, sense of community and modern quality of life. Marietta is 15 miles northwest of Atlanta and the Cobb County seat. At 23 square miles, Marietta is one of Georgia's most populous cities, with about 60,000 residents calling the city home.