The Bell Bomber Influence on Marietta In 1943, the Bell Aircraft
B-29 bomber changed the face of Marietta's economy forever.
Economically, Marietta has been fortunate in its history. From
its founding, Marietta was considered a desirable place to live
and attracted industry even when the South was mostly
agricultural. Although Cobb County’s prosperity rode the swells
and dips along with the rest of the country, visionary
leadership in attracting (and keeping) industry helped Marietta
stay ahead of the rest of the South. A number of businesses
contributed to this, but none more than the Bell Aircraft
Company. As the nation was climbing out of the Great Depression
and the Roosevelt administration made contingency plans for war,
Marietta was well-positioned, both geographically and
politically, to prosper. First of all, Marietta was inland, and
the War Department had already decided by the end of the 1930s
that aircraft plants should be built inland to shield them from
attack. Secondly, Marietta was close to Atl