On Oct. 31, 1963, a deadly explosion at Atherton's Drugstore in Marietta Square — where Marietta Pizza Company stands today — left seven dead and 23 injured.
It was Halloween and children were parading around in their costumes when, around 6:30 p.m., tragedy struck the city.
Debris was thrown high into the air and atop a two-story bank building only 50 feet away, a child's shoe was found.
Though the cause of the blast was not determined immediately, it was later found to be a leaking gas main in the basement.
"I don't know what exactly to say. It is the most horrible tragedy to ever happen in Marietta," Mayor Sam Welch told a reporter.
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