Marion (Ohio)
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Marion is a city in
Marion County, Ohio Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 65,359. Its county seat is Marion. The county was erected by the state of Ohio on February 20, 1820 and later reorganized in 1824. It is ...
, United States, and its
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
. It is located in north-central Ohio, approximately north of
Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451–1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, the capital city of the U.S. state of Ohio * Columbus, Georgia, a city i ...
. The population was 35,999 at the 2020 census, down slightly from 36,837 at the 2010 census. It is the largest city in Marion County and the principal city of the Marion micropolitan area. It is also part of the larger Columbus–Marion–Zanesville, OH Combined Statistical Area.
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
Warren G. Harding Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he was one of the most ...
, a former owner of the '' Marion Star'', was a resident of Marion for much of his adult life and is buried at
Harding Tomb The Harding Tomb is the burial location of the 29th President of the United States, Warren G. Harding and First Lady Florence Kling Harding. It is located in Marion, Ohio. Also known as the Harding Memorial, it was the last of the elaborate pr ...
. The city and its development were closely related to industrialist
Edward Huber Edward Huber (September 1, 1837, Dover, Indiana – August 26, 1904, Marion, Ohio) was an American inventor and industrialist. Huber established his role in the modernization of American agriculture when he invented a “revolving hay rake” ...
and his extensive business interests. The city is home to several historic properties, some listed on the
National Register of Historic Places listings in Marion County, Ohio This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Marion County, Ohio. This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Marion County, Ohio, United Stat ...
. Marion currently styles itself as "America's Workforce Development Capital" given public–private educational partnerships and coordination of educational venues, from four and two–year college programs to vocational and technical training and skill certification programs. The mayor of Marion is Bill Collins.


History

Marion was laid out in 1822, and is named in honor of General
Francis Marion Brigadier general (United States), Brigadier General Francis Marion ( 1732 – February 27, 1795), also known as the "Swamp Fox", was an American military officer, planter, and politician who served during the French and Indian War and t ...
. It was incorporated as a village by the Legislature of Ohio in its 1829-1830 session. On March 15, 1830, Marion elected Nathan Peters as its first Mayor. Marion was one of Ohio's major industrial centers until the 1970s. Products of the Marion Steam Shovel Company (later
Marion Power Shovel Marion Power Shovel Company was an American firm that designed, manufactured and sold steam shovels, power shovels, blast hole drills, excavators, and dragline excavators for use in the construction and mining industries. The company was a ma ...
) were used by contractors to build the
Panama Canal The Panama Canal () is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. It cuts across the narrowest point of the Isthmus of Panama, and is a Channel (geography), conduit for maritime trade between th ...
, the
Hoover Dam The Hoover Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado, Black Canyon of the Colorado River (U.S.), Colorado River, on the border between the U.S. states of Nevada and Arizona. Constructed between 1931 and 1936, d ...
, and dug the
Holland Tunnel The Holland Tunnel is a vehicular tunnel under the Hudson River that connects Hudson Square and Lower Manhattan in New York City in the east to Jersey City, New Jersey, in the west. The tunnel is operated by the Port Authority of New York an ...
under the
Hudson River The Hudson River, historically the North River, is a river that flows from north to south largely through eastern New York (state), New York state. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains at Henderson Lake (New York), Henderson Lake in the ...
. In 1911, 80% of the nation's steam shovel and heavy-duty earth moving equipment was manufactured in Marion, Ohio.
NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
contracted with Marion Power Shovel to manufacture the crawler-transporters that moved the assembled
Saturn V The Saturn V is a retired American super heavy-lift launch vehicle developed by NASA under the Apollo program for human exploration of the Moon. The rocket was human-rated, had multistage rocket, three stages, and was powered by liquid-propel ...
rockets (used for
Project Apollo The Apollo program, also known as Project Apollo, was the United States human spaceflight program led by NASA, which Moon landing, landed the first humans on the Moon in 1969. Apollo followed Project Mercury that put the first Americans in sp ...
) to the launch pad. The city is a rail center for
CSX CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Railroad classes, Class I freight railroad company operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Operating about 21,000 route miles () of trac ...
, and
Norfolk Southern The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company was formed in 1982 with the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. The comp ...
. Marion has long been a center of grain based (corn and popcorn) snack and other products given its close proximity to nearby growing regions in adjacent counties (
ConAgra Conagra Brands, Inc. (formerly ConAgra Foods) is an American consumer packaged goods holding company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Conagra makes and sells products under various brand names that are available in supermarkets, restaurants, ...
had a major presence in Marion for decades, and
Wyandot Snacks Wyandot Snacks is a privately held and family owned American contract manufacturer of snacks and other packaged foods, headquartered in Marion, Ohio, a part of the Columbus, Ohio Combined statistical area. primarily as a contract manufacturer f ...
has been active in Marion since the 1960s).
Whirlpool Corporation Whirlpool Corporation is an American multinational corporation, multinational manufacturer and marketer of home appliances headquartered in Benton Charter Township, Michigan, United States. In 2023, the Fortune 500 company had an annual revenue ...
is the largest employer in the city operating the largest clothes dryer manufacturing facility in the world.
Nucor Steel Nucor Corporation is an American company based in Charlotte, North Carolina, that produces steel and related products. It is the largest steel producer in the United States and the largest recycler of scrap in North America. Nucor is the 16th- ...
's facility in Marion is the largest producer of rebar and signpost in Ohio. Marion, like many small American cities, has progressed in its sensibilities around race. During the 1800s Marion served as a stop in the
Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was an organized network of secret routes and safe houses used by freedom seekers to escape to the abolitionist Northern United States and Eastern Canada. Enslaved Africans and African Americans escaped from slavery ...
known in Ohio as the River to Lake Freedom Trail. In 1839, a Black man, Bill Mitchell, was accused of being a fugitive slave in Marion and was freed in the ensuing legal case. A number of Virginians seeking to reclaim him for his owner brawled in the courtroom in response. The former slave was spirited away by Marion abolitionists and he ultimately made his way to Canada. In February 1919, nearly all of Marion's
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
residents were driven out of town in response to an attack on a white woman. Marion subsequently became a
sundown town Sundown towns, also known as sunset towns, gray towns, or sundowner towns, were all-white municipalities or neighborhoods in the United States. They were towns that practiced a form of racial segregation by excluding non-whites via some combinati ...
, where African Americans were prevented from residing. President Harding, in spite of criticisms, employed African Americans at the '' Marion Star''. In the 1920s, Marion city and Marion County supported Native American
Jim Thorpe James Francis Thorpe (; May 22 or 28, 1887March 28, 1953) was an American athlete who won Olympic gold medals and played professional American football, football, baseball, and basketball. A citizen of the Sac and Fox Nation, Thorpe was ...
and his efforts to field an all–Native American
NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...
team called the
Oorang Indians The Oorang Indians () were a traveling team in the National Football League from LaRue, Ohio (near Marion). The franchise was a novelty team put together by Walter Lingo to market his Oorang (Airedale Terrier) dog kennels. All of the Indians ...
. In the 1970s, Dr. Dalsukh Madia, an
Indian American Indian Americans are Americans whose ancestry originates wholly or partly from India. The terms Asian Indian and East Indian are used to avoid confusion with Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans in the United States, who ar ...
, became head of the Smith Center at Marion General Hospital (now part of
OhioHealth OhioHealth is a not-for-profit system of hospitals and healthcare providers based in Columbus, Ohio, Columbus and the Columbus metropolitan area, Ohio, Central Ohio area. The system consists of 16 hospitals, 300+ ambulatory sites, hospice, home h ...
). Today, people of color constitute 14% of Marion's population. In July 2020 the Marion City Council, led by Mayor Scott Schertzer, unanimously passed a resolution vowing to promote racial equality and justice for its African American community.


Geography

Marion is located in the
Till plain Till plains are an extensive flat plain of glacial till that forms when a sheet of ice becomes detached from the main body of a glacier and melts in place, depositing the sediments it carried. Ground moraines are formed with melts out of the glac ...
geological area of Ohio. The flat land was formed (12,000-14,000 years ago) of glacial till that formed when a sheet of ice became detached from the main body of a glacier and melted in place, depositing the sediments it carried. Two small glacial lake plains are located to the west of the city. The county has gently rolling moraine hills left from the retreating glaciers. Because of the glacial action, the soils are highly productive for agriculture. The soils are blount, pewamo and glynwood. The city is located about north of
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
's capital city,
Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451–1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, the capital city of the U.S. state of Ohio * Columbus, Georgia, a city i ...
, due north along U.S. Route 23. Marion occupies most of Marion Township, which is located just outside the city limits. According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.


Climate


Demographics


2022 American Community Survey

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...
estimates, there were people and households. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
was . There were housing units at an average density of .To calculate density we use the land area figure from the places file in The racial makeup of the city was 81.7% White, 9.2% Black or African American, 1.6% some other race, 0.3% Native American or Alaskan Native, 0.3% Asian, and 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, with 6.9% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 4.5% of the population. Of the households, 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 28.3% had seniors 65 years or older living with them, 36.1% were married couples living together, 11.2% were couples cohabitating, 20.5% had a male householder with no partner present, and 32.1% had a female householder with no partner present. The median household size was and the median family size was . The age distribution was 20.5% under 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 26.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 or older. The median age was years. For every 100 females, there were males. The median income for a household was $, with family households having a median income of $ and non-family households $. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
was $. Males working
full-time job A full-time job is employment in which workers work a minimum number of hours defined as such by their employer. Overview Fulltime employment often comes with benefits that are not typically offered to part-time, temporary, or flexible worke ...
s had median earnings of $ compared to $ for females. Out of the people with a determined poverty status, 21.8% were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
. Further, 30.9% of minors and 13.3% of seniors were below the poverty line. In the survey, residents self-identified with various ethnic ancestries. People of
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
descent made up 20.7% of the population of the town, followed by
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...
at 13.3%, Irish at 12.7%,
American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...
at 9.2%,
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
at 2.7%,
Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...
at 2.1%,
Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...
at 1.7%,
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, of or about Wales * Welsh language, spoken in Wales * Welsh people, an ethnic group native to Wales Places * Welsh, Arkansas, U.S. * Welsh, Louisiana, U.S. * Welsh, Ohio, U.S. * Welsh Basin, during t ...
at 1.7%,
French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...
at 1.7%,
Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...
at 1.3%,
Sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the list of sovereign states and ...
n at 0.7%, Scotch-Irish at 0.7%,
Arab Arabs (,  , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...
at 0.5%, and Hungarian at 0.5%.


2010 census

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 36,837 people, 12,868 households, and 8,175 families residing in the city. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
was . There were 15,066 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 86.7%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 9.6%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.2% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 1.1% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 3.0% of the population. There were 12,868 households, of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.0% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.5% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.00. The median age in the city was 37.3 years. 22.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.7% were from 25 to 44; 26.6% were from 45 to 64; and 12.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 54.9% male and 45.1% female.


2000 census

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 35,318 people, 13,551 households, and 8,821 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 14,713 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 90.40%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 7.01%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.20% Native American, 0.54% Asian, 0.01%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 0.64% from other races, and 1.20% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 1.34% of the population. There were 13,551 households, out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.3% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.00. In the city the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.5 males. The median income for a household in the city was $33,124, and the median income for a family was $40,000. Males had a median income of $31,126 versus $22,211 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $16,247. About 10.9% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 20.2% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.


Economy

While Marion and the surrounding area is generally rural, manufacturing is a significant source of employment. The county is a well-positioned rail transportation hub with access to
U.S. 23 U.S. Route 23 or U.S. Highway 23 (US 23) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway between Jacksonville, Florida, and Mackinaw City, Michigan. It is an original 1926 route which originally reached only as far south a ...
, serving as a major connection to
Interstate 80 Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one of the ori ...
and
Interstate 90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...
through
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
and
Toledo Toledo most commonly refers to: * Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain * Province of Toledo, Spain * Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States Toledo may also refer to: Places Belize * Toledo District * Toledo Settlement Bolivia * Toledo, Or ...
to the north, and connections to
Interstate 71 Interstate 71 (I-71) is a north–south Interstate Highway in the midwestern and Southeastern United States, southeastern regions of the United States. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 64, I-64 and Interstate 65, ...
and
Interstate 70 Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15, I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to Interstate 695 (Maryland), I-695 and Maryland Route 570 (MD 570) in Woodlawn, Baltimo ...
through nearby
Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451–1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, the capital city of the U.S. state of Ohio * Columbus, Georgia, a city i ...
. One of the largest
intermodal freight transport Intermodal freight transport involves the transportation of freight in an intermodal container or vehicle, using multiple modes of transportation (e.g., rail, ship, aircraft, and truck), without any handling of the freight itself when changing ...
facilities in the country is located in Marion. It provides rail and local truck delivery services for
Whirlpool Corporation Whirlpool Corporation is an American multinational corporation, multinational manufacturer and marketer of home appliances headquartered in Benton Charter Township, Michigan, United States. In 2023, the Fortune 500 company had an annual revenue ...
,
International Paper The International Paper Company is an American pulp and paper company, the largest such company in the world. It has approximately 39,000 employees, and is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. History The company was incorporated January 31 ...
and major automotive parts manufacturers, among many others. Whirlpool's dryer manufacturing facility in Marion is the largest in the world, producing over 20,000 dryers daily. The unemployment rate for Marion County as of July 2019 was 4.4%.


Largest employers

According to the Marion Chamber of Commerce and Marion CanDo (the economic development office of Marion), the largest ''industrial'' employers in the city are:


Recent developments

Like most of Central Ohio, Marion has been experiencing an economic resurgence since the end of the
Great Recession The Great Recession was a period of market decline in economies around the world that occurred from late 2007 to mid-2009.
. Ohio is the second largest steel producing state in America, and local employer
Nucor Steel Nucor Corporation is an American company based in Charlotte, North Carolina, that produces steel and related products. It is the largest steel producer in the United States and the largest recycler of scrap in North America. Nucor is the 16th- ...
, whose Marion facility is the largest manufacturer of
rebar Rebar (short for reinforcement bar or reinforcing bar), known when massed as reinforcing steel or steel reinforcement, is a tension device added to concrete to form ''reinforced concrete'' and reinforced masonry structures to strengthen and aid ...
and signposts in Ohio, announced in March 2017 it was spending $85 million on a modernization program. Also in 2017
POET A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...
announced it was spending $120 million to more than double its ethanol manufacturing capacity to 150 million gallons a year. MarionMade!, an advertising campaign, is designed to promote positive news about the area's people, places, products, and programs. The MarionMade! advertising program won a 2017 PRism Award from the Central Ohio Chapter of the
Public Relations Society of America The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit organization trade association serving the public relations and communication community. It was founded in 1947 by combining the American Council on Public Relations an ...
(PRSA).


Arts and culture


Performing arts

The
Palace Theatre Palace Theatre, or Palace Theater, is the name of many theatres in different countries, including: Australia *Palace Theatre, Melbourne, Victoria *Palace Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales Canada *Palace Theatre, housed in the Robillard Block, Mo ...
(c. 1928) is a 1440-seat
atmospheric theatre An atmospheric theatre is a type of movie palace design which was popular in the late 1920s. Atmospheric theatres were designed and decorated to evoke the feeling of a particular time and place for patrons, through the use of projectors, archit ...
designed by
John Eberson John Adolph Emil Eberson (January 2, 1875 – March 5, 1954) was an Austrian-American architect best known for the development and promotion of movie palace designs in the atmospheric theatre style. He designed over 500 theatres in his lifetime, e ...
in the
Spanish Colonial Revival architecture The Spanish Colonial Revival architecture (), often known simply as Spanish Revival, is a term used to encompass a number of revivalist architectural styles based in both Spanish colonial architecture and Spanish architecture in general. Thes ...
style. It has been in continuous operation since it opened on August 30, 1928. Restored in 1975, it is one of only 16 remaining Eberson-designed atmospheric theatres still in operation in the United States today. Eberson designed the theatre for Young Amusement Company, at an original cost of one-half million dollars ($8.6 million in 2023 dollars). Inside, the auditorium resembles an outdoor palace courtyard, complete with a blue sky and twinkling stars. It has many original Pietro Caproni sculpture castings. The theatre is registered on the National Register of Historic Places. Adjoining the theatre is the May Pavilion, a two-story event space for chamber orchestra concerts, jazz and soft rock bands,
amateur theatre Amateur theatre, also known as amateur dramatics, is theatre performed by amateur actors and singers. Amateur theatre groups may stage plays, revues, musicals, light opera, pantomime or variety shows, and do so for the social activity as well as f ...
productions of plays and small cast musicals, wedding receptions, graduation parties and meetings. The theatre presents touring artists and children's theatre. During the off-season and at other times during the year when the theatre would be otherwise dark, non-equity
amateur theater Amateur theatre, also known as amateur dramatics, is theatre performed by amateur actors and singers. Amateur theatre groups may stage plays, revues, musicals, light opera, pantomime or variety shows, and do so for the social activity as well as f ...
musicals, community band concerts and high school productions are presented on the main stage and in the smaller May Pavilion. The theatre also exhibits current motion pictures.


Museums

Heritage Hall & the Old Post Office The Old U.S. Post Office (Marion, Ohio) was built in 1910. It is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
(1990). The building is now used as the Heritage Hall museum of the Marion County Historical Society. The museum is dedicated to the preservation of
Marion County, Ohio Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 65,359. Its county seat is Marion. The county was erected by the state of Ohio on February 20, 1820 and later reorganized in 1824. It is ...
history. Wyandot Popcorn Museum Heritage Hall is also home of the Wyandot Popcorn Museum, the "only museum in the world dedicated to popcorn and its associated memorabilia." Opened in 1982 prior to the second Popcorn Festival, the museum's collection consists of classic antique poppers made by
Cretors C. Cretors & Company is an US, American manufacturing company, specializing in popcorn machines and other concessions equipment. It was established in 1885 with the invention of the first large-scale commercial Popcorn maker, popcorn machine to ...
, Dunbar, Kingery, Holcomb and Hoke, Long-Eakin, Excel, Manley, Burch, Star, Bartholomew, Stutsman and Advance. Not only is it one of only two Popcorn Museums in the world, it also represents the largest collection of restored popcorn antiques. Warren G. Harding House A national presidential site, the
Harding Home The Harding Home is a historic house museum at 380 Mount Vernon Avenue in Marion, Ohio. It was the residence of Warren G. Harding, 29th president of the United States. Harding and his future wife, Florence, designed the Queen Anne Style house ...
was the residence of
Warren G. Harding Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he was one of the most ...
, twenty-ninth president of the United States. Harding and his future wife, Florence, designed the Queen Anne Style house in 1890, a year before their marriage. They were married in the home and lived there for 30 years before his election to the presidency. Like
James A. Garfield James Abram Garfield (November 19, 1831 – September 19, 1881) was the 20th president of the United States, serving from March 1881 until his death in September that year after being shot two months earlier. A preacher, lawyer, and Civi ...
, an earlier U.S. president from Ohio, Harding conducted his election campaign mainly from the house's expansive front porch. During the 3-month front porch campaign, over 600,000 people traveled to the Harding Home to listen to the candidate speak. Harding paid $1,000 to have a
Sears Sears, Roebuck and Co., commonly known as Sears ( ), is an American chain of department stores and online retailer founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosen ...
catalog house built behind his home so newspaper reporters had workspace to type their stories. The press house is also open to the public. The site is being expanded to include a Presidential Center for Harding, expected to be opened in 2020, the 100th anniversary of Harding's election to the Presidency. Huber Machinery Museum This museum contains examples of Edward Huber's early steam and gasoline tractors and road-building equipment. Huber Manufacturing introduced a thresher in 1875, a steam traction engine in 1898, its first motor graders in the 1920s, a primitive hydraulic control in 1926, and the first Maintainer, a tractor-sized integral motor grader, in 1943. Other Huber products included wheel tractors, agricultural equipment, and three-wheel, tandem and pneumatic rollers. Marion Union Station and Museum More than 100 trains pass by Union Station every day. The museum showcases an impressive collection of memorabilia and the AC Tower, which was once the main switching facility for the
Erie Railroad The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Northeastern United States, originally connecting Pavonia Terminal in Jersey City, New Jersey, with Lake Erie at Dunkirk, New York. The railroad expanded west to Chicago following its 1865 ...
, Marion Division. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, thousands of soldiers passed through Union Station on their way to Europe.


Annual events and fairs

Marion is home to the Marion Popcorn Festival, an annual event that is held in downtown Marion in September, the weekend following Labor Day. The Marion County Fair is held every year in Marion during the first week of July. Saturday in the Park is a children's festival that is held each year in Lincoln Park. Marion is also home to Buckeye Chuck, Ohio's official weather-predicting and State
Groundhog The groundhog (''Marmota monax''), also known as the woodchuck, is a rodent of the family Sciuridae, belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots. A lowland creature of North America, it is found through much of the Easte ...
known for predicting the arrival of spring on
Groundhog Day Groundhog Day (, , , ; Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia: Daks Day) is a tradition observed regionally in the United States and Canada on February 2 of every year. It derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if ...
(February 2). The Rockin' Poppin' Organization is the proud host of the annual Rockin' Poppin' New Year's Eve Celebration. The annual event is held in Marion, OH leading up to midnight when an Illuminated Popcorn Ball is dropped 3 stories from a radio tower to countdown to the new year.


Landmarks


Harding Home

The Harding Home was the residence of Warren G. Harding, twenty-ninth president of the United States. Harding and his future wife, Florence, designed the Queen Anne Style house in 1890, a year before their marriage. They were married there and lived there for 30 years before his election to the presidency.


Harding Memorial (Harding Tomb)

The Harding Memorial, as it was called by thousands of people, including schoolchildren who donated to its construction fund, is the burial location (tomb) of the 29th President of the United States,
Warren G. Harding Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he was one of the most ...
and First Lady
Florence Kling Harding Florence Mabel Harding (née Kling; August 15, 1860 – November 21, 1924) was First Lady of the United States from 1921 until her husband's death in 1923 as the wife of President Warren G. Harding. Harding had initially studied to be a con ...
. Later referred to as the
Harding Tomb The Harding Tomb is the burial location of the 29th President of the United States, Warren G. Harding and First Lady Florence Kling Harding. It is located in Marion, Ohio. Also known as the Harding Memorial, it was the last of the elaborate pr ...
, it is located at the southeast corner of Vernon Heights Boulevard and Delaware Avenue. Construction began in 1926 and was finished in early 1927, the Greek temple structure is built of white marble. Designed by
Henry Hornbostel Henry Hornbostel (August 15, 1867 – December 13, 1961) was an American architect and educator. Hornbostel designed more than 225 buildings, bridges, and monuments in the United States. Twenty-two of his designs are listed on the National Regist ...
, Eric Fisher Wood and Edward Mellon, the structure is 103 feet in diameter and 53 feet in height. The open design honors the Hardings' wishes that they be buried outside.


Hotel Harding (The Harding Centre)

Constructed in 1924, the Hotel Harding was developed to provide lodging and fine dining for the expected post-White House visitors of President Harding. It was hoped by local entrepreneurs that the hotel would provide lodging for
Warren G. Harding Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he was one of the most ...
's visitors who came to Marion after his presidency. It was located close to Union Station, the city's main rail station. The building is no longer used as a hotel. Renovated in 2005, the building is now an apartment style community for all, and as residence for OSUM students. Its lobby has been restored to much the same condition as the original.


Marion Cemetery

Merchant Family Memorial (The Rotating Ball). Marion Cemetery is the home to the Merchant family grave marker, known for its unintended movements. The marker consists of a large grey granite pedestal capped by a two-ton granite sphere four feet in diameter. The sphere moves on its base a 1/4 to a 1/2 inch every year, as measured by the distance traveled by the unpolished spot from where it was mated to the pedestal. While the movement of the sphere is thought to be facilitated by freeze-thaw cycles, earth tremors, or trapped air or water under the base, there has been no conclusive explanation for patterns that the sphere seems to follow. The movements of the sphere have been documented by numerous news outlets and it has been featured in
Ripley's Believe it or Not ''Ripley's Believe It or Not!'' is an American franchise founded by Robert Ripley, which deals with bizarre events and items so strange and unusual that readers might question the claims. Originally a newspaper panel, the ''Believe It or Not'' ...
(September 29, 1927). This has also been documented in Frank Edwards' book, ''Strange World'', from an edition in the early to mid sixties. There are several web pages on the internet concerning this tombstone. The Receiving Vault. The
Marion Cemetery Receiving Vault The Marion Cemetery Receiving Vault is a funerary structure in Marion Cemetery of Marion, Ohio, United States. Constructed in the 1870s, this receiving vault originally fulfilled the normal purposes of such structures, but it gained prominence a ...
is a funerary structure in the main cemetery of Marion, Ohio, United States. Constructed in the 1870s, this receiving vault originally fulfilled the normal purposes of such structures, but it gained prominence as the semipermanent resting place of Marion's most prominent citizen, U.S. President
Warren G. Harding Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he was one of the most ...
.


Sports

The
Oorang Indians The Oorang Indians () were a traveling team in the National Football League from LaRue, Ohio (near Marion). The franchise was a novelty team put together by Walter Lingo to market his Oorang (Airedale Terrier) dog kennels. All of the Indians ...
, a traveling NFL team based in nearby La Rue, played their only true "home" game in Marion in 1923. It is the former home of the
Marion Blue Racers The Marion Blue Racers were a professional indoor football team based in Marion, Ohio. The Blue Racers began play as an expansion team in the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) in 2011, before moving to the United Indoor Football League ( ...
, an indoor football team in
X-League Indoor Football X-League Indoor Football (X-League) was a professional indoor American football minor league that began play in 2014 in the United States. The league was co-chaired by Michael Mink and Kacee Smith. On September 19, 2015, the league announced a mer ...
; the
Marion Mayhem The Marion Mayhem were a professional indoor American football, indoor football team based in Marion, Ohio. The team was a charter member of the Great Lakes Indoor Football League (GLIFL), later renamed the Continental Indoor Football League (CIF ...
, also an indoor football team in the CIFL; and a professional
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
team, the
Marion Barons The Marion Barons were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the International Hockey League during the 1953–54 season. The Barons were based in Marion, Ohio, played at Veterans Memorial Coliseum, and were a farm team of the Cleveland ...
, which played in the International Hockey League during the 1953–54 season. Marion was home to numerous
minor league baseball Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...
teams between 1900 and 1951, including the Marion Senators, Marion Presidents, Marion Cardinals and
Marion Cubs The Marion Cubs were an Ohio State League (1947) and Ohio–Indiana League (1948) baseball team based in Marion, Ohio, USA. They were affiliated with the Chicago Cubs and played their home games at Lincoln Park Lincoln Park is a park along Lak ...
. Future U.S. President Warren G. Harding was a part owner of the Marion Diggers, who played as members of the Class D level
Ohio State League The Ohio State League was a minor league baseball league that operated in numerous seasons between 1887 and 1947, predominantly as a Class D (baseball), Class D level league. League franchises were based in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Wes ...
from 1908 to 1912. Marion has been home to numerous individual and team high school state championships. In the early 1980s, Tina Kneisley was a national and world roller skating champion in pairs and ladies freestyle, and Scott Duncan was a WUSA National Champion in wrestling.


Education


Public schools

Most of Marion is served by the Marion City School District, which enrolls 4,242 students in public
primary Primary or primaries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Primary (band), from Australia * Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea * Primary Music, Israeli record label Work ...
and secondary schools, as of the 2022–23 school year, and the district's average testing ranking is 3/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public schools in Ohio. The district administers six elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school, Marion Harding High School. Parts of the city are in the neighboring Elgin Local, Pleasant Local, Ridgedale Local, and
River Valley Local School District The River Valley Local School district (abbreviated RVLSD) is a public school district serving students in and around the village of Caledonia in Marion County, Ohio, United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the U ...
s. Tri-Rivers Educational Computer Association (TRECA) Digital Academy, an online public school for Ohio students in grades K–12, is headquartered in Marion. Operated by TRECA, the school provides students in many school districts in Ohio with distance learning options.


Parochial schools

Marion is home to one parochial school, St. Mary's School, which includes grades K–8 and is affiliated with the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of Roman civilization * Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter ...
.


Vocational education

Marion is also home to Tri-Rivers Career Center and Center for Adult Education offering career technical educations to high school and adult students in Central Ohio. Tri-Rivers is the site for RAMTEC—the Robotics & Advanced Manufacturing Technology Education Collaborative.


Higher education

Marion is home to two institutions of higher learning: *
Ohio State University at Marion Ohio State University at Marion (OSU Marion or OSUM) is a satellite campus of Ohio State University in Marion, Ohio. The campus was founded in 1957. Its campus is located north of Columbus and is shared with Marion Technical College. Ther ...
, a regional campus of The
Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...
* Marion Technical College, a community college that shares the OSU Marion Campus *Tri-Rivers Career Center, a career and trade school which in recent years, built a trade school addition focused on robotics, generally aimed towards the same robotics used in auto manufacturing.


Libraries

The Marion Public Library is the city's main public library. The Marion Campus Library of the OSU Marion Campus contains over 48,000 books, a large reference collection, and over 300 subscriptions. The library collection also includes print periodical indexes, microforms, maps, newspapers, pamphlet file, special collections in careers and children's literature, and the Warren G. Harding/Norman Thomas Research Collection. It provides access to all the resources of the Ohio State University and Ohio Link.


Media

''
The Marion Star ''The Marion Star'' (formerly known as ''The Marion Daily Star'') is a newspaper in Marion, Ohio. The paper is owned by the Gannett Newspaper organization. The paper is also notable as having once been owned and published by Warren G. Harding ( ...
'', founded in 1877 and once owned by
Warren Harding Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party, he was one of the most popular sitting U.S. presidents w ...
, is owned by
Gannett Gannett Co., Inc. ( ) is an American mass media holding company headquartered in New York City. It is the largest U.S. newspaper publisher as measured by total daily circulation. It owns the national newspaper ''USA Today'', as well as several ...
. It is published daily and is the city's only
newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as poli ...
. Among Marion's radio stations are
WMRN-FM WMRN-FM (94.3 Hertz, MHz) is a country music radio station in Marion, Ohio, currently owned by iHeartMedia. Station history The previous WMRN-FM had served the nearby Marion, Ohio area at 106.9 MHz with a country music format under the on-a ...
(94.3 FM) country music station, WMRN (1490 AM) news/talk (iHeartRadio), WOSB (91.1 FM) NPR News and classical music station,
WYNT WYNT (95.9 FM) is a hot adult contemporary radio station formerly located in Upper Sandusky, Ohio, now located with its studios in Marion, Ohio, and its transmitter and city of license moved to Caledonia, Ohio. It broadcasts music from the 1990 ...
(95.9 FM) adult contemporary station, and WDIF-LP blues music station.
WOCB-CD WGCT-CD (channel 39) is a low-power, Class A television station in Columbus, Ohio, United States, affiliated with Tri-State Christian Television (TCT). The station is owned by the Central Ohio Association of Christian Broadcasters, and is rela ...
is an independent Christian inspirational low-power television station on digital UHF channel 39, broadcasting local church services and programs and public events throughout central Ohio.


Transportation

The Marion Municipal Airport is located northeast of the
central business district A central business district (CBD) is the Commerce, commercial and business center of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides wit ...
. Transportation services are available from local air charter companies and taxi services. Also, Marion had a
Greyhound Bus Greyhound Lines, Inc. is an American operator of intercity bus services. Greyhound operates the largest intercity bus network in the United States, and also operates charter and Amtrak Thruway services, as well as intercity buses in Mexico. B ...
terminal, however it was taken out and is now a transport hub for city transportation only. U.S. Route 23 runs north to Findlay and Upper Sandusky and other points north from the eastern edge of Marion; and it runs south towards Columbus and other points south. Ohio state routes 4, 309 and 423 run through the city. Into the 1960s several railroads made stops at Marion Union Station; the station's last long-distance trains (
Erie Lackawanna The Erie Lackawanna Railway , known as the Erie Lackawanna Railroad until 1968, was formed from the 1960 merger of the Erie Railroad and the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad. The official motto of the line was "The Friendly Service Route ...
's '' Lake Cities'') which left in 1970 and a connecting line to the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from several smaller Virginia railroads begun in the 19th century. Led by industrialist Collis Potter Huntington, it reached from Virginia's capital city of Rich ...
's ''
George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...
'' which ended with the hand over of passenger service to
Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
in 1971.


Notable people

Marion is both the hometown and burial location of President
Warren G. Harding Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he was one of the most ...
and First Lady
Florence Harding Florence Mabel Harding (née Kling; August 15, 1860 – November 21, 1924) was First Lady of the United States from 1921 until her husband's death in 1923 as the wife of President Warren G. Harding. Harding had initially studied to be a con ...
. It is also the birthplace and childhood home of Norman Mattoon Thomas, six-time candidate for
President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...
under the
Socialist Party of America The Socialist Party of America (SPA) was a socialist political party in the United States formed in 1901 by a merger between the three-year-old Social Democratic Party of America and disaffected elements of the Socialist Labor Party of America ...
ticket and co-founder of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Harding's sister, Carolyn Harding Votaw, also lived in Marion. During Harding's administration, she was appointed to head the social service division of the U.S. Public Health Service, while her husband was named Superintendent of Prisons and chairman of the boards of parole at each institution. Mrs. Votaw also served as an advisor to the Federal Board of Vocation Education within the Veterans’ Bureau, which caused her name to arise during testimony in the successful prosecution of the Bureau's director, Charles R. Forbes, on corruption charges. Elsie Janis, the Broadway musical theatre star, Hollywood screenwriter, composer and actress, and "Sweetheart of the American Expeditionary Forces" (AEF) during World War I, was a native of Marion County. In 1938, local tap dance instructor Marilyn Meseke, was crowned Miss America 1938—the first year that talent was considered part of the annual competition. Mary Ellen Withrow (née Hinamon), Treasurer of the United States from 1994 until 2001 is a Marion County native. Withrow is the only person in the history of the United States to have held the governmental position of Treasurer on the local (Marion County Ohio Treasurer), state (Treasurer of the State of Ohio) and Federal levels of Government.
Jim Thorpe James Francis Thorpe (; May 22 or 28, 1887March 28, 1953) was an American athlete who won Olympic gold medals and played professional American football, football, baseball, and basketball. A citizen of the Sac and Fox Nation, Thorpe was ...
spent time in Marion County as the coach and lead player for the Native American-led National Football League
Oorang Indians The Oorang Indians () were a traveling team in the National Football League from LaRue, Ohio (near Marion). The franchise was a novelty team put together by Walter Lingo to market his Oorang (Airedale Terrier) dog kennels. All of the Indians ...
. While the team was based in La Rue the Indians played at "home" in Marion. Other notable people who lived in Marion include: * Brian Agler, former head coach of basketball's Columbus Quest and current head coach for the Los Angeles Sparks * Bob Allen (shortstop) (1867–1943), shortstop for the Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Beaneaters, and Cincinnati Reds, manager with the Phillies and Reds; as a youth, he played baseball with
Warren G. Harding Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he was one of the most ...
* Eber Baker, founder of Marion * Larry Barnett, umpire 1969-1999 Major League Baseball; worked infamous Game 3 of 1975 World Series and 1996 American League Championship Series that involved fan young fan Jeffrey Maier * James A. Beckel, Jr., composer * Hugh C. Benner, minister and general superintendent in the Church of the Nazarene * Ozias Bowen (1805–1871), Ohio Supreme Court judge 1856–1858; his residence is owned by the Marion County Historical Association, which operates it as the Stengel-True Museum * Nan Britton, author of ''The President's Daughter (1928 book), The President's Daughter'' and mother of President Warren G. Harding's only child * Lois McMaster Bujold, award-winning science fiction and fantasy author; lived in Marion at the start of her writing career * George H. Busby, member of the U.S. House of Representatives * John Courtright, pitcher at Duke University, Duke and first professional pitcher to face Michael Jordan in the minor leagues; pitched in one Major League game May 6, 1995, for the Cincinnati Reds * Daniel Richard Crissinger, Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board and 14th Comptroller of the Currency * John Dean, lawyer, Nixon Administration official, Watergate key witness, historian on Warren G. Harding, and critic of President Donald Trump * Jeanne Dietsch, New Hampshire state senator; former tech entrepreneur * James H. Godman, Ohio state auditor (1864–1872) * Shawn Grate, convicted serial killer * Tommy Griffith, player for Cincinnati Reds * Toby Harrah, MLB player, four-time All-Star, coach with the Detroit Tigers * Steven Hicks, front office, Minnesota Vikings * George Hogan (baseball), George Hogan, baseball player *
Edward Huber Edward Huber (September 1, 1837, Dover, Indiana – August 26, 1904, Marion, Ohio) was an American inventor and industrialist. Huber established his role in the modernization of American agriculture when he invented a “revolving hay rake” ...
, industrialist and inventor of the gasoline-powered tractor * Aubrey Huff, baseball player * Elsie Janis, early 20th Century singer, songwriter, actress, and screenwriter. First female announcer for the NBC radio network. * John A. Key, member of House of Representatives * Florence Kling DeWolfe Harding, wife of
Warren G. Harding Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he was one of the most ...
, First Lady of the United States, 1921–1923 * Huey Lewis, singer and songwriter, lived in Marion from 1951 to 1957 * Ed McCants, basketball player, college All American and Horizon League player of the year 2000, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee "All Decade Team" (2000) * Walter McClaskey, member Ohio House of Representatives * O.J. McDuffie, football player, wide receiver for Penn State University, Penn State and NFL's Miami Dolphins * Rick Mills, glass artist * Steve Mills (juggler), Steve Mills, juggler * Grant E. Mouser, U.S. House of Representatives (1905–1909), who in 1905 and 1906 added a total of $95,000 in appropriations to build the Old Post Office * Grant E. Mouser Jr., U.S. House of Representatives (1929–1933) * Gerry Mulligan, saxophonist, composer, jazz artist also known as "Jeru" * Taya Parker, model * George Pfann, football coach, elected to the College Football Hall of Fame * Carrie Phillips, mistress of
Warren G. Harding Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he was one of the most ...
, only woman known to have blackmailed a major American political party successfully * Aron Ralston, outdoorsman, author of Between a Rock and a Hard Place (book), ''Between a Rock and a Hard Place'', which became the film ''127 Hours'' based on his experience * Doug Sharp, Olympic bobsled medalist * Bill Sims, blues musician * Frederick C. Smith, member of House of Representatives and physician * Norman Thomas, famous socialist who ran for president six times unsuccessfully * John Vornholt, author of ''Star Trek'' novels and screenwriter


See also

* List of sundown towns in the United States


References


External links


City website

Marion Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
*
Marion Made
{{Authority control Marion, Ohio, Cities in Ohio Cities in Marion County, Ohio County seats in Ohio Populated places established in 1822 1822 establishments in Ohio Sundown towns in Ohio