Marion is a city in Marion County, Kansas, United States. It is also the county seat of Marion County. It was named after Francis Marion, a Brigadier General of the American Revolutionary War, known as the "Swamp Fox". In 2010, 1,927 people lived there.

History

19th century
The city of Marion Centre was created in 1860. It became the county seat.  A post office was created in Marion Centre on September 30, 1862. It was renamed to Marion on October 15, 1881. The namesake of the city is Francis Marion.

As early as 1875, city leaders of Marion had a meeting to consider a branch railroad from Florence. In 1878, Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and people from Marion County and McPherson County started the Marion and McPherson Railway Company. In 1879, a railroad was built from Florence to McPherson. In 1880 it was extended to Lyons. In 1881 it was extended to Ellinwood. The line was used by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The line from Florence to Marion, was left in 1968. In 1992, the line from Marion to McPherson was sold to Central Kansas Railway. In 1993, because of heavy flood damage, the line from Marion to McPherson was left. The original railroad connected Florence, Marion, Canada, Hillsboro, Lehigh, Canton, Galva, McPherson, Conway, Windom, Little River, Mitchell, Lyons, Chase, Ellinwood. Later, the Santa Fe depot building became the Marion Library. Most locals still refer to this railroad as the "Santa Fe".

In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas and Nebraska Railway built a railroad north-south from Herington through Marion to Caldwell. It closed in 1891. It was taken over by Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway, which closed in 1980 and became the Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas Railroad. It merged 1988 with Missouri Pacific Railroad. It merged in 1997 with Union Pacific Railroad. Most locals still call this railroad as the "Rock Island".

In 1888, Marion incorporated as a city. In 1889, the Marion Belt and Chingawasa Springs Railroad built a  railroad from Marion north-east to Chingawasa Springs. A hotel was built near the place of the spa at Chingawasa Springs. A depot and restaurant were built too. Both Santa Fe and Rock Island had round trip fares from Chicago and western cities to Chingawasa Springs. The Panic of 1893 closed down the health spa and hotel, and businesses along the tracks never developed well. In 1893, the railroad stopped, and tracks were removed in 1910.

20th century

The National Old Trails Road, also called the Ocean-to-Ocean Highway, was created in 1912, and it went through Lehigh, Hillsboro, Marion and Lost Springs.

In 1937, the Marion County Lake was completed by the Civilian Conservation Corps south-east of Marion. It was to be used for recreation. There were many floods during the early history of Marion. In June and July 1951, due to heavy rains, rivers and streams flooded many cities in Kansas, including Marion. Many reservoirs and levees were built in Kansas because of the Great Flood of 1951. From 1964 to 1968, the Marion Reservoir was built north-west of Marion. Downstream from the Marion Reservoir, levees were built in the low areas of Marion and Florence.

21st century
In 2010, the Keystone-Cushing Pipeline (Phase II) was built west of Marion, north to south through Marion County. There was a lot of controversy over road damage, tax exemption, and environmental concerns (if a leak ever happens).

Geography

Marion is at  (38.348952, −97.016037). It is in the Flint Hills. The United States Census Bureau says that the city has a total area of . Of that,  is land and  is water.

Weather
Marion has hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. The Köppen Climate Classification system says that Marion has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

People

2010 census
The 2010 census says that there were 1,927 people, 846 households, and 514 families living in Marion.

Things to see
Marion has five listings on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).
 Elgin Hotel (NRHP), 115 North 3rd Street. Currently a Bed and Breakfast.
 First Presbyterian Church (NRHP), 610 East Lawrence Street.
 Hill Grade School (NRHP), 601 East Main Street.
 Marion County Courthouse (NRHP), 200 South 3rd Street.
 Marion County Museum, 623 East Main Street. Formerly the First Baptist Church from 1882 to mid-1950s.
 Marion County Lake,  east of Marion on 190th Street (Main) then  south on Upland Road.
 Marion Reservoir, exits closest to farther from Marion along US-56: Marion cove and Cottonwood Point cove (Pawnee Road), Overlook and Dam (Old Mill Road), Hillsboro cove (Nighthawk Road), French Creek cove (Limestone Road).

Culture
 Chingawassa Days Festival
 Old Settler's Day
 Art in the Park and Craft Show

Education
Marion is part of Unified School District 408. The high school is a member of T.E.E.N.. It is a network of educational videos, and it is shared between five area high schools.

Media

Print
 Marion County Record, official newspaper for City of Marion and Marion County.
 Hillsboro Free Press, free newspaper for greater Marion County area.

Infrastructure
The Oklahoma Kansas Texas (OKT) railroad of the Union Pacific Railroad goes north-south through the city.

Marion Municipal Airport, FAA:43K, is located south-east of Marion and centered at .

Famous people
 Randolph Carpenter (1894–1956), U.S. Representative from Kansas and a U.S. Army World War I veteran.
 Charlie Faust (1880–1915), Major League baseball player
 Beverly Hoch (born 1951), soprano
 Edward Hoch (1849–1925), Kansas House of Representatives, 17th Governor of Kansas, editor of Marion County Record, Hoch Auditoria at University of Kansas was named after him.
 Homer Hoch (1879–1949), U.S. Congressman, member of Kansas Supreme Court, lawyer, editor of Marion County Record
 Tex Jones (1885–1938), Major League baseball player
 Eric Meyer (born 1953), journalism professor at University of Illinois, Pulitzer Prize nominee, president and majority owner of Hoch Publishing Co (in Marion)
 Fay Moulton (1876–1945), Olympic sprinter, football player and coach, lawyer; served as fifth head football coach at Kansas State Agricultural College, now Kansas State University
 Samuel Peters (1842–1910), Captain in Union Army (1861–1865), Kansas State Senate (1874–1875), Judge of 9th District (1875–1883), U.S. House of Representatives (1883–1891), editor of Newton Daily Kansas-Republican (1899), postmaster in Newton (1898–1910), lawyer in Newton and Marion.
 William Runyan (1870–1957), preacher, songwriter who composed "Great Is Thy Faithfulness"
 Carla Stovall (born 1957), Kansas Attorney General

References

More Reading
 Marion County Dreamed of Prosperity in Chingawassa Springs, Quarry Siding and Rainbow Lake; Marion Record Review; September 14, 1944.
 Memories of Old Chingawassa Railroad and Resort; Marion Record; September 10/11 Souvenir Edition, 1941.
 First Mayor of Marion Centre; Jack Costello; Marion Record; September 10/11 Souvenir Edition, 1941.
 Presbyterian Church Seventy Years Old; Marion Record; September 11, 1941.
 Marion, Kansas; Printing Bureau, 1926.

Other websites

City
 
 Marion - Directory of Public Officials, League of Kansas Municipalities
Schools
 USD 408, school district for Marion, Florence, Eastshore, Canada, Aulne, nearby rural areas of Marion County
 USD 408 School District Boundary Map, KDOT
Photos and Videos
 KWCH 'One of a Kind' Kansas road trip in 2011: Photos, Video 1, Video 2. Towns included were Coldwater, Sterling, Atwood, Lucas, Marion.
Historical
 Historic Images of Marion, Special Photo Collections at Wichita State University Library
 , archive of KsGenWeb
 Marion County history bibliography,  Marion County school bibliography, Kansas Historical Society
Lodging
 Historic Elgin Hotel B&B
Maps
 Marion City Map, KDOT
 Topo Map of Marion / Aulne / Canada area, USGS
 Topo Map of Marion to Florence area, USGS
 Marion County Maps: Current, Historic, KDOT

Cities in Marion County, Kansas
County seats in Kansas
1860 establishments in Kansas Territory