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.
In 1888, Marion incorporated as a city. In 1889, the Marion Belt and Chingawasa Springs Railroad built a 4.5-mile (7.2km) 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.
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).
The 2020 census says that there were 1,922 people, 860 households, and 502 families living in Marion. Of the households, 70.5% owned their home and 29.5% rented their home.
The median age was 46.3 years. Of the people, 94.2% were White, 0.5% were Native American, 0.1% were Black, 0.1% were Asian, 0.3% were from some other race, and 4.9% were two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.3% of the people.
2010 census
The 2010 census says that there were 1,927 people, 846 households, and 514 families living in Marion.
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, 1-mile (1.6km) east of Marion on 190th Street (Main) then 1.75 miles (2.82km) 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.
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)
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.
