Huber Machinery Museum

05/08/2026

Museums make Marion a destination worth discovering!

Visit Marion Union Station, Huber Machinery Museum, Wyandot Popcorn Museum, Marion County Historical Society, and Harding Presidential Sites to discover Marion's contributions to the American story!

For more details: https://www.visitmarionohio.com/attractions/museums-in-marion/

04/24/2026

02/11/2026

02/08/2026

Feb. 8 – The Marion Steam Shovel Company produced the rail carriages for twelve long-range railway guns in 1919. Each gun measured 40-feet-long and weighed 100 tons with its specially-designed rail carriage adding another 166 tons. The weapons could shoot a projectile weighing more than 1,000 pounds a distance of over 20 miles. The gun’s aiming mechanism allowed two men to elevate it from the loading position to the maximum elevation for firing in fifty-five seconds. There is no available record of the gun being used in combat possibly due to the necessity of having a railroad track to transport it.

America 250-OH: Marion is a community-wide commemoration of the nation's 250th anniversary, co-led by Marion Community Foundation and Marion Area Convention & Visitors Bureau to showcase the remarkable ways Marion has shaped the American story. Learn more at http://visitmarionohio.com

02/07/2026

Feb. 7 – The success of the Marion Steam Shovel Company was evident when it was chosen in 1912 as one of two companies to provide steam shovels for the Panama Canal excavation. A MSS Model 91 (similar to the one shown) with a five-cubic-yard bucket set a world record by moving 5,554 cubic yards of dirt in a single shift. By 1965, shovel technology had grown dramatically with the Marion Model 6360, known as The Captain, capable of moving 180 cubic yards in a single dip.

America 250-OH: Marion is a community-wide commemoration of the nation's 250th anniversary, co-led by Marion Community Foundation and Marion Area Convention & Visitors Bureau to showcase the remarkable ways Marion has shaped the American story. Learn more at http://visitmarionohio.com

02/07/2026

Feb. 5 – Edward Huber moved to Marion in 1865 to manufacture a revolving wooden hay rake he had invented. Marion County’s abundant supply of ash and hickory trees, along with the availability of manufacturing space, allowed Huber to economically produce the rakes. The rake’s design assisted farmers in more efficiently gathering loose hay in the field into piles for loading on to wagons. More than 200,000 of the rakes were produced and sold opening the door for numerous other products to be developed and manufactured by Huber. Among these were a revolving road scraper, a steam engine, a traction engine, a grain separator, a gasoline-powered tractor, and numerous other machines. Huber was named in more than 100 patents, many of which were the results of his financing the patent work for inventors. Huber also helped develop businesses such as the Marion Steam Shovel Company and the Marion Implement Company. Many of Huber’s creations are on display at the Huber Machinery Museum at the Marion County Fairgrounds.

America 250-OH: Marion is a community-wide commemoration of the nation's 250th anniversary, co-led by Marion Community Foundation and Marion Area Convention & Visitors Bureau to showcase the remarkable ways Marion has shaped the American story. Learn more at http://visitmarionohio.com

02/07/2026

Feb. 6 – The Marion Steam Shovel Company had its origins in the 1880s when shovel operator Henry M. Barnhart became frustrated with mechanical issues in the steam shovels he was using. He conceived a new type of shovel and approached Edward Huber to assist with financing and development. Huber approved of the design and assisted Barnhart in obtaining a patent for “Barnhart’s Steam Shovel and Wrecking Car” in 1883. After testing the machine for several months, the men approached Barnhart’s cousin Marion industrialist George W. King. In August of 1884, the three men formed the Marion Steam Shovel Company which would grow to become one of the world’s leading manufacturers of steam and power shovels along with numerous other types of equipment.

America 250-OH: Marion is a community-wide commemoration of the nation's 250th anniversary, co-led by Marion Community Foundation and Marion Area Convention & Visitors Bureau to showcase the remarkable ways Marion has shaped the American story. Learn more at http://visitmarionohio.com

02/03/2026

02/03/2026

11/21/2025

This powerful 100-ton Marion Electric Shovel was hard at work excavating blasted rock from one of the diversion tunnels during the construction of Hoover Dam. Outfitted with a 3.5-cubic-yard dipper, this mechanical giant was ideal for scooping up large volumes of debris with each pass—perfect for the massive scale of the project.

The Marion shovel was electrically powered, a cutting-edge feature at the time, allowing for more consistent and powerful operation compared to steam-powered predecessors. Its robust design and capacity made it a critical piece of equipment in one of the most ambitious engineering feats of the 20th century.

This photo, taken by the Bureau of Reclamation in 1932, captures not just a machine, but a moment in history when American ingenuity and industrial might came together to reshape the West.