Marion County Historical Society

06/02/2026

June 2 – A significant portion of northern Marion County was once covered by thousands of acres of prairie grasses and flowering plants. One of the more unusual was the “obedient plant” named for its ability to have the blossoms turned almost 1800 where it would “obediently” stay as positioned. The area became known as the Sandusky Plains in reference to the Sandusky River which flows northward through the area. A watershed divide, which delineates the point where water flows either north or south, meanders through the plains and across much of Marion County. In theory, a person holding an umbrella in the rain and standing at specific points – such as Brush Ridge or Ridgedale High School – could see water coming off one side of the umbrella begin its trip to the Ohio River while water on the other side would start towards Lake Erie.

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

06/01/2026

The America250 celebration is moving into its sixth month along with a change in the theme. June will feature "Marion Outdoors: Natural Resources”

June 1 – A Marion Mammoth? Yes, one did exist. The mammoth story began in November of 1976 when workers at the former city landfill near what is now the site of the Marion Tallgrass Trail Nature Center noticed some large bones in a recently dug trench. A professor and students from The Ohio State University at Marion retrieved the bones which included a femur, a rib, three vertebrae, and assorted others. The remains were professionally preserved by the Ohio History Connection and then returned to OSUM on loan. Research revealed that the mammoth, a young male weighing approximately 16,000 pounds, lived approximately 10,300 years ago during the Pleistocene Epoch - a time of widespread glacial ice in North America. The mammoth is currently on display in the Science and Engineering building on the OSUM campus. An interpretative sign is located near the Tallgrass Trail Nature Center.

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

05/31/2026

May 31 - An immense array of tombstones and other markers can be found in Marion County cemeteries. Among some of the more unusual ones are the simple wooden cross that marks the grave of Queen Cleo Ann Judge, a gypsy who died during childbirth in 1905 and who is buried in the non-Catholic section of Saint Mary’s Cemetery; the Merchant Ball, a 5,200 pound granite ball that very slowly rotates on its base in the Marion Cemetery; a large bronze elk in the Marion Cemetery that is representative of the commitment of Newton Davis to the Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks; and a veterans’ memorial in LaRue Cemetery comprised of a marble column originally destined for the Warren G. Harding Memorial but rejected due to a defect.

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

05/30/2026

May 30 – Built in 1879 to discourage grave robbers, the receiving vault in the Marion Cemetery also served as the temporary tomb for President and Mrs. Warren G. Harding while the Harding Memorial was being built. After the president’s casket was placed in the vault on August 10, 1923, a contingent of Ohio National Guard soldiers began their duty of standing as honor guards. They were later replaced by United States Army soldiers who stood as honor guards 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Following Mrs. Harding’s death in 1924, her body was placed in the vault beside her husband. More than three years later, in December of 1927, the Hardings were moved to their final resting place in the Harding Memorial tomb. In 1996, the receiving vault was placed on the National Register of Historical Places. A refurbishment was completed in 2019.

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

05/29/2026

May 29 - Mausoleums were popular in Marion County cemeteries in the early 1900s with Caledonia, LaRue, Marion, and Prospect all providing the interment option. Caledonia’s was built before WW I but did not have a perpetual fund for maintenance and was eventually razed. LaRue’s mausoleum, opened in 1909, had its last interment in the 1960s. Prospect’s mausoleum, featuring stained glass windows and marble floors, opened in 1912. Unfortunately, structural weaknesses compounded by unstable ground led to its eventual dismantling. The Marion Mausoleum, opened in 1916, features chandeliers, wool carpeting, and stained glass windows. Two of the windows feature upside-down torches symbolizing a belief in eternal life after death and burial. Niches, known as apartments, are available for purchase.

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

05/28/2026

May 28 – Marion’s Temple Israel traces its beginnings to Julius Strelitz, the first known Jewish resident of Marion County, who emigrated from Germany to the United States in 1852. Marion’s Hebrew Relief Society was established in 1882 with meetings held in members’ homes. In 1902, the Society became the Marion Congregation of Israel. Services were first held in the Masonic Temple. Other locations over the years included the Odd Fellows Hall, the auditorium at the rear of the Marion National Bank, Grant’s Store, and the former Owens home at 390 East Center Street which had been donated to the congregation. In 1953, land was purchased at the corner of Seffner and Mt. Vernon Avenue for the construction of Temple Israel which is still in use today. The congregation also owns a portion of the Grand Prairie Cemetery which is used as a Jewish cemetery.

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

05/27/2026

May 27 – The Caledonia Memorial Methodist Church was a gift to the community by Standard Oil heiress, Mrs. Steven B. Harkness, whose mother - Anna Maria Underwood - was a member of the congregation. The cornerstone was laid on October 24, 1908, for the structure whose tower reaches 75’ above the ground. Beautiful 18’ tall wooden doors separate the sanctuary from Sunday School rooms. A spiral stone staircase provides access to the choir loft and organ chamber and also to the basement. The building, which was dedicated on October 10, 1909, is home to the Caledonia Memorial Global Methodist Church.

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

05/26/2026

The Whetstone Woodcarvers Show is Saturday. They are talented; make sure to stop by and see their work.

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05/26/2026

May 26 – In September of 1828, the initial meeting of the Presbyterian Church in Marion was held in a multi-purpose building on North Prospect Street. The church was incorporated as the First Presbyterian Congregation of Marion in 1832. In 1893, the cornerstone of the “Great Stone Church” was laid at 143 South Prospect Street. Over the next three decades, the congregation steadily grew. In 1925, an expansion of the building was undertaken in support of a congregant’s offer of $30,000 to purchase an organ if the building was enlarged to have sufficient space. The offer was accepted and the sanctuary was significantly enlarged. Another expansion in 1957 added a wing for church classes. A massive restoration project was completed in recognition of the church’s 100th anniversary.

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

05/25/2026

Memorial Day Memories from the Marion County Historical Society