This little town of 1800 souls boasts of being the smallest town with a seven-day Chautauqua, the smallest town with a Kiwanis club, and of having the biggest high school of any town of its size in western Kentucky.
The townspeople point with pride to Marion as the home of two United States senators, the late Ollie M. James and W.J. Deboe.
One of its native sons [Lee Cruce] was the second governor of the state of Oklahoma.
Founded in 1840
Founded in 1840 by Dr. John S. Gilliam, Marion was incorporated two years later and elected its first mayor, J.W. Blue Jr., in 1897.
Marion is a church-going community, with two Missionary Baptist, one Methodist Episcopal South, one Presbyterian, one Cumberland Presbyterian, one Presbyterian U.S. and three churches for colored people.
One graded high school and one graded common school provide educational facilities. Marion is essentially a milling town. Fluorspar milling and two grinding mills, two flour mills, one saw mill, two lumber yards, one fluorspar mine and three coal yards represent the town's industries.
The farmers raise mostly corn and livestock. The town owns part of the water and light plants.
The Crittenden courthouse at Marion was burned down by General Lyon in the Civil War.[1]
The first railroad was built in 1886 and practically destroyed by fire in 1905 and 1909. The new school, community auditorium and library, Fohs Hall, was dedicated in October 1926.
[1] It was more likely guerrillas were responsible for burning the courthouse.
Published 30 April 2015, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog, http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/
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