Editing Marion, Arkansas (section)

==History==

=== Early history ===
Although Marion was incorporated in 1896, the community predates that significantly. The site of Marion was part of [[Louisiana (New Spain)]] from 1764 to 1803, when it became [[Louisiana (New France)]]. Some of the oldest land titles in the area are from Spanish [[land grant]]s from a time prior to the [[Louisiana Purchase]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://marionar.org/visit-marion/historic-locations/area-history/|title=The City of Marion, Arkansas: Area History|website=marionar.org|access-date=August 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131010225340/http://marionar.org/visit-marion/historic-locations/area-history/|archive-date=October 10, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> After the Louisiana Purchase the area was part of the [[Arkansas Territory]]. During the 1830s the [[Trail of Tears]] (the forced removal of Native Americans from [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], [[Alabama]], and [[Mississippi]]) passed through the area.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/history/NR/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/118trail/118locate2.htm|title=Trail of Tears --Locate 2|website=www.nps.gov|access-date=August 28, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arkansasheritagetrails.com/Tears/|title=Historic Routes & Heritage Trails - Arkansas.com|website=www.arkansasheritagetrails.com|access-date=August 28, 2018}}</ref>

In 1837, two commissioners had been appointed by Crittenden county court to select a site for a new county seat. County residents Marion Tolbert and his wife Temperance gave a deed to the commissioners "for the county of Crittenden for county purposes" on June 25, 1837. A town was laid out and named Marion in honor of the man who gave the land for the site. The town of Marion was officially made the county seat of Crittenden County, Arkansas.<ref name=":0">Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Eastern Arkansas, Goodspeed Publisching, 1890, page 391</ref>

Soon after the county seat was moved from its first location of Greenock on the [[Mississippi River]] to Marion, a wooden frame building was constructed in the town for holding court. At an unknown point, the building was destroyed by a tornado.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Biographical and historical memoirs of eastern Arkansas |publisher=The Goodspeed publishing co. |year=1890 |location=Chicago, St. Louis}}</ref> In the late 1850s, the first railroad in the state of Arkansas, the [[Memphis and Little Rock Railroad|Memphis & Little Rock Railroad]], laid tracks 5.5 miles south of the town.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zbinden |first=Van |title=Memphis and Little Rock Railroad (M&LR) |url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/memphis-and-little-rock-railroad-2304/ |access-date=January 18, 2024 |website=Encyclopedia of Arkansas |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== American Civil War and after ===
During the [[American Civil War]] the [[Sultana (steamboat)|steamboat ''Sultana'']] was destroyed in an explosion on April 27, 1865, as it was transporting released Union POWs near [[Mound City, Arkansas|Mound City]], just east of Marion. It is estimated that 1,500 soldiers and crew were killed, the largest loss of life in a maritime accident in US history. This tragedy is commemorated by a historic marker placed by the [[Daughters of the American Revolution]].

By 1873, construction started on a two-story brick county courthouse in Marion. This building burned in 1908 and was later replaced with the current brick courthouse. The initial contract for the courthouse and jail was $60k, and due to unknown circumstances construction took many years to finish.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NRHP nomination for Crittenden County Courthouse |url=http://www.arkansaspreservation.com/%21userfiles/CT0018.nr.pdf |website=Arkansas Perservation|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141111145531/http://www.arkansaspreservation.com/%21userfiles/CT0018.nr.pdf |archive-date=November 11, 2014 }}</ref><ref name=":0" /> In the 1880s, the town received its first proper railway connection when the [[St. Louis–San Francisco Railway]] built a line through the town to make a connection between [[St. Louis|St. Louis, Missouri]] and Memphis.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Alison |first=Charles Y. |title=St. Louis–San Francisco Railway |url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/st-louis-san-francisco-railway-5102/ |access-date=January 18, 2024 |website=Encyclopedia of Arkansas |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 1954, a local Black man, Isadore Banks, was [[lynching in the United States|murdered by a mob]] in the town. He was chained to a tree, covered with gasoline and burned. Nobody was ever charged in the killing.<ref name="Isadore Banks eofA">{{cite web |title=Isadore Banks (Murder of) |url=http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=6425 |access-date=January 10, 2019}}</ref>

=== Incorporation ===
The city of Marion was officially incorporated on March 5, 1896.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hardin |first=Ralph |title=Marion (Crittenden County) |url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/marion-crittenden-county-870/ |access-date=January 18, 2024 |website=Encyclopedia of Arkansas |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Italian settlement ===
{{Main articles|History of Italians in Arkansas}}
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many Italian immigrants settled in Marion to engage in agricultural work for local plantation owners, such as Will Dockery. Many families later opened various businesses and contributed significantly to the local economy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Italians |url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/italians-2732/ |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=Encyclopedia of Arkansas |language=en-US}}</ref>

Several Italian businesses exist in Marion and the surrounding area, such as Veanos Italian Restaurant<ref>{{Cite web |last=cjrw.com |first=CJRW- |title=Veanos Italian Restaurant |url=https://deltabyways.com/dining/veanos-italian/ |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=Arkansas Delta Byways Tourism Association |language=en}}</ref> and Sicily's in [[West Memphis, Arkansas|West Memphis]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-02-12 |title=Sicily’s – Edible Memphis |url=https://www.ediblememphis.com/sicilys/ |access-date=2025-03-17 |language=en-US}}</ref>