Editing Marion, Arkansas (section)

=== 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>