Editing Marion, Indiana (section)

===Founding===
The [[Battle of the Mississinewa]] was fought in December 1812, north of the current city of Marion, as an expeditionary force sent by [[William Henry Harrison]] against the [[Miami Indians|Miami]] villages. Today, the battle is reenacted every fall by residents of [[Grant County, Indiana|Grant County]] and many reenactors and enthusiasts from throughout the United States and Canada during the annual "Mississinewa 1812" festival, the largest [[War of 1812]] reenactment in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mississinewa1812.com/|title=Mississinewa 1812|work=mississinewa1812.com|access-date=7 June 2015}}</ref> When Martin Boots and David Branson each donated {{Convert|30|acre|m2}} of land in 1831 for the site of Marion, they chose a location on the left bank of the swift, scenic river which the Miami Indians had named "Mississinewa," meaning "Falling water." So rapid had been the tide of settlement that it followed by only 19 years the Battle of Mississinewa, {{Convert|7|mi|km|0}} downstream, where federal troops and Indians had fought a bloody, pre-dawn encounter in 1812.

With the formation of Grant County in 1831, Marion was established as the county seat and its future was assured. The river provided water supply, power, and drainage as it flowed at the base of the nearby hills. Along with at least 36 other communities in the nation, Marion was named for the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]] General [[Francis Marion]], the "Swamp Fox" of [[South Carolina]].