Editing Marion, North Carolina (section)

==History==

Marion, the county seat of McDowell County, was planned and built on land selected by the first McDowell County Commissioners on March 14, 1844 at the Historic [[Carson House (Marion, North Carolina)|Carson House]] on Buck Creek. It was not until 1845, however, that the official name of Marion was sanctioned as the county seat by the state legislature. The name of Marion came from [[Francis Marion|Brigadier General Francis Marion]], the [[American Revolutionary War]] hero, known as the "Swamp Fox" and the man upon whom the movie [[The Patriot (2000 film)|''The Patriot'']] was based. Marion was also home to Sgt. Daniel Kanipe, one of only two survivors of the [[Battle of Little Bighorn]]. An historical marker was placed in front of his former home in 2011. The nearby [[Lake James]] is a local tourist attraction, and has been the backdrop for movies such as [[The Last of the Mohicans (1992 film)|''The Last of the Mohicans'']] and [[The Hunt for Red October (film)|''The Hunt for Red October'']].

Another famous house in Marion is the [[Joseph McDowell House]], built in 1787 by the county's namesake, [[Joseph "Pleasant Gardens" McDowell|Joseph McDowell]]. McDowell played a large role in the [[Battle of Cowpens]] when he helped defeat the British in January 1781. McDowell went on to serve as a member of the North Carolina Constitutional Convention in 1788 and was a member of the 3rd United States Congress. Restoration plans are underway to preserve this historic house and ensure that it remains a vital part of Marion's history. In 2010, the Joseph McDowell Greenway opened to the public along the [[Catawba River]], and will soon link the two most historic homes in McDowell County, the [[Joseph McDowell House]] and the [[Carson House (Marion, North Carolina)|Carson House]].

'''The Big Fire'''

Until the late 19th century, Main Street was a collection of mostly wooden huts, houses, and buildings. On Sunday morning, November 25, 1894 a fire sprang up in an old building known as the "Ark" located behind the Courthouse. The fire spread to Main Street and rushed down the street at an incredible pace. The wooden buildings were quickly consumed by the enormous inferno. The few brick buildings on Main Street were also gutted, and because there was no public water supply, bucket brigades were hurriedly formed to halt the advance of the fire. It was not enough, however, and most of Main Street was burned to the ground. Showing the resiliency possessed by the citizens, the city came together and took on the rebuilding process, making Marion larger and stronger than before. Today, downtown Marion is listed in the [[National Register of Historic Places]].

'''Depression Era & Labor Conflict'''

On Oct. 2, 1929, the McDowell County sheriff and several deputies faced a group of workers outside the fence in front of the Marion Manufacturing Company, whose 600 employees had been on strike for four months. A gunfight quickly ensued between the two groups. Sheriff Oscar Adkins would later swear in court that the strikers opened fire first, although no weapons were ever found on any of the strikers. 36 strikers were shot, six mortally, during the confrontation. [[Sinclair Lewis]] wrote a syndicated newspaper report entitled "Cheap and Contented Labor: The Picture of the Southern Mill Town."  He concluded: "The workers, especially in Marion, have become discouraged.  They are hungry, tired, bewildered.  They are sick of being shot down. Unless the whole country encourages them [financially], they will crawl back into the slavery I have sought to picture here."  However, since the [[Great Depression]] was in the immediate future, little such help would arrive.

'''Historic District'''

Eleven structures make up the [[Main Street Historic District (Marion, North Carolina)|Main Street Historic District]] in the downtown area, which was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1991. Four churches, [[St. John's Episcopal Church (Marion, North Carolina)|St. John's Episcopal Church]] (1882), First Baptist (1914), [[First Presbyterian Church (Marion, North Carolina)|First Presbyterian]] (1923), and [[St. Matthew's Lutheran Church]] (1935); two former hotels, the Eagle Hotel, which survived the 1894 fire, and the Hotel Marianna (1910); a bank on Main Street built in 1903; the [[McDowell County Courthouse (Marion, North Carolina)|McDowell County Courthouse]], which was constructed in 1928; the Marion Depot (1867), which is the oldest surviving depot on the Western Rail Line; the Public Library (1937), which was originally built as a post office; and the Marion Community Building, built in 1937.<ref name = nrhpinv>{{Cite web | author = Sybil Argintar Bowers| title =Main Street Historic District| work = National Register of Historic Places - Nomination and Inventory | date =August 1990 | url = https://files.nc.gov/ncdcr/nr/MC0009.pdf | publisher = North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office | access-date = 2015-02-01}}</ref><ref name = nrhpinv1>{{Cite web | author = Sybil Argintar Bowers| title =Main Street Historic District (Additional documentation)| work = National Register of Historic Places - Nomination and Inventory | date = September 1994 | url = https://files.nc.gov/ncdcr/nr/MC0009ad.pdf | publisher = North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office | access-date = 2015-02-01}}</ref> Also listed on the National Register of Historic Places are the [[Depot Historic District (Marion, North Carolina)|Depot Historic District]], Carson House, [[Carson–Young House]], and [[Lone Beech]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref><ref name="nps">{{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/nr/listings/20110805.htm|title=National Register of Historic Places Listings|date=2011-08-05|work=Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 7/25/11 through 7/29/11|publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>
Downtown Marion has benefited from recent revitalization, and many new shops, restaurants, and taprooms have opened up along Main Street in recent years.

'''Marion Today'''

Marion currently stands as a small congenial town at the edge of the [[Blue Ridge Mountains]], "Where Main Street Meets the Mountains." Just off [[Interstate 40 in North Carolina|Interstate 40]], Marion is located approximately {{convert|35|mi|km}} east of [[Asheville, North Carolina|Asheville]] and {{convert|20|mi|km}} west of [[Morganton, North Carolina|Morganton]].

Marion was named "North Carolina Small Town of the Year" for 2018 from the N.C. Rural Center. The Small Town of the Year Award recognizes a town or small city “that embraces citizen engagement, values diversity, and fosters strong partnerships.”<ref name="GR15">{{cite web|url=https://www.mcdowellnews.com/news/marion-is-small-town-of-the-year-for/article_ef2dbd42-e9c8-11e8-a32f-0ba27f2bfffb.html|access-date=2018-12-05|title=Marion is Small Town of the Year for 2018|date=2018-11-16}}</ref>

Marion serves as a gateway from Interstate 40 to many nearby attractions and recreation activities in the [[Blue Ridge Mountains]].  A contemporary rest area located on the [[U.S. Route 221 in North Carolina|US 221]] bypass west of Marion serves as a welcome center for visitors to the area.  The rest area and visitor center is staffed with travel counselors during daylight hours.  In addition to providing visitor information, it also has picnic facilities and vending machines on the premises.

The [[Marion Marauders]], a [[Tar Heel League]] baseball club, were a favorite local attraction in the 1940s and 1950s, and were the home team of star pitcher [[Kelly Jack Swift]], who in 1953 became the last minor league pitcher to ever win 30 games in a season, going 30–7 with a 2.54 ERA. ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' published an article about Swift and his accomplishment in its October 17, 2011 edition.

Former [[North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball|University of North Carolina Tar Heels]] basketball coach and 2007 [[Basketball Hall of Fame]] inductee [[Roy Williams (coach)|Roy Williams]] was born and spent a part of his childhood in Marion. On July 18, 2011, the town held a ceremony to dedicate a [[Carolina blue]] historical marker downtown in front of City Hall, listing Marion as the birthplace of [[Roy Williams (coach)|Coach Williams]], as well as his many awards and accomplishments.

Marion continues to be a community that values athletics, especially the "Fightin' Titans" of [[McDowell High School (Marion, North Carolina)|McDowell High]], whose girls' basketball team won the 1992 North Carolina 4A State Championship.

McDowell County and the City of Marion is protected by the Marion Police Department as well as the McDowell County Sheriffs Office.

Marion’s current Police Chief is Allen Lawrence, while the McDowell County Sheriff is Ricky Buchanan.

The Marion Fire department Provides fire protection and a Medium level rescue response throughout its district while also receiving assistance from outlying volunteer department mutual aid responses within as well as outside the county.

The McDowell County Rescue Squad and Ambulance Inc provides rescue services both to the city of Marion and the county as a whole while McDowell County EMS provides paramedic level EMS coverage.