Marion, County seat in Grant County, Indiana
Marion is a city along the Mississinewa River in Grant County, Indiana, home to around 28,000 people and surrounded by former natural gas fields. Downtown features brick buildings from its industrial past, with residential neighborhoods spreading outward alongside commercial streets and green spaces near the riverbank.
The town was named after Francis Marion, a general in the Revolutionary War, and grew quickly during the Indiana gas boom of the 1880s. Industry attracted factories and workers until the gas supply declined in the early 1900s, forcing the economy to shift direction.
Indiana Wesleyan University maintains a campus in Marion with 2,800 students, establishing the city as an educational center in the Midwest region.
The local bus system connects major parts of town and key facilities with fixed routes and a call service for less frequent areas. Walking along the river is best during daylight, as lighting outside the center can be limited.
Every year since 1992, the Christmas City Walkway of Lights transforms the streets into a brightly lit winter scene with a parade that draws thousands of visitors. This tradition earned the town recognition nationwide as Christmas City USA and shapes local identity each December.
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