Marion flexed its industrial muscle early

The American Midwest, including Marion, Ohio, proved to be fertile ground for industry in the 1800s. Marion started as a small village to support a farming community. But proximity to rail transport helped turn a village into a major industrial base.

Five railroads passed through Marion: the New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio Railroad; the Chicago & Erie; the C.C.C.& St. Louis; the C.S.&H.; and the C.H.U.&T. The Erie line even established a central office, round house repair and switching yard in Marion.

Marion's industrial base is described in the 1895 Marion Daily Star supplement owned, published and edited by Warren G. Harding, later elected president of the U.S. That issue includes descriptions of Marion industries, banks, businesses, churches, attorneys and short biographies of notable individuals.

In addition to Huber Mfg. Co. and Marion Mfg. Co., Marion Steam Shovel Co., manufacturer of dipper and dragline shovels, was also featured. Marion shovels were used to help build the Panama Canal, Hoover Dam and the New York City subway system.

The Marion Malleable Iron Foundry made castings for Huber and Marion Steam Shovel, as well as lifting jacks, Sprague hoists, hay carriers and carriage hardware. Oborn Bros. produced hay-making tools such as the famous Oborn hay carrier (trolley), hay forks and slings, and carriage hardware. The Austin Automatic Boiler & Feeder Co. produced equipment for steam-powered devices, especially steam boilers and furnaces.

Marion Implement Co. turned out Huber's wood revolving hay rakes, wood sweep rakes, wood buck rakes, Junkins hay stackers and Rayl wood-beam spike-tooth harrows. The company also produced doors, sashes, blinds and other goods. Marion Tool Co. was noted for its special hand tools, such as shingling hatchets, claw hatchets, axes, adzes, nail hammers, tack hammers and tinners' snips.