Marion (South Carolina)

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Marion
Nickname : The Swamp Fox City
Looking south down Main Street
Looking south down Main Street
Seal of Marion
seal
Location of Marion in South Carolina
SCMap-doton-Marion.PNG
Basic data
Foundation : 1795
State : United States
State : South carolina
County : Marion County
Coordinates : 34 ° 11 ′  N , 79 ° 24 ′  W Coordinates: 34 ° 11 ′  N , 79 ° 24 ′  W
Time zone : Central ( UTC − 6 / −5 )
Residents : 6,959 (as of 2006)
Population density : 621.3 inhabitants per km 2
Area : 11.2 km 2  (approx. 4 mi 2 ) of
which 11.2 km 2  (approx. 4 mi 2 ) is land
Height : 22 m
Postal code : 29571
Area code : +1 843
FIPS : 45-44575
GNIS ID : 1246533
Website : www.marionsc.gov
Mayor : Rodney Berry
MarionCityHall.JPG
Marion Town Hall

Marion is a city in the US state of South Carolina . It is the county seat of Marion County . The city is named after Francis Marion , a well-known general from the American War of Independence .

traffic

Road traffic

The city is located on US Highway 76 , about 25 kilometers east of the next largest city, Florence . It is about 60 kilometers to the Atlantic Ocean . Before the new highways were built, Marion traveled through many holidaymakers on the way to the Atlantic coast, especially to Myrtle Beach . The closest towns are Nichols, Mullins and Sellers. About 10 kilometers north of Interstate Highway 95, Marion also has access to international long-distance traffic to Florida and New York .

Air traffic

Marion has a small sports airport ( IATA airport code : MAO) from which no international or national air traffic is handled. The nearest airports are Florence, with US Airways connections to Charlotte, North Carolina, and Myrtle Beach Airport .

Train traffic

The nearest Amtrak station is in Dillon .

population

In 2000 there were 7,042 people in 2,765 households in Marion. 1913 families lived in the city. By 2006 the population had shrunk by 1.2% to 6,959. In Marion, 66.2% of the population are black, 31.8% white and 2% Indians and other population groups. In Marion there are often disputes between whites and blacks, who still fall back on the civil war in the 19th century. Mayor of Marion is Bobby Gerald.

history

Marion's history begins in the 1730s and 1740s when white colonists from Charles Town (now Charleston ) and Georgetown came to and settled in the area. Slavery was not uncommon back then. In addition, some Indian tribes, such as Cheraw, Pee Dee and Maccawaw Indians settled in the area. The first official resident of the area that would later become the city of Marion was John Godbold , who settled in 1754. It is also the first written mention of the village.

Marion played an important role during the American Revolutionary War . Marion County and Florence and their river and marshland between the two Pee Dee rivers were made famous by Francis Marion , the Swamp Fox ("swamp fox"). It was so named because it moved in the swamps, ambushed British soldiers and then shot them. However, Marion was not named after Francis Marion until 1798. Two statues in front of the town hall and the library still remember him today.

The first mayor (then still director) was elected in 1855 and was Horatio McClenaghan .

Before the Civil War, Marion was booming. After a local newspaper was founded, Marion was also connected to the railway network of the southern states, trade and agriculture (mostly cotton and tobacco ) were very successful. They were then largely held up by the Civil War .

It took Marion until the 1870s and 1880s to recover from the war and to revive the economy. In the 1900s the city was completely renovated, some of which can still be seen today, many houses are in good condition.

Shops & Business

CVS Caremark in Marion

Downtown Marion has several small shops on Main Street. In the middle of Marion there is a CVS Caremark supermarket, a Family Dollar and some even smaller shops. The larger stores are outside of Marion's city limits on East Godbold Street, which leads to Highway 501 and Mullins . There are several fast food stores ( Wendy’s , McDonald’s , Burger King , Waffle House , Pizza Hut and Zaxby's ). Larger stores are Piggly Wiggly and Walmart . Walmart only reopened in September 2007.

There are the following banks in Marion:

  • Anderson Brothers Bank
  • First Citizens Bank
  • Pee Dee Federal Savings Bank
  • Carolina First Bank
  • Wachovia Bank

Marion, South Carolina has the only production facility in the USA for the French company Bénéteau , one of the largest manufacturers of luxury yachts. There is also a Hoffmann-La Roche research center several kilometers outside Marion .

health

In addition to all the small medical practices, the Marion County Medical Center, which is located 5 km outside Marion on US Highway 76, is the largest hospital in the region with 124 beds and around 800 employees. The next major medical center is the McLeod Regional Medical Center in Florence .

Education (as of 2006)

Marion School District One has four public schools. The Easterling Primary School (854 students) is designed for kindergarten through second grade. The Marion Intermediate School (790 students) accepts students for grades 3 to 5. The Johnakin Middle School (748 students) takes students for grades 6 through 8 and the Marion High School (864 students) is for grades 9 (Freshmen), 10 (Sophomores), 11 (Juniors) and 12 (Seniors). Private schools are the Marion County Private School, which is located in a 160 year old plantation house, and the Pee Dee Academy.

The closest university is Francis Marion University in Florence .

sons and daughters of the town

Web links