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Near Marion in Marion County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
 

The Marion Engineer Depot

 
 
The Marion Engineer Depot Marker (Side A) image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., April 19, 2008
1. The Marion Engineer Depot Marker (Side A)
Inscription.
Side A:
Early in 1942, during World War II, the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers acquired 640 acres along two miles of U. S. Route 30 South (now State Route 309) from ten landowners. By June 11 of that year, the farm families were removed and construction of The Marion Engineer Depot (MED) began, costing $4 million. The first military encampment in Marion County, the 333rd Engineering Regiment, arrived in May and established its camp in a wheat field. They lived in tents while constructing streets and railroad tracks around the Depot. MED was dedicated on December 7, 1942. During the war, food, munitions, equipment, and other military supplies flowed in and out of MED and heavy machinery was renovated. Peak employment came in July 1944 with 1,487 civilian and 47 military personnel on site.
(Continued on other side)

Side B :
(Continued from other side)
The Marion Engineer Depot served the armed forces for 16 more years following World War II. Under protest from state and community leaders, government operations were phased out by June 30, 1961. Through the years, the complex of cement block buildings and open storage sheds was adapted for use by various civilian industries and organizations. Additional users of the area have been River Valley Junior and Senior High Schools, MARCA School and
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Industries, Marion Senior Center, and Kennedy Park athletic fields. Much of the area was unused for over 20 years, and deteriorated. In 1989 the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers sold the MED site at auction to Ted Graham for $1.1 million. By 2003, renovations and improvements costing over $26 million turned the property into a distribution, storage, and manufacturing complex employing approximately 1,000 people.
 
Erected 2003 by Ohio Bicentennial Commission, The Longaberger Company, The Marion County Historical Society and Graham Investments, and The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 12-51.)
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: EducationIndustry & CommerceWar, World II. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series list. A significant historical month for this entry is June 1942.
 
Location. 40° 36.497′ N, 83° 2.926′ W. Marker is near Marion, Ohio, in Marion County. Marker is on Harding Highway East (Ohio Route 309), on the right when traveling east. Marker is at the Marion Industrial Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3007 Harding Highway East, Marion OH 43302, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Camp Marion, World War II Prisoners of War (here, next to this marker); Claridon Prairie
The Marion Engineer Depot Marker (Side B) image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., April 19, 2008
2. The Marion Engineer Depot Marker (Side B)
(approx. 1.3 miles away); World War II Displacement (approx. 1.4 miles away); Scioto Ordnance Plant Site (approx. 2˝ miles away); Marion Women’s Club Home (approx. 3 miles away); Claridon ME Church (approx. 3.2 miles away); Marion Mausoleum (approx. 3.2 miles away); NASA’s Crawler-Transporter Tread Shoe (approx. 3.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Marion.
 
Also see . . .  Scioto Ordnance Plant. (Submitted on March 26, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
 
Camp Marion, World War II POW Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr.
3. Camp Marion, World War II POW Marker
Looking east along Harding Highway.
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on January 21, 2020. It was originally submitted on March 26, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 1,778 times since then and 49 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on March 26, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.   3. submitted on March 25, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

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Mar. 28, 2024