• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

MarionMade

People, Places, Products, Programs

Visit Us On FacebookVisit Us On TwitterVisit Us On YoutubeCheck Our FeedVisit Us On Instagram
We Are Having Fun!We Are Presidential!We Are Generous!
  • Get Involved
  • About
  • Events
    • MarionMade! 5k Sign Up
  • People
  • Places
  • Products
  • Programs
  • Links
  • Contact

Marion County Historical Society

By MarionMade! on November 15, 2019

50 years and Just Beginning

As far as history museums go, the Marion County Historical Society (MCHS) is young, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.  This milestone year has been a busy one with one of the most successful celebrations being the creation of the exhibit 1969, highlighting the year when MCHS first began.  

The 1969 exhibit tells the story of life in Marion and world events and activities that influenced Marion.   Many of the social aspects of life in Marion are represented like “Shooting the Loop” and ice skating on the McKinley pond to games played with the family.  The 1969 living room depicts everyday activities, like fashion, home furnishings, television shows and favorite music of the time. Not only is the national music scene depicted, but with the help of MCHS volunteers like Tom Photos, the local music scene and groups that performed in Marion are brought to life. 

The exhibit is throughout the atrium area and has been very popular with the visitors.  Brandi Wilson, the MCHS director shared, “It has been great to see so many families come in and share their own memories of this time period.  It is a way for multiple generations to relate and compare their lives growing up in Marion. There has been a great deal of nostalgia shown over this exhibit”.  

Creating the 1969 exhibit had its challenges.  Producing the exhibits was difficult as the museum’s collections didn’t have many items from that year.  The staff had to raid family member’s attics and visit thrift shops. This made them think about their on-going collections procedures and the importance of saving items that many might not consider historic yet, but will someday be part of future museum exhibits.

1969 also tells the story of the tough parts of the year, like the Vietnam War and its impact on Marion.  Volunteers Chuck and Annette VanVorhis helped set up this part of the exhibit. When The Wall That Heals Memorial exhibit (the half-size replica of the Vietnam War Memorial) came to Marion this summer, it was a nice connection to this part of the exhibit.  MCHS is played a part in the Wall tour in Marion. The mementos left by visitors to the Wall were carefully collected by the MCHS staff and volunteers and brought back to the museum to be part of their collections.

There is still time to visit the 1969 exhibit, which will close on December 15.  Next year, look for a new exhibit depicting the 1920s in Marion County.  It was a busy time with women getting to first vote, Prohibition. Harding as President and the Roaring Twenties.

1969 wasn’t the only activity held during this anniversary year.  The Marion County Historical Society is actively working to fundraise to match a couple of important grants.  One will fund the Mary Ellen Withrow Oral History Project.  The project will record Withrow’s life in Marion, the various offices she held here to her time as the first woman United States Treasurer.  It is an extensive project and MCHS is trying to raise $13,000 for a matching grant from the Marion Community Foundation.

Another fundraising oral history project is Marion Voices, gathering the stories of the community’s African American population and other diverse residents, from the 1960s to today.  The final fundraising project is matching funds for an Ohio Arts Council grant to interview folk artists in the county. 

Brandi Wilson shared, “The purpose of all of the oral histories, along with the other projects MCHS does, is to bring history to life and show it is not only the stories of famous people, but our stories as well.  It is important to show that history is more than just textbooks. It is our lives and important to share so that everyone can understand and be proud of our community.” That is what MarionMade! is.

#MarionMade #WeAreHistory

Recent MarionMade! Stories

  • Volunteers Work to Put Smiles on 1,500 Children’s Faces on Christmas Morning

    As weather turns colder, hundreds of volunteers and donors are working to warm the hearts of more than 1,500 Marion County children this winter through the Junior Service Guild’s Christmas Clearinghouse. “What motivates us is a strong belief that all children deserve a smile on their face on Christmas,” said Bev Young, a member of […]Read More »
  • Y-Men Service Club: Help Neighbors in Need for 82 Years

    In 1943, a group of Marion men met in the basement of the local YMCA and started service organization. Eighty-two years later, generations of members have helped neighbors in need. “The club’s motto is: ‘People serving people.’ That’s what we do! All proceeds stay in Marion and help construct wheelchair ramps for Marion residents with […]Read More »
  • CVB Tourism Appreciation Breakfast

    ANNUAL MARION CVB TOURISM APPRECIATION BREAKFAST National Travel and Tourism Week is known to have many tourism-related events, such as the Marion Area Convention & Visitors Bureau’s (MCVB) annual Tourism Appreciation Breakfast. The annual breakfast includes local businesses, organizations, and community leaders coming together to learn about the previous year’s economic impact in the tourism […]Read More »
  • Marion Mourns the Passing of Beloved Restaurateur, Veteran and Icon George Kasotis

    Legend. Veteran. Entertainer. Entrepreneur. After 91 years serving our community and our country, George James Kasotis died on May 29, 2025. “George will forever be remembered as a pillar of our community. He will be greatly missed,” Julie Blashinsky Blackledge said. “George always championed Marion and was such a gracious host. He will be dearly […]Read More »

Share Your MarionMade! Story

Click Here to share your story about MarionMade! people, places, products, and programs!
  • Get Involved
  • About
  • Events
  • People
  • Places
  • Products
  • Programs
  • Links
  • Contact

Marion Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Downtown Marion Love INC Marion Public Library Marion Area Chamber of Commerce Marion CANDO! Marion Community Foundation United Way of Marion County Marion Technical College

© 2025 · MarionMade! is a community initiative led by Marion Technical College · Website is powered by Neighborhood Image