On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Marion Township is more historic than 64% of U.S. towns, #315 of 593 in Indiana. All 2 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Marion Township’s overall grade.
Indiana towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Indiana town has 7.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Marion Township’s 10.2 sits near the middle of its state (63% of Indiana towns have fewer) while its 4 historic buildings outnumber those of 68% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±6.1 points).
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Marion Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
In September, 1834, the Commissioners of Allen County created Root Township, which embraced all of present-day Marion Township, as well as a portion of present-day Adams County. Adams County was created on February 7, 1835, leaving only a portion of Root Township still in Allen County. In August, 1835, this remainder of Root Township was reorganized and renamed Marion Township.
Ohio, arriving there on the 26th of the same month. Here they remained until the summer of 1849, when the prevalence of the cholera at this place caused them to proceed to Fort Wayne, where they arrived August 5. A short time intervening, he purchased a farm in Marion Township, selling the same to his son Frederick in 1871. They now reside on the farm of their son, Henry C., and close by his home, situated near Adams Station.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
At a session of the Commissioners of Allen County, in September, 1834, a new township was formed, embracing all of Marion Township, as well as a portion of Adams County ; and the territory thus organized was known as Root Town¬ ship. In August, 1835, Marion Township was organized, and made to include Township 29 north, of Range 13 east. It is bounded on the north by Adams Township, east by Madison Township, west by Pleasant Township, south by Adams County.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
A standard history of Allen county, Ohio1921 · page 194Read the page →
Read the text
Marion Township and Delphos It was necessary to establish definite boundary when Marion became an organized township in December, 1833, and land was taken from Amanda and from Jennings Township, Putnam County. While it is irregular in outline, it has six square miles of land more than the township requirement — thirty-six sections. The community centers in Marion Township today are Delphos, Landeck and Scotts Crossing. Pioneers in Marion were : Coon, Cochran, Knoop, Moore, Miller, Mannion, Wool-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Marion Township, 1881 to 1962
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Marion Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1962Poe sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Marion Township.
Then & now
Stand where they stood
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Retake this viewMarion Flint Glass Co., Boys work here but the boss would not permit any photographing. Location: Marion, Indiana, 1908
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Marion Township’s page.
Marion Township is more historic than 64% of U.S. towns, #315 of 593 in Indiana. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Marion Township?
One place: the Colman-Doctor Farm (listed 2019).
How old are the homes in Marion Township?
12% of Marion Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.1 points), against a typical 14% for an Indiana town; the median home was built in 1983.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From the Library of Congress (5), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
1908
1908
