- Marion County -

Fast Facts

On April 1, 1822, Marion county was created from lands obtained by the Treaty of St. Mary's; an accord between representatives of the United States and the Indian tribes (Miami, Delaware/Lanape, and others) who inhabited the region. The new county was named in honor of Brigadier General Francis Marion, of South Carolina, who served with the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. He was nicknamed the "Swamp Fox" because of his uncoventional method of warfare and is considered one of the fathers of guerrila warfare.

Marion county occupies a central location the in the State. It is bounded on the north by Boone and Hamilton counties, on the east by Hancock and Shelby, on the south by Morgan and Johnson, and on the west by Hendricks county. Indianapolis, laid out in the summer of 1821, is the county seat as well as being the state capital and largest city. The state capital had been in Corydon until 1824 when it was moved to Indianapolis. At that time Indianapolis was little more than a pioneer village scattered about in dense woods. The county is divided into nine townships, the whole of which contain a total area of 403 square miles.