Marion, Virginia

Marion is a town in Smyth County, Virginia, United States. The population was 6,349 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Smyth County. The town is named for American Revolutionary War officer Francis Marion.

Tourism
Marion is one of only a few towns to receive designation as an official Virginia Main Street Community and National Main Street Community. The Lincoln Theatre (www.thelincoln.org), a meticulously renovated Art-Deco Mayan Revival style performing arts center in Marion, is the home of the nationally-syndicated bluegrass music program "Song of the Mountains". The General Francis Marion Hotel has also been completely restored and serves the town as a AAA Three-Diamond boutique hotel. The town also hosts ArtWalk with local artists and musicians, held on the second Friday of each month May through December.

Geography
Marion is located at °N, °W (36.8370, -81.5165).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.2 square miles (10.7 km²), all of it land.

Marion is near Hungry Mother State Park.

Marion holds the state record low for the month of May at 15 degrees and the second lowest recorded April temperature in the state at 10.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,349 people, 2,647 households, and 1,614 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,528.3 people per square mile (590.7/km²). There were 2,865 housing units at an average density of 689.6 per square mile (266.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 91.98% White, 5.94% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.52% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.38% from other races, and 0.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.13% of the population.

There were 2,647 households out of which 24.4% had children under the          living with them, 42.6% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 36.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.76.

In the town the population was spread out with 19.4% under the        , 9.7% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $25,609, and the median income for a family was $34,257. Males had a median income of $27,960 versus $22,027 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,372. About 13.2% of families and 18.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.2% of those under age 18 and 17.9% of those age 65 or over.

History
Marion College, a two-year Lutheran women's college, operated here from 1873 to 1967. Marion Hall, constructed in 1968 and named in honor of Marion College, is a women's residence hall at Roanoke College.

Marion is known for being the birthplace of Mountain Dew, the soft drink, but the actual drink was created in Knoxville, Tennessee. Although Mountain Dew was first marketed under that name in Knoxville, the original soft drink’s formula changed drastically from Knoxville’s formula to the syrup mixture that constitutes today’s drink; that mixture was formulated in Marion. Therefore, the trademarked name Mountain Dew can be credited to Knoxville, but the actual drink is really a product of Marion. Marion also used to host the mountain dew festival for over 50 years until recently 4 years ago the school got a new band director.

In 1965, after graduating from Alvin High School, one of Major League Baseball's Hall of Famer pitchers, Nolan Ryan, signed a professional baseball contract with the New York Mets, and was assigned to a minor league team in the Appalachian League called the Marion Mets (1965–1976) in Marion, Virginia. Three years later he was pitching in the major leagues, debuting with the Mets in 1968.

Notable residents
Sherwood Anderson (1876–1941), American author of the celebrated novel Winesburg, Ohio, is buried at Round Hill Cemetery in Marion. His grave marker reads, "Life not death is the great adventure." The house he shared with his wife, Eleanor Copenhaver Anderson, known as "Rosemont" was torn down to build a new fire station.

Bill Jones invented the soft drink Mountain Dew in Marion.

Resident Steve "Chicken" Morris was a contestant on Survivor: China. He was the first contestant voted out.