Marion County Lake

Marion County Lake is a body of water, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south-east of Marion at 170th Street, on the western edge of the Flint Hills region of Kansas in the United States.

Marion County Lake
KDOT map of Marion County (legend)
LocationMarion County, Kansas
Coordinates38°18′54″N 96°59′31″W
TypeLake
Primary outflowsCottonwood River
Basin countriesUnited States
Managing agencyMarion County
Built1937 (1937)
Surface area300 acres (1.2 km2)
Surface elevation1,339 feet (408 m)
SettlementsMarion
References[1]

This smaller lake is often confused with the similar named yet larger Marion Reservoir, which is north-west of Marion. Most locals refer to the larger body of water using the term 'Reservoir', and the smaller body of water using the term 'Lake' (this article).

Geography

Marion County Lake is located in Centre Township of Marion County, Kansas, United States. There are three entrances into the lake area. The north entry is 1 mile east of Marion on K-256 / 190th Street / Main Street, then 1.75 miles south on Upland Road. The east entry is 3/4 mile west of U.S. Route 77 on 170th Street. The west entry is rural un-paved county roads of 170th Street or Turkey Creek Road.

History

Early history

For many millennia, the Great Plains of North America was inhabited by nomadic Native Americans. From the 16th century to 18th century, the Kingdom of France claimed ownership of large parts of North America. In 1762, after the French and Indian War, France secretly ceded New France to Spain, per the Treaty of Fontainebleau.

19th century

In 1802, Spain returned most of the land to France. In 1803, most of the land for modern day Kansas was acquired by the United States from France as part of the 828,000 square mile Louisiana Purchase for 2.83 cents per acre.

In 1854, the Kansas Territory was organized, then in 1861 Kansas became the 34th U.S. state. In 1855, Marion County was established within the Kansas Territory, which included the land for modern day Lake.[2]

20th century

In 1937, Marion County Lake was completed by the Civilian Conservation Corps for the purpose of recreation.

21st century

In 2002, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).

In 2012, an event was held at the park to set the Guinness World Record for the "most people roasting marshmallows at once". The official count was 1,272 people.[3]

Education

The community is served by Marion USD 408 public school district.

Infrastructure

Utilities

See also

Further reading
See also: List of books about Marion County, Kansas

References
  1. Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) details for Marion County Dam; United States Geological Survey (USGS); October 13, 1978.
  2. The History of Marion County and Courthouse
  3. Marion County sets world marshmallow-roasting record; The Wichita Eagle; August 17, 2012.
National Register of Historic Places
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