Another part of Marion's past proud history will soon be included in of our forgotten passages of time.
The ravages of time has taken it's toll on the 56 year old building, plus the decrease in numbers in both the local Guard and across Kentucky.
This National Guard
Armory building was completed in 1963, after obtaining eight acres of land
from the Crittenden County School Board. At one time, this land was
used as the Crittenden County Fairgrounds. At the time the land was
acquired by the Guard, it was a baseball complex for Little League.
The state supplied a
quarter of the money for the armory, while the federal government
supplied the balance of the funding. Fund-raisers were held to raise
the money for the armory's construction.
The armory, a one-story
square building with attached two-story drill hall, sits on
approximately eight acres in a residential area. The land for the
armory was sold to the National Guard by the Crittenden County School
Board for $1500.
The new Armory was
dedicated on April 19th, 1964. Congressman Frank Stubblefield was
the dedicatory speaker. A nineteen gun salute from five of the
Company's M-46 Patton tanks greeted the Congressman and other
dignitaries on their arrival.
This Armory building is the
only one built in Marion with help from state and federal funds, plus
local fundraisers.
In 1926 A. M. Shelby had a new building built for
the National Guard located on West Bellville St. The building was of
cream faced brick, beautiful large plate glass windows, of ample size
for the requirements of the company in drilling and for indoor games
as well. The building was modern throughout, hot and cold running
water and everything. (this building was the one torn down to build
the new fire station.),
Two other buildings also served as a home for
the National Guard since its beginnings in Marion in 1925. One was a
county-owned maintenance garage located near the entrance of the
city, and it was also housed in a concrete block building on Walker
Street, that is now used by the city maintenance department.
The National Guard was
not active in Marion for ten years after World War II (1945-1955),
but when the Guard was reorganized in 1955, they were housed in
another leased building. In August of 1963, the Guard moved into an
existing two-bay gas station located on Highway 60 until moving into
the current armory.
In addition to their long
military history, the National Guard has participated in many state
active duty missions. More recent state active duties include
evacuating people from their homes during blizzards in 1995 and 1996
in Henderson, and in 1997, flood duty in Livingston County and the 2009 ice storm.
(see The Crittenden Press, February 14, 2019 for more detailed information on the closing of the unit)
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