Marion, Indiana

Marion is a city located in central Indiana. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 31,320. The city is the county seat of Grant County{{GR|6}}. It is named for Francis Marion, a Brigadier General from South Carolina in the American Revolutionary War.

History

One of Marion's darker moments in history is for being the location for the last organized lynching in the American north. In 1930, an estimated 10,000 residents of Marion and surrounding areas gathered at the city jail. Inside were three young African-American men accused of raping a Caucasian woman and killing her boyfriend. The boys, Thomas Shipp, Abram Smith, and James Cameron, were dragged from the jail and severely beaten. Shipp, and Smith were eventually hung, but Cameron's life was spared. Since that time, Cameron has continued to be an influential activist for African-American rights. Cameron is the founder of the Black Holocaust Museum. http://www.idsnews.com/story.php?id=30104

Related Topics:
Lynching - American - 1930 - Jail - African-American - Caucasian - Thomas Shipp - Abram Smith - James Cameron - Black Holocaust Museum

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