Marshall was officially organized by William B. Archer in 1835, eight years after the National Road entered the community. The city was named after John Marshall, chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Marshall was incorporated on May 14, 1873. In 1863, Marshall was the scene of conflict in which local Copperheads, who opposed the Civil War, sought to protect soldiers who had deserted from the Union Army. In March, 1863, an army detail from Indiana arrested several deserters. A local judge, Charles H. Constable, freed the deserters and ordered the arrest of two Union sergeants on kidnapping charges. This resulted in the dispatch of 250 soldiers under the command of Col. Henry B. Carrington by special train from Indianapolis, who surrounded the courthouse, freed the sergeants and arrested judge Charles H. Constable. The judge was, however, absolved several months later after presenting a highly technical defense. Marshall was home to the Handy Writers' Colony, 1950–1964. The most famous writer associated with the Colony was the novelist James Jones, who built a home in Marshall and lived there ca. 1952–1957.
Geography
Marshall is located at . According to the 2010 census, Marshall has a total area of, of which is land and is water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,771 people, 1,655 households, and 1,002 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,202.7 people per square mile. There were 1,832 housing units at an average density of 584.3 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 98.33% White, 0.29% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 0.13% from other races, and 0.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.48% of the population. There were 1,655 households out of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.4% were non-families. 35.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.87. In the city, the population was spread out with 23.7% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 21.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $33,413, and the median income for a family was $42,909. Males had a median income of $31,108 versus $21,144 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,851. About 3.6% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
The downtown district is centered on the county courthouse, and includes a number of antique shops. The town's major employer, TRW Automotive, operates an automotive electronics manufacturing facility, employing a thousand area residents. Marshall is the site of the oldest continually operated hotel in Illinois, the Archer House.
The City of Marshall City Council consists of nine members: eight aldermen and the mayor. Current officeholders are: John Trefz, Mayor ; Wendy Tharp, Alderman Ward 1 ; John Hasten, Alderman Ward 1 ; Vickie Wallace, Alderman Ward 2 ; Michael Smitley, Alderman Ward 2 ; Jarod Green, Alderman Ward 3 ; Warren LeFever, Alderman Ward 3 ; Mark Strait, Alderman Ward 4 ; Ed Pearce, Alderman Ward 4.
Notable people
Robert H. Birch, American western outlaw, raised in Marshall, IL
Ed Carpenter, IndyCar Series driver, 2013 Indy pole sitter; born and raised in Marshall, IL
