World War II Displacement
"The Old Farm Went to War"
Side A:
During the early months of World War II, citizens as well as soldiers made enormous sacrifices for the war effort. In March 1942 the War Department announced plans to build a 13,000-acre munitions manufacturing complex northeast of Marion. Using the power of eminent domain, the U.S. Government purchased the homes and farms of 126 families in the Likens Chapel community. Given only two months to vacate their property, many displaced farmers found the government-appraised values for their land inadequate for buying similar farms elsewhere and [the] growing season too advanced to plant new crops.
(Continued on other side)
Side B:
(Continued from other side)
The Scioto Ordnance Plant began assembling bombs, shells, and fuses in late fall 1942. It was phased out after only one year as its production became surplus. The adjacent Marion Engineer Depot continued operations for the duration of the war, serving as a distribution point for war material and also as a prisoner-of-war camp. Likens Chapel and cemetery, which stand ½ mile north, is one of few remnants of an entire community sacrificed for the war effort. Though many of the farmers suffered tremendous hardships, most recognized the necessity of their displacement at a time of national crisis.
Marker is at the intersection of Pole Lane Road (County Road 174) and Chapel Heights Street, on the right when traveling north on Pole Lane Road.
Courtesy hmdb.org
