Marion Power Shovel Company
American
The Marion Power Shovel Company began in the 1880s when Henry M Barnhart, a shovel operator, frustrated by frequent delays because of breakdowns, designed a new shovel. Barnhart approached Edward Huber of Marion, Ohio for the necessary funds and they secured a patent in 1883. They built the Barnhart's Steam Shovel and Wrecking Car and then in 1884 they founded the Marion Steam Shovel Company with another industrialist, George King. The company also manufactured ballast unloaders, log loaders and a ditcher. Crawler tracks were installed on Marion shovels in 1916, and kits were available to switch railroad shovels to crawler shovels. As the Marion Steam Shovel Company grew, and the steam engine was replaced by diesel and electric engines, the Marion Company changed its name to the Marion Power Shovel Company. In 1997, Marion was purchased by its rival Bucyrus International and the plant in Marion, Ohio was closed. - NRHP, 18 December 2007