Marion Public Library Exhibit — October 2026
Special Community Exhibition • October 1–30, 2026
More than eight decades of Marion radio history are coming together at the Marion Public Library through original photographs, station documents, broadcasting equipment, memorabilia, and recordings preserved by the WMRN Radio History Archive.
October 1–30, 2026
Marion Public Library
445 East Church Street, Marion, Ohio
About the Exhibition
For generations, WMRN has been part of daily life in Marion—bringing local news, music, sports, public service, community events, familiar voices, and shared traditions into homes, businesses, cars, and workplaces.
The WMRN Radio History Archive created this exhibition to bring a selection of that history out of archival storage and into the community. The display represents only a portion of the photographs, documents, recordings, equipment, and memorabilia now being identified and preserved.
WMRN began regular broadcasting on December 23, 1940, at 1:15 p.m. The material presented here helps trace the station’s story from its earliest years through the changing sounds, technology, personalities, and community traditions that followed.
What You’ll See
- The Beginning of WMRN — Early station history, original documents, photographs, and material connected with WMRN’s founding and first years on the air. Explore WMRN’s founding.
- WMRN on the Air — Broadcast equipment, station operations, programming material, microphones, and objects that help show how local radio was made. Explore facilities and equipment.
- WMRN in the Community — Buckeye Chuck, the WMRN Peanut Push, promotional material, public appearances, and the station traditions Marion listeners remember. Explore digital exhibits.
- Voices & Memories — The announcers, staff members, listeners, recordings, and personal recollections that give the surviving objects their meaning. Explore the People Directory.
Community Traditions Preserved
The physical library exhibition includes additional photographs, documents, equipment, station apparel, promotional pieces, and other material from the WMRN Radio History Archive collection.
Don’t Just See WMRN History—Hear It
Photographs and artifacts preserve what radio looked like. Surviving recordings preserve what it sounded like. The Archive’s recorded-broadcast collection makes historical WMRN audio available alongside the physical material.
Listen to the Recorded Broadcast Archive →
Do You Remember WMRN?
Maybe you remember a favorite announcer or program, a memorable broadcast, attending a Buckeye Chuck event, the Peanut Push, or simply hearing WMRN as part of everyday life in Marion.
If you worked at WMRN—or have photographs, recordings, documents, memorabilia, names, dates, stories, or memories connected with the station—your information may help preserve a part of the historical record that would otherwise be lost.
Help Preserve the Story
Call the Archive and leave a message, or use one of these options:
Visit the Exhibition
October 1–30, 2026
Marion Public Library
445 East Church Street
Marion, Ohio 43302
The exhibition may be viewed during regular library hours. Check the library’s website for current hours and visitor information before making a special trip.
Library hours and location ↗ • Marion Public Library website ↗
Continue Exploring WMRN History
- Search the Collection — Browse cataloged accessions and preserved material.
- Station Timeline — Follow WMRN’s story across the decades.
- People of WMRN — Explore the people connected with the station.
- Historical Recordings — Listen to surviving WMRN audio and broadcasts.
A permanent digital companion. After the October 2026 library exhibition closes, this page will remain as part of the WMRN Radio History Archive’s record of the exhibition and its public-history work in Marion.