Marysville, the county seat of Marshall county, is located a little to the northwest of the center of the county on the Big Blue river, at the junction of the Union Pacific and the St. Joseph & Grand Island railroads. It is one of the most important towns of northeastern Kansas both historically and commercially. It has paved streets, city waterworks, electric lights, a sewer system, an efficient fire department, 3 weekly newspapers (the Courier, the Advocate-Democrat and the News), 7 cigar factories, a broom factory, flour mill, brick and tile works, planing mill, grain elevators and banking facilities. The population in 1910 was 2,260.

Marysville was laid out by Francis J. Marshall in 1855 and the same year it was named as the county seat. Marshall operated a ferry at that point on the Big Blue river and had already built a log cabin 14x16 feet with a counter in one end of it where he sold a poor line of groceries and whiskey. The Marysville Town company was incorporated by an act of the territorial legislature on Aug. 27, 1855, the following being the incorporators: A. G. Woodward, David Galispie, John Doniphan, R. T. Galispie, Francis J. Marshall, James Doniphan, Robert C. Bishop and M. G. Shrewsbury. They bought up 100 shares of the stock of the Palmetto Town company and laid off an addition of 320 acres on the north half of section 33, township 2, range 7.

A sawmill was erected in 1857 by Shibley & Quarles. The roster of early business men includes the names of Dr. John P. Miller; J. S. Magill, attorney; Francis J. Marshall, general store; A. G. Barrett, hotel; Ballard & Morrall, drugs. In 1863 a company was organized to build a bridge across the Big Blue river and $8,000 worth of stock was soon sold. The officers of the company were: J. Samuels, president; A. E. Lowell, treasurer; J. D. Brumbaugh, secretary; T. W. Waterson and J. S. Magill, directors. The bridge was of the Howe truss pattern.

Marysville was incorporated as a city by the territorial legislature in 1861. Ten years later it was incorporated as a city of the third class and is now a city of the second class. In 1861 a small frame school building was erected at the cost of $700, which was replaced five years later by a fine $8,000 limestone building. The first newspaper at Marysville was the "Palmetto Kansan," a pro-slavery organ established in 1857 and the next was the Democratic Platform in 1859. The first sermon was preached by the Rev. Mr. Millice in 1857 in a saloon. A church was organized which was supplied with "circuit riders" until the war broke out, when it disbanded. Marysville is now supplied with all denominations of churches and with good graded and high schools accredited at the state college and other leading institutions of learning. In 1891 Marysville built a $40,000 court-house which it donated to the county.