Marne is an unincorporated community in Wright Township

Wright Township, Ottawa County, Michigan

Wright Township is a civil township of Ottawa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,147 at the 2010 census.-Communities:*Big Spring was a small settlement at on the northern boundary of the township between sections 3 and 4...

 of Ottawa County

Ottawa County, Michigan

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 238,314 people, 81,662 households, and 61,328 families residing in the county. The population density was 421 people per square mile . There were 86,856 housing units at an average density of 154 per square mile...

 in the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Michigan

Michigan

Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

. Township offices are located in the community

The Marne ZIP code

ZIP Code

ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...

 49435 serves areas in southern and eastern Wright Township, as well as areas of central Tallmadge Township to the south and small areas of Alpine Township to the east in Kent County

Kent County, Michigan

-Air Service:*Commercial air service to Grand Rapids is provided by Gerald R. Ford International Airport . Previously named Kent County International Airport, it holds Grand Rapids' mark in modern history with the United States' first regularly scheduled airline service, beginning July 31, 1926,...

.

Marne is located at 43°02′10"N 85°49′40"W off exit 23 on Interstate 96

Interstate 96

Interstate 96 is an intrastate Interstate Highway that is entirely within the US state of Michigan. Its western terminus is at an interchange with US Highway 31 and Business US Highway 31 , on the western boundary of Norton Shores southeast of Muskegon. Its eastern terminus is at I-75 near the...

, just northwest of Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...

. The community was originally named Berlin because of the many German settlers. It received a post office in 1852 and was plat

Plat

A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....

ted in 1857. Due to anti-German sentiment

Anti-German sentiment

Anti-German sentiment is defined as an opposition to or fear of Germany, its inhabitants, and the German language. Its opposite is Germanophilia.-Russia:...

s during World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, the name was changed in 1919 to Marne, to honor those soldiers who fought in the Battle of the Marne

Battle of the Marne

There were two Battles of the Marne, taking place near the Marne River in Marne, France during World War I:* First Battle of the Marne * Second Battle of the Marne...

. However, the name Berlin continues to manifest in many ways, including Berlin Baptist Church, the Berlin Fairgrounds, Berlin Fair Drive and the Berlin Raceway

Berlin Raceway

Berlin Raceway is a 0.438 mile long paved oval race track in Marne, Michigan, near Grand Rapids. It opened in 1950. The track is notable for the lack of an outside wall on the back straightaway, a unique feature for a national series such as ARCA...

, where Johnny Benson

Johnny Benson

Jonathan Benson, Jr. is an American NASCAR driver and the son of former Michigan modified driver John Benson, Sr...

 raced.

Marne (at the time Berlin) also served as a stop on the historic Grand Rapids, Grand Haven & Muskegon interurban railroad. The depot still remains to this day.

Ed Cole

Ed Cole

Edward Nicholas Cole was an American automotive executive for General Motors.- Career :Cole was the son of a dairy farmer. In his youth, he designed, built, and sold homemade radio sets, and as a teenager became a field representative for a tractor manufacturer...

, an automotive executive for General Motors

General Motors

General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...

, was born in Marne, where his father was a dairy farmer.

Marne serves as a trailhead

Trailhead

A trailhead is the point at which a trail begins, where the trail is often intended for hiking, biking, horseback riding, or off-road vehicles...

 for the Musketawa Trail

Musketawa Trail

The Musketawa Trail is a rail trail in Western Michigan along the former Muskegon, Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad line. Stretching from Marne to Muskegon, the trail passes through the towns of Conklin and Ravenna...