At the end of the Civil War, the U.S. undertook care of disabled Union veterans in a system of homes known by 1873 as the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. The offer of free natural gas by Grant County residents and the efforts of local Congressman George W. Steele persuaded Congress to establish the Marion Branch on July 23, 1888. Members had access to health care, training, work, and recreation. In 1920, this branch was converted into a neuropsychiatric hospital for World War I veterans; in 1930, it was consolidated within the new Veterans Administration. As part of the VA Northern Indiana Health Care System, the facility continues to care for veterans, and some original buildings and the National Cemetery remain.