Marshdale

Founded by: Thelonius Alasdair (1805)

Population (2015 census): 103,895

Marshdale is a major city located on the shores of Lord's Lake. It is home to the state-of-the-art Fermi Geothermal Power Plant, which supplies over 75% of Meridona's power.

Marshdale waterfront

History

The town of Marshdale was founded by Thelonius Alasdair and was first known simply as "The Retreat". With the island's population rising and development under way throughout most of the island, Alasdair wanted a place where one could return to nature and established a small, quiet resort town. 

It quickly became a popular escape for the island's new residents and experienced rapid growth throughout the 1800's. Much like the town of Cape Duke, The Retreat businesses profited greatly off Merdionan's penchant for vice. A group of concerned citizens led by Rahul Badal grew tired of  the debauchery, and in 1893, seceded from The Retreat to form the "moral community" of Helverta. Soon after, The Retreat changed it's name to Marshdale.

Power

As the much more modern city of Valhona became a world-class tourism destination, Marshdale's resorts and entertainment venues fell on hard times. Recognizing an economic change was needed in the city, hotel tycoon Edna Barris funded the construction of the Marsdale Power Plant in 1951. However, the bagasse-fired power plant suffered a catastrophic fire just weeks before becoming operational. The failure of Barris's power plant financially ruined the family dynasty, although historians view the fire as a blessing in disguise due to Meridona's fledgling sugarcane harvests.

With the island experiencing a growing number of blackouts, the Meridonan government funded the construction of a geothermal power plant in Marshdale in 1962. The Meridonan company Gillespie Corporation oversaw construction and the completed the power plant in 1967. It is named after Italian physicist Enrico Fermi. Since it's construction, the plant has seen frequent upgrades, making it one of the most advanced geothermal plants in the world. It currently powers over 75% of the island while releasing no greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Fermi Geothermal Power Plant