In 1855, a four room frame building in the 200 Block of West Jefferson Street, was more than adequate for the city’s needs. This facility was called the “Washington Combined School” building and housed students from grade one (1) to grade twelve (12). About 1881, a two room addition was erected and then in 1885 the building was destroyed by fire. After the fire it was replaced with an eight room, two-story brick building which later received a four room addition.

The rapid increase in Marion’s population from 1900 (2,510) to 1920 (9,582) made providing adequate school facilities a serious problem. In 1901, it was necessary to build again and, on the site of the old John M. Cunningham homestead where the girlhood of Mrs. John A. Logan was spent, a twelve room, two story high school building was erected. This was at 414 East Main Street, just East of where the present Washington Elementary School is located. This building was called Logan High School and later Logan Elementary School.

In 1912 in accord with an enactment of the forty eighth General Assembly Marion voted to create a township high school district by the combining of the west half of East Marion Township and the east half of West Marion township. A township board was elected and the newly created district bonded for $60,000 to erect a modern 30-classroom building to be devoted to high school purposes exclusively. A beautiful site at the corner of West Main Street and South Russell Streets was selected. The building, the cost of which exceeded $70,000, was occupied for the first time in the fall of 1914. This building was eventually expanded to the south with another wing, a study hall, and a basketball gymnasium sunk half way into the ground, under the study hall. This was where the State of Illinois Basketball Champions of 1924 played.

In 1943, George Ashley wrote the words and music to the Marion High School loyalty song.

A new 3,500 seat gymnasium was constructed west of the high school in 1948 which included a new study hall, library, movie room, along with additional classrooms and shops for auto mechanics and wood working. The old study hall in the original building was converted into an auditorium, complete with a stage for plays.

In 1953, when the Marion schools were consolidated into Unit District #2, the name of the high school was changed from Marion Township High School to Marion High School. This high school building could not accommodate an enrollment of over 1,000 students. In 1962, a referendum was conducted and the voters authorized the construction of a $1,500,000 high school to be constructed on 32 acres of land donated to the Marion unit School district #2 by Dr. William W. Richey, located near the end of South Carbon Street. The school was completed and the first classes were held in the school in the fall of 1965. Basketball and football games were still played at the old “Edwards Field” at the old building on West Main St. until “Wilson Gym” and a new football field was built in the late 1970’s.

In 1969 the old Washington School was demolished to make way for the new Williamson County Courthouse. In 1975-76 the old original High School building on W. Main Street was demolished and in 1978 the old Logan building on E. Main was demolished.

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(This information was obtained from A. C. (Cliff) Storme, Louis Fluck, and newspaper articles published by Violet Grisham and from the personal knowledge of Thomas Wimberly, in January, 2006; edited and supplemented by Sam Lattuca on 12/22/2012 and 06/26/2013)