909 W. Main St. 1904

The home that used to sit at 909 W. Main Street for about 55 years was built in 1903 by Robert L. Sparks. Robert was a turn of the century contractor builder and built the home for his father Francis Marion Sparks and step mother Mary Jane (Pease) Sparks.

This substantial and elegant home of Mr. Sparks and his family stood on the south side of West Main Street, between S. Court and S. Vicksburg Streets. The grounds were spacious and nicely kept, as shown in the photo from 1904 and the land lies on the highest point in the street giving its attractive surroundings a prominence which at once commanded the admiration of the passer-by. (The 1905 Souvenir History Book erroneously locates this house on the north side of W. Main Street.)

The actual location of 909 W. Main would have put the house pretty much where Fred’s Pharmacy is located today. When this house went away in the late 1950’s, a Kroger store appears in its place and it is the same location where Fred’s is today.

Francis Sparks and his second wife Mary built and occupied the home for the longest period. In the 1910 census, there were four of the Sparks family living here plus eight more boarders occupying the home to supplement income.

For some reason in 1920, when Francis had reached 80 he went to live with his son Robert west of town and left Mary and their son Harry and his wife living there. Mary continued living there until her death in 1934.

The home was next owned from around 1935 into the early 1950’s by John J. Cooksey and his wife Sarah. John was a tavern owner and augmented the home’s income by renting space in the house just as the Sparks family had done.

After the Cooksey’s, the home was rented until the late 1950’s when it was demolished. I suspect it was to make way for the Kroger store that then sat at that location for the next 30 years or so and was then repurposed as an annex to the Marion Memorial Hospital.

(Data from 1905 Souvenir Book and Marion City Directories; compiled by Sam Lattuca on 03/15/2103)