At the first term of the county commissioners’ court, held in October, 1839, John Davis was granted a license “to retail spirituous liquors at his house in the town of Marion,” making him the first business, which was hastily made out of logs and had to be moved when it was found to be located in the middle of the square.
The first store building in Marion was put up by Joshua Mulkey in 1840, and the next by Robert Hopper.
At the March term, 1841, of the county commissioners’ court, James McFarland and Sterling Hill were both granted license to sell spirituous liquors at their houses in Marion; and thus two more such business houses were added to the place. Mr. Hill was one of the county commissioners. D. L. Pulley put up a grocery on the Westbrook corner, and J. D. Pulley built “Our House” on the west side. John Sparks put up a hat shop on the northeast corner.
In 1842 Allen Bainbridge built the Western Exchange, a brick building on the corner where Goodall & Campbell’s store now stands.
In 1845 Marion had increased until it had the following merchants: Spiller & Campbell, Robert T. Hopper, H. L. Bowyer and Allen Bainbridge. Saloon keepers were Sterling Hill and William Dillard. There were two or three blacksmith shops in Marion, and Allen Bainbridge manufactured tobacco in the house now used as a grocery, at the northwest corner of the public square.
From 1845 up to the beginning of the late war, the following gentlemen and firms were engaged at different periods in the mercantile business of Marion: Campbell & McCown, Goodall, Pulley & Thorn, John D. Sanders & Son, Henry Sanders, Hundley & Lewis, Lewis & Erwin, Young & Kern, S. W. Dunaway & Son and Goddard & Bainbridge.
The present merchants and business men of the town are as follows: Exchange Bank, L. A. Goddard, banker; Dry goods —F. M. Westbrook & Co., Thomas Dunaway, J. B. Bainbridge, Goodall & Tippy, W. H. Eubanks, Pillow, Campbell & Bro., J. M. Burkhart; Groceries—Goodall & Adams, A, L. Cline, Davis & Gent, N. G. Reid, Pillow, Campbell & Co., Barham & Duncan, J. W. Barham & Co., Noah Cash & Co., H. M, Parks; Drugs—J. A. Benson, John Cline, W. M. Washburn; Hardware— H. M. Parks, Fitzgerrell & Bro. ; Millinery—Mrs. Shannon Holland, Mrs. M. L. Moore; Harness—Mr. Little; Livery Stables—Holland & Carter, Flem. Gent; Farm Implements — William Phillips, Samuel Chandler, H. M. Parks; Hotels– Simmons House, Grand Central, Pulley House, Reynolds House, Cline House. In addition to the foregoing there are several boarding houses. Tobacco warehouses—Goodall & Tippy, F. M. Westbrook & Son, John Gullege; Furniture and Coffins—Duncan & Jackson; Postmaster—R. D. Holland.
The town also contains several blacksmith and wood workshops, three butcher shops, two barber shops, and the new and well established photograph and picture gallery of J.W. Wilder. The town also contains the Marion Roller Mills, being a large three-story brick building, which was erected in 1883 by the present proprietors, Wm. Aikman & Co. The building and the ground on which it stands cost about $5,000, and the mill machinery $12,000. The capacity of this mill is 125 barrels of flour per day. —–Goodspeed’s History, 1887
(Extracted from Goodspeed’s History of Williamson County, 1887)