It’s always interesting to look back at how much things have changed over time, particularly the highly developed area west of I-57 in Marion which exploded with the completion of interstate 57 and the development of the new Route 13 corridor. It is hard to believe that not that many years prior to these photos being taken; much of this area was either strip mine or cornfields.

The aerial photograph promoting the Marion Industrial Park on Skyline Drive appears to have been taken in the mid to late 1980’s. Skelly’s Truck Stop and Mayer Brothers Motor Sales can be seen bottom left of frame. Interstate 57 is out of frame at the bottom. The absence of the Illinois Centre Mall above the inset photo indicates it is pre-1990.

Things have changed radically since the aerial photograph of the Illinois Center Mall was taken. It likely dates to within a couple of years after its completion which would place it around 1993, since the mall was opened in late 1991. Most all of the empty space surrounding the mall is now occupied and the highway in front of the mall is currently, in 2014, being elevated to pass over the railroad tracks seen in the photo at the bottom of frame.

(Photo courtesy of the City of Marion)