Author Archives: wcihs

Davis, William M. 1841-1929, Confederate Soldier

Posted on by May 26, 2014

W. Mart Davis, Civil War Vet, Died Tuesday

Was Resident of Community for Seventy Five Years

Death at 3:20 p.m. Tuesday closed the long and interesting life of Uncle Mart Davis, one of Marion’s oldest and most beloved citizens. He was 88 years, four months and eight days of age. For several months his health had been poor, and it was realized that he could not live much longer. He passed away at his home at 412 E. College Street.

William Martin Davis was born on May 9th, 1841, in Knox County, Tennessee, near Knoxville and moved to Illinois with his parents, William and Elizabeth Ann Hunter Davis at the age of 14, but returned to Tennessee later and at the age of 20 years joined the 15th Tennessee Volunteer Regiment, Company G, under H.B. Cunningham of this city on June 5, 1861. Continue reading →

1929, Chief Bailey to Quit Force

Posted on by May 26, 2014

Chief Bailey to Quit Force

Duties as State Oil Inspector in Williamson and Johnson Began Friday

Clyde Bailey 1929 Police Chief

Clyde Bailey 1929 Police Chief

Chief of Police Clyde Bailey was back in Marion Friday ready to render his resignation to the city commissioners following his assumption of duties as state oil inspector for Williamson and Johnson counties in Springfield Thursday.

Rev. Bailey was appointed to the post of oil inspector for the two counties by Governor L.L. Emmerson, and the appointment is recognition of Bailey’s own support of the governor’s candidacy during Bailey’s unsuccessful race for the legislature. As oil inspector, Rev. Bailey will work in the division of oil inspection of the Department of Trade and Commerce. His appointment became effective Friday.

At a special meeting of the city to be held sometime Friday or Friday evening, Chief Bailey expected to ask the city commissioners to accept his resignation as chief of the police department.

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(Extracted from the Marion Daily Republican, September 1929)

Joseph’s Clothing Store

Posted on by May 26, 2014

A.H. Joseph\'s Clothing
A.H. Joseph\'s Clothing

A.H. Joseph Will Retire

Veteran Clothier Announces Sale Preparatory to Retiring from Business in Marion

A.H. Joseph is today announcing a sale which will start on Saturday and which is for the purpose of closing out his stock of clothing preparatory to retiring from business. Mr. Joseph came to this city from St. Louis twenty six years ago and opened up his store in the Warder block on the east side of the public square as soon as that building was completed. He received his stock before the building was ready and for a couple of months conducted his business in another location bur for more than a quarter of a century has been in business at the head of East Main Street. Continue reading →

Robertson, Martin W. 1839-1906, Merchant and Trustee, 403 E. Main St.

Posted on by June 30, 2014

Martin W. Robertson 1839-1905
Malvina Dunaway Robertson 1846-1916
403 E. Main Street, Marion, Illinois
403 E. Main Street, Marion, Illinois

Martin Wiley Robertson, Marion Trustee and merchant, was the son of Henry Robertson (1775-1845) of Nashville Tennessee and Mary Spiller (1798-1853) of Virginia by way of Tennessee. Mother, Mary, was the daughter of William Spiller and Winifred Benson.

Martin’s father, Henry Robertson, came to this part of Illinois, about 1818, returned to Tennessee, then came back in 1823, and settled three and a half miles northwest of Marion, filing his first land claim in 1836, where he farmed successfully until his death in 1845. Henry bought one of the original lots in Marion when the land for the town went up for sale. Continue reading →

1969, Joan Crawford at Marion Pepsi-Cola Plant Opening

Posted on by May 21, 2014

Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford

Joan Crawford Visits Southern Illinois

New Marion Soft Drink Plant Opens

“There she is” … “oh, I see her” tumbled from the crowd as Joan Crawford radiant in the morning sun stepped upon the platform.

Miss Crawford, dressed in a subdued gray suit with matching hat, moved gracefully across the stage, waving, smiling at the more than 400 people who had come to the dedication ceremony of the new Pepsi-Cola plant west of Marion.

Harry Crisp, Sr. president of Marion Pepsi Cola Bottling Co., Harry Crisp Jr., vice president and general manager, James B. Sommerall, president and chief executive officer of Pepsi-Cola Co., Paul Powell, Illinois Secretary of State and other Pepsi Cola officials attended the ceremonies at the plant on Old Rt. 13 at 10:30 a.m. Saturday morning. Continue reading →