Thomas Davis, Marion Alderman, merchant and Civil War veteran, was born September 18, 1840, the son of Oliver H. Davis (1805-1885) and Rebecca Ann Baker (1809-1885). Oliver Davis came from Tennessee to Illinois about 1828 with his wife and baby daughter Jane. His wife and daughter rode on a horse, and he walked by their side. He settled on the bank of Crab Orchard Creek in what is now Williamson County Illinois, about 1/2 mile East of Pittsburg, Illinois. Continue reading
Category Archives: Businesses
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
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
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
Marion Still Growing, A Quiet 1969
Continuing growth marked a quiet 1969 in Marion.
There were no murders, no violent fatalities, no disasters or catastrophes within the city in the year, not even a flood such as plagued it in previous years.
Growth continued despite voter opposition to increased taxes for two facets of city progress.
Marion Unit Two residents voted 2,140 to 1919 against a $700,000 bond issued to build a new grade school and a 35 cent increase in the education tax rate on March 15. Continue reading