I have been doing double duty by adding to this site as well as rebuilding a new permanent website for the Williamson County Historical Society. One of the history pages that I have been working on is a compilation of all of the cities, villages, ghost towns, post offices and various historical points of interest within the county. Keep checking on this link to the county website as it will be filling out over time.
Category Archives: County
The old county jail at 105 S. Van Buren Street in Marion was built in 1913 and served 16 sheriff’s terms and housed most of their families. When a new county jail was built and occupied in the early 1970’s the old jail was handed over to the Williamson County Historical Society for safe keeping. It has since been converted into a county museum and genealogical/historical research library. The following link will bring up a description of the museum with some photos. If you haven’t been to the museum, you should make it a point to take your family, most of the possessions on display came from old Williamson County pioneer families.
Marion, Illinois became an incorporated city in 1874 with a mayoral system of government. Joseph W. Hartwell became the first mayor elected to the town in 1874. Later he served in several positions in the city and county government: County Treasurer, 1865; Circuit Clerk 1868-1872; and States Attorney 1875-1880. In a special election for states attorney in June 1875, he was “an able young lawyer and a man of courage.” He was elected to the vacancy left by State’ Attorney, J. D. F. Jennings, who had left the county after embezzling $927 from the school fund and was the father of Al Jennings, Joseph W. was then elected to a full term. He also served on the state Board of Equalization in Springfield and U. S. Special Pension Examiner in Fulton, Kentucky. Continue reading
Charles Herbert “Herb” Whitcomb, mayor of Marion from 1931-1935 during the heart of the depression and two term County Commissioner, was born April 22, 1890 in Paducah, Kentucky to Charles Herbert Whitcomb, Sr. (1860-1896) and Mary Elizabeth Stanley (1863-1932). Continue reading
Part two of 1876 News Cippings, See also, 1876 News Clippings, January thru June
____________________ July, 1876 ______________________
6 Jul – Jack Walker of Metropolis killed Ed Neimeyer during a quarrel by stabbing, Monday of last week. EP
Capt. Wherry, an explorer of Pulaski County is making some interesting discoveries In that county…has found several skeletons of a race of people that were not more than 4 feet 5 inches tall. EP Continue reading