Davis, William T. 1842-1906, Mayor & County Treasurer

William Thompson Davis was a pioneer citizen of the county and according to his obituary was born in Saline Precinct, now named Stonefort Township, near what was known as Sayersville Bridge just west of Stonefort, January 31, 1842, and the entire sixty-four years of his life were spent as a citizen of Williamson County. His parents were John Tribble and Nancy (Thompson) Davis. Continue reading

Calhoun, George B. 1875-1946, Mayor and Circuit Clerk

George Benton Calhoun, Mayor of Marion in 1913 & 1914 and Williamson County Circuit Clerk, was born May 19, 1875 in Johnson County, the son of Thomas Hayes (1831-1894) and Mary Jane Elizabeth (Robinson) Calhoun (1837-1877. His siblings were: Martha Alice Calhoun, William M. Calhoun, James A. Calhoun, Sarah Francis Calhoun, Susan Calhoun, Charles R. Calhoun, Jacob Jefferson Calhoun and Thomas J. Calhoun. Continue reading

Hartwell, Joseph W. 1839-1903, Marion Mayor & Civil War Veteran

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

Whitcomb, Charles H. 1890-1969, Mayor & County Commissioner

Whitcomb, Herb 1967Charles 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

Youngblood, Thomas J. 1857-1926, Youngblood & Youngblood Abstractors

TJ Youngblood 1857-1926Thomas Jefferson Youngblood, Marion Mayor, was born in Osage, Laclede County, Missouri, March 8, 1857. His father was Solomon B. Youngblood, who was born on the old Jacob Sanders place, about seven miles northeast of Marion, on February 18, 1827. His father moved to Missouri in his youth and on January 5, 1854, married Lucinda Tyree, a native of Southwestern Missouri, where she was born in 1827. During the Civil War Solomon enlisted in the Union army serving with Company D, 24th Regiment of the Missouri Infantry. Solomon received an injury which his third wife would claim after his death at age 63 on October 6, 1891 in Hardin County, Illinois. Continue reading