Marion Illinois History Preservation

2014, Marion Opens New Police Department

Posted on May 29, 2014 by wcihsMay 29, 2014

New Marion Police Department Opens

The Marion Police Department hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 21, 2014 to dedicate the new Marion Police Department. A poorly advertised open house followed until 2 p.m. and the public was welcome to attend the event.

The newly modified building is located at 1001 W. DeYoung Street in Marion and used to serve as the Richard G. Wilson U.S. Army Reserve Center which had been unoccupied since August 2011 when the armory was moved to a larger, newer facility. Continue reading →

1916, Marion Carnegie Library Dedication Speech

Posted on May 28, 2014 by wcihsOctober 25, 2024

The following was delivered by Ed. M. Stotlar on February 29, 1916 at the dedication exercise held at the library building during the evening:

The first organized effort for the starting of a Public Library in Marion, Illinois occurred in January, 1906 when Prof. J.W. Asbury, then Supt. of the City schools made a public call for a mass meeting of all citizens interested in procuring a public library for Marion. The meeting was held in the City Hall and liberally attended by citizens interested in the movement. At this meeting Prof. J.W. Asbury was chosen chairman of a committee to confer with the aldermen and mayor and city attorney and ask that a library ordinance for the City of Marion be drawn and passed at once. As a result of the efforts of this committee, the first library ordinance was passed on March 12, 1906, known as Ordinance No. 60. Mr. C.H. Denison was Mayor and the board of aldermen consisted of B.H. Jeter, A.M. Townsend, Sandy Miller, E.H. Moulton, Joseph H. Moss, W.O. Potter, John S. Strike and A.B. McLaren, with George Campbell, Secretary and Hosea V. Ferrell, attorney. Continue reading →

1929, Chief Bailey to Quit Force

Posted on May 26, 2014 by wcihsMay 26, 2014

Chief Bailey to Quit Force

Duties as State Oil Inspector in Williamson and Johnson Began Friday

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)

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

Posted on May 23, 2014 by wcihsJune 30, 2014

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, Marion News in Brief

Posted on May 19, 2014 by wcihsMay 19, 2014

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 →