Felts, James A. 1862-1947, Felts and Baker Stationers and Booksellers

James A. Felts 1862-1947James A. Felts was born March 18, 1862, in Lake Creek Township, about four miles north of Marion to David Jocham Felts and Jane Binkley, both of Tennessee.

James grew up on his father’s farm near Johnston City. In the 1880 census, James was 18 and listed as a farmer. His mother had died and his father remarried to Susan D. Herrington. Continue reading

The Post and Press Building, 100 S. Franklin Avenue

In the early days, all the newspaper printing in Marion was done primarily in one small section in the southeast corner of the square known as the 1000 block. Over the years, it housed the Egyptian Press, Marion Evening Post, Marion Evening Herald, Marion Leader Publishing and the Illinois Baptist Association Printing. Continue reading

Hartwell, Lorenzo D. 1843-1925

LD Hartwell 1843-1925Lorenzo Dow Hartwell Jr. was born May 6, 1843, in Williamson County, Illinois, and reared on the paternal farm five miles northeast of Marion, Illinois. He was the eighth in order of birth and the seventh boy in a family of twelve children born to Lorenzo Dow Hartwell Sr. and Sicily Hodge. Lorenzo Sr. emigrated from Virginia with his family in 1839. Continue reading