1918 Lynch Mob Gathers on N. Market St., Marion, Illinois

Lynch Mob Gathers ca 1916

Lynch Mob Gathers ca 1916

This photo, circa 1918, of the east side of the first block of North Market Street just off the square shows a lynch mob gathering. According to information on the back of the photo the man on the balcony is holding a machine gun. Blowups of the picture show a white man in a dark suit holding a black man in a white shirt by the arm under the balcony. The crowd is split on racial lines with blacks facing south toward the camera and whites facing north with their backs towards the camera. Continue reading

Ohio and Mississippi Valley Telephone Co., Marion, Illinois

 

Joab Goodall 1904

Joab Goodall 1904

Joab Goodall started the first telephone company in Marion in the late 1880’s. His first telephone building was located at 102 N. Liberty St. The Ohio and Mississippi Valley Telephone Co. operated with Goodall as president until 1917, when they sold to the Murphysboro Telephone Co.  A. B. Minton was president and principal stockholder of this company and W. C. Alexander was an official of the company. Continue reading