Milo Erwin was 29 years old when he wrote “The History of Williamson County, Illinois” in 1876. Our country was 100 years old and Williamson County was 37 years old. The Bloody Vendetta was scarcely over and many wounds, no doubt, were fresh. His book had 283 pages and only 123 were used to tell that story; the remaining pages told the history of our county from formation to 1876. Many pages were used to tell of his admiration of the hardy stock that settled here and shaped the history of Williamson County. Continue reading
Category Archives: All Marion Content
This report was published in 1914 by R.G. Dun (later to be Dun & Bradstreet). It is titled “Merchants, Tradesman and Manufacturers Financial Condition for Marion, Illinois 1914.” The report lists over 250 Marion merchants and tradesman for that year. If known, it lists their financial strength and gives a credit rating. This guide would have been used to judge whether a businessman would qualify for credit and reflects their financial strength. Continue reading
The Marion Development Co. was formed in 1913 by progressive Marion Business and professional men, and was the community’s Chamber of Commerce of that day. It continued until July, 1916 when World War I which had enveloped Europe was threatening to involve the United States, and preparedness in this country was taking first place in demands upon the public’s thinking and investment capital. Continue reading
William Jackson Spiller was born at the old Spiller home north of Marion on October 4, 1833, when Williamson was a part of Franklin County. He was the son of Elijah Nicholson Spiller (1803-1867) and Elizabeth Powell (1810-xxxx), both representing prominent pioneer families in Illinois and was raised on a farm at Spillertown where he and his wife lived, worked and raised their family of fourteen children. Continue reading
Homer Lee Askew was born August 17, 1913 to Edward Eugene Askew (1882-1972) and Ava Narcissus Johnson (1887-1947) in Tunnel Hill, Johnson County, Illinois. Homer was only one of thirteen children belonging to the large farm family.
In the 1920 federal census, Homer was aged 6, living with his parental family on the family’s Tunnel Hill farmland. Siblings present in the home were Raymond Askew 14, Gomer Askew 12, Allen Askew 10, Beatrice Askew 8, George Askew 4, Mildred Askew 2 and Otto Askew, 8 months old. Continue reading