Morrison, Eugene W. 1904-1985

Gene Morrison 1904-1985Eugene Wilmer Morrison was born May 27, 1904 in a house in Marion on west Main Street located in the block across the street from the C&EI railroad station and about a block east of there. He was the son of Frank E. Morrison and Classena Wilmer.

When he was real small they moved to 701 N. Van Buren St. on the southwest corner of N. Van Buren and Boulevard. He lived there until the summer of 1921 when he was 17 years old and they then bought the house at 515 S. Market St. Continue reading

1954, Paving Machine Invented in Marion, Illinois

Paving Machine Invented in Marion Will Revolutionize the Industry

W.F. “Frankie” Merritt, 428 S. Future Street, Marion, has invented a machine which may revolutionize paving operations in the United States. Merritt, who is chief mechanic for the Regenhardt Construction Company of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, has developed a paving machine which requires no forms, but deposits the fresh concrete directly on the new road, saving approximately ten per cent in the cost of operation, and reducing the number of workers. With a traveling sub-grade machine, the results are practically the same as paving with forms. Continue reading