Smith, J.C.B. 1859-1930, Title, Abstract and Law Firm

John C. B. Smith was born on February 3, 1859 to Thomas Smith (1829 – xxxx) and Narcissus Jane May (1835 – xxxx) in New Columbia, Massac County, Illinois.

In the 1850 census, his 22 year old, unmarried father, Thomas, was living in Massac County, Illinois with 24 year old James and Queentina Smith who are suspected to be his brother and sister-in-law.  Thomas’s future bride to be, Narcissus Jane May, lived three houses down from them. On October 24th of the same year, 1850, Thomas Smith and Jane May were married. Continue reading

Tippy, Oliver S. 1850–1931, Marion Alderman, Goodall & Tippy

Oliver TippyOliver Scott Tippy was born on March 4, 1850 in Williamson County, Illinois near Carterville. He was the son of Mathew Ryburn (2/19/1812 – 2/24/1878) and Margaret Paralee (Campbell) Tippy, pioneers of Illinois and Tennessee.  They had six children, 4 boys and 2 girls:  Emily, James M., William W., Oliver S., Marion C. and Elizabeth Tippy.     

Oliver’s parents, Matthew and Paralee, were married in 1842 and in the 1850 census Matthew and his wife were living in Williamson County, Illinois. There were four children under 6 years of age:  Emily E., James M., William W., and Oliver S. Tippy.  Oliver was less than a year old.  Continue reading

The Stockton Bell Factory

William StocktonThe following post is a reproduction of an article appearing in the Marion Daily Republican dated March 22, 1940. It summarizes the presence of the bell making, Stockton family who were a very early pioneer family that settled in Marion and distributed their bells all over the west and midwest from their home and factory on North Market between E. Boulevard and W. Stockton Streets. Continue reading

Shannon, William C. 1888-1976, Marion Mayor 1951-55

William Shannon 1888-1976William Clark Shannon, who held public office in Williamson County for more than a quarter of a century, including those of Marion Mayor, City Magistrate, County Sheriff and County Treasurer, was born in Cannon City, Colorado to Abraham and Mary Shannon on March 13, 1888.

William’s father, Abraham was a full blooded Irish coal miner who was born in Northern Ireland in 1861 and immigrated in 1876, at the age of 15 to America to work the mines. He became a citizen in 1884. William’s mother, Mary, was full blooded English, but was naturalized by the process of her parents becoming citizens. Continue reading