Dr. Joseph Green Parmley was born on a farm near Golconda on October 24, 1876, the son of Rev. George W. Parmley and Mary Daniel.
He attended Creal Springs Academy and Southern Illinois University before teaching school in Marion for four years. In 1904, he entered the University of Louisville, School of Medicine and graduated in 1908. Continue reading
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
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
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