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

1954, Improvements for Marion and Vicinity Planned

Over Two Million Dollars in Improvements For Marion and Vicinity Planned For 1954

Over two million dollars will be spent in Marion and vicinity during this year on new construction and the purchase of right–of-way for relocating of State Highway 13, according to figures compiled this week by the Marion Daily Republican. Continue reading

Marion in 1861

By the start of the War Between the States, Marion was an extremely small town compared to what it is today.

The Illinois General Assembly provided Marion a town charter in 1851. Earlier, the legislature provided for a committee to plat out a county seat at the same time Williamson County was separated from Franklin County. Continue reading