1944, Free Pigs on the Public Square

Free pigs on the square 1944Pork was free for a few minutes on the Public Square of Marion, Illinois, as George G. Champ, Marion farmer, kept his promise to give away 18 little pigs which he said he could no longer feed because of the government’s corn freeze order. One police chief and 17 youngsters, each with a pig in a sack, were the lucky ones in a crowd of 500 to get a shoat (a young, weaned pig) apiece. Continue reading

1939 F.W. Woolworth Staff Pose during Centennial Celebration

1939 Centennial Woolworth StaffThis photo was submitted to the Marion Living Magazine by Geneva Stahlhut and was dated 1939. Since the photo was taken in front of the F.W. Woolworth store on the square and includes the store manager of the time, Virgil A. Jones, I can presume that all of these ladies are Woolworth employees posing for a group photo during the Williamson County Centennial celebration in 1939. Especially, since they are all in period costume, which was common for store employees and normal citizens during the celebration held August 26, 1939 through September 1, 1939. Continue reading

1952 Bainbridge Square Photo

Bainbridge Square May 1952 Carl Sorgen photo small 2To the best of my knowledge, the Bainbridge addition was incorporated into the city of Marion in the post-World War II era of the 1940’s by Lawrence Bainbridge, grandson of J.B. Bainbridge, at roughly the same time period as the Midway Court area and after Elmwood Place which consists of First, Second, Third and Fourth Streets. The area is comprised of Bainbridge Road, Charlotte Road and Sherry Road.The streets of Charlotte and Sherry Road were named after his grandchildren Charlotte (Bainbridge) Cash, the daughter of Bill Bainbridge, his son and Sherry (Hudgens) Austin, the daughter of Winifred (Bainbridge) Hudgens, his daughter. Continue reading