Pork 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
Category Archives: Street Scenes
This 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
To 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
This photo was found at the Williamson County Historical Society and is dated 1908. The shot was taken from the east side of the 200 block of N. Market looking across Market and to the south toward the court house catching the even numbered businesses in the 200 block on the other side of the street. Continue reading
This photo compilation was found in the Marion, Illinois, Opportunity City booklet published in 1913. No date was given on the photos but I set the date between 1907 and 1913 due to the presence of the Fire Department on E. … Continue reading