Well I have never run into an instance where I couldn’t actually nail someone’s first name down so this is a first. Lots of men in the early days went by their initials only as in this instance, W.C.S. Rhea. Two census records that I found show his name as William and the others with his initials, W.C.S. However his official death record calls him out as Walter C.S. Rhea and his son was named Walter Scott Rhea. Then again, I found two references that call him Winfield C. Scott Rhea. So for simplicity, I will refer to him in his bio as W.C.S. and keep his name as Winfield in the heading since that was how he was listed as alderman for the city of Marion in 1904. I suspect it’s more likely that his name was Winfield C. Scott since a lot of young men born in this era were named after historical figures like General Winfield Scott of the War of 1812 and the Mexican American war fame.
Continue readingWilliam Braxton Lee was born September 16, 1861 to John Anderson Lee (1828-1911) and Isabelle Hunter (1829-1914) likely in Township 7, Range 4 of Jackson County, Illinois which is where the family was living during the 1860 census. By the 1870 federal census, the family was living in Township 9, Range 3, which is today East Marion Township. The 41 year old father was listed as being a painter by occupation and the children listed were Mary 13, Charles 11, William B. 9 and John F. aged 6.
By the time the 1880 census was taken, the family had moved and were living inside Marion, John, was still employed as a painter and the same four children were still in the home including William who was then aged 18.
Continue readingEzra Norton Rice was born in Mercey County, Pennsylvania on October 15, 1861 to Joshua E. Rice and Mary Lesure. The family is reported to have migrated to Williamson County in 1864. When the 1870 federal census was taken the family was found to be living in Township 9, Range 1, which is Blairsville Township today and they were living near the Fredonia Post Office which is now the village of Cambria. The father, Joshua, was a 37 year old blacksmith and the 42 year old mother Mary, reported having Ezra aged 9 and five other children.
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William Bender Capron was born in Albany, New York to Charles Capron and Charlotte Dodge on July 26, 1842, a family descended from early settlers of New York. He was baptized in a Presbyterian church in Albany, New York on September 23, 1842. By the time the 1860 census was taken, William aged 16 and a brother known only in the census as C. aged 14 were living alone with a large farm family in Sangamon County Illinois.
On August 14th, 1862, William B. went to Springfield, Illinois and enlisted in Company B of the 114th Illinois Infantry. William’s enlistment record listed him as 5′ 10″ tall, fair complexion, light hair and blue eyes. He was mustered into the union army on September 17, 1862 at Camp Butler in Springfield. William was captured by confederates at Brice’s Crossroads, near Guntown, Mississippi on June 10, 1864 and was imprisoned at Andersonville prison in Georgia for eleven grueling months. He was mustered out of the service at Springfield, Illinois on May 30, 1865.
Continue readingThe last section of the Grandma Cline house on South Market Street was removed today leaving a lot vacant that has not been so in 60 years or more. Isaac Campbell, grandfather of City Clerk George C. Campbell erected this dwelling in the summer of 1854 at a time when the number of houses all told in Marion did not exceed 50.
At this time only three houses can now be recalled besides this one that still stand in Marion, one at 310 W. White Street occupied by W.E. Jordon, the house mover who is now taking the Cline house from its old site. William Calvert built the house about the same time the Cline house was built. It stood on the site occupied now by the Duty Drug store and was one and a half story frame. It was moved to its present location some 15 or 20 years ago.
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