1924, Marion Has a Beautiful Park

Posted on by July 13, 2014

Marion Has a Beautiful Park

Large Sixteen Acre Plot at Garfield and DeYoung May be Developed

Marion, the city of Opportunity now has a park of sixteen acres expanse, set with scores of beautiful shade trees and located in one of the most beautiful and accessible parts of the city. That may sound startling but it’s nothing new. For twelve years, sixteen acres of ground donated to the city for a city park, has lain idle. With the arrival of summer, many public spirited citizens have become aware of the fact that the city park which people have been desiring has been here all the time, and an attempt is being made to arouse enough interest in the venture to develop the park. Continue reading →

Scates, Walter B. 1808-1886, Circuit Court Judge

Posted on by July 11, 2014

Walter B. ScatesAlthough Walter B. Scates never resided in Marion he served as one of Williamson County’s first circuit court judges that resided over court in the small county clerk’s office on the public square in Marion before the first court house was ever built. He also helped form not only the statutes of Illinois but was responsible for the passage of legislation allowing lawyer’s to have access to their clients in jail.

Walter B. Scates was born on January 18, 1808 in South Boston, Halifax County, Virginia, and when but a child his parents removed to Tennessee, and soon after to Christian County, Kentucky. He was the son of Joseph W. Scates (1775-1842) and Elizabeth Eggleston Bennett (1774-1849). His brothers and sisters were:  William Bennett (1802 – 1882), Harriet Fields (1804 – 1855), Joseph W., Jr. (1805 – 1856), Elizabeth Eggleston (1810 – 1860), Isaac Coleman (1812 – 1854) and John Tyler Scates (1814 – 1888). Continue reading →

Rice, Jeremiah S. 1820-19xx, Marion Trustee

Posted on by July 4, 2014

Jeremiah Rice was a pioneer farmer of Southern Illinois, a carpenter and served on the first board of trustees for the city of Marion where his children were born, but before they grew to maturity he moved to Dunklin county, Missouri, to live out his years.

Jeremiah S. “Jerry” Rice was born in November of 1820 in Tennessee. 

He married Susan A. Sanders on September 9, 1840 in Williamson County, Illinois.  Continue reading →

Phillips, William H. 1846-1913, Alderman, Wagon maker, Civil War Vet

Posted on by July 1, 2014

William Harper Phillips, Marion alderman, wagon maker, implement dealer and Confederate officer, was born in Clarksville, Mecklenburg County, Virginia in July 1846.  He was the son of Robert Allen Phillips (1816-1879) and Caroline Leneve (1825) who married in Mecklenburg County December 21, 1840. 

In the 1860 census, William’s father, Robert, was a 43 year old wheelwright with real estate valued at $490.  His mother, Caroline, was 38 years old.  Everyone in the family was born in Virginia and they were living in Mecklenburg County, Virginia near Clarksville.  William was 14 years old, living with his parents and four siblings:  Rosalie, Mary, Martha, and Pauline. Loney A. Yancey, 18, may be a relative or an indentured servant and was attending school; James Wiles, 17, an apprentice wheelwright, was also living with the family.  Continue reading →

Navigation Menu Changed

Posted on by July 1, 2014

When I first set this site up, I didn’t have a way of indexing the numerous categories required to itemize everything related to Marion’s history. Because of that, I was initially forced to sub-categorize everything resulting in a long menu structure that turned out to be problematic causing a crash a month or so ago that took hours to resolve.

Since all categories with any information in them are know indexed, I have changed the primary navigation buttons to call up the indexes of each main category allowing a more precise choice of items and shorter, less problematic menus.

I hope the change is well accepted. On the other hand since its free and I am unpaid, who cares, right?