Welcome to Marion History Preservation
This site was born out of the need for a consolidated forum in which to preserve the rich and interesting heritage of Marion Illinois. My aspirations for this site are that Marion citizens who still live in town and those who have moved away will find it a rich resource for all things Marion.
My hopes are that visitors to this site will register and then use the comment sections after each picture or bit of history posted and add their own comments and memories so that we can capture as much information in the minds of living citizens who grew up here.
Every day we lose citizens who take with them their memories. Let’s try and capture as much of this information as we can before it all slips away.
Registration is free so enjoy the site and I encourage you to share any memories, recollections or pictures that you have.
Notice to Reynolds Descendents !
Margaret Reynolds Oliver, a Reynolds descendant, is seeking a male descendant of John Henry Reynolds and Almira Barham to take DNA test. Place of residence not important. Test can be mailed anywhere. Please contact the webmaster of this site for further information on the contact us page or click here. For further information on the family in question, see the post on Almira Reynolds or click here.
Do you Remember the Kimmel Building Fire on North Market or the Cox Hardware Fire on the Square ?
Thanks to photos taken by A.C. (Cliff) Storme back in 1963 that were donated to the Williamson County Historical Society, we get a chance to look back at these events. To view the Kimmel Fire photos from December 17, 1963, Click Here! To view the Cox Hardware Fire photos from May 7, 1963, Click Here!
Marion History Trivia
- When did telephone service come to Marion? Click here for the answer!
- When did the court house on the square turn white? Click here for the answer!
- When did Marion get electricity? Click here for the answer!
Check your Family Photo Albums !
Is your family a pioneer family that arrived here before 1839? Did anyone in your family serve the city in some capacity ? Perhaps, a family member owned a business or played a role in Marion’s development? If so, please consider preserving that information and sharing it with the rest of Marion. We want your stories, memories and photos. Look for old buildings or long gone landmarks in the background of family photos and share.
Voluntary History Researchers Needed
This is a huge undertaking and will require considerable time. Anyone who has an interest in or has already researched any of the categories listed in the navigation bar above could help us out considerably by contacting us and allowing us to use your data. Any author contributions will be given full credit on the site for their work. Even if you don’t already have information but would like to help in some way please contact me. Thanks, Sam Lattuca
Post Revision History
04/10/2013 Stylart Shoppe, added 4 photos and content
04/14/2013 Marion Electric Light and Power, replaced all photos with better quality
04/14/2013 Otis Williams, replaced 1 photo with better quality
04/14/2013 1414 W. Main St., replaced 1 photo with better quality
04/14/2013 County Fair Ground, replaced 1 photo with better quality
04/14/2013 403 S. Market St., replaced 1 photo with better quality
04/14/2013 County Court House, replaced 1 photo with better quality
04/14/2013 Marion City Hall, replaced 1 photo with better quality
04/23/2013 Eldorado, Marion and Southwestern Railroad, added data
04/24/2013 Harry Truman’s Visit, added 1 photo
05/03/2013 J.M. Burkhart, replaced 1 photo with better quality
05/06/2013 F.M. Goodall, added data
05/06/2013 County Poor Farm, added data and link to external site
05/09/2013 Joab Goodall 1858-1930, added data from obituary
05/09/2013 J.V. Walker & Sons, corrected final location
