“Willis Allen was the first resident of Williamson County to become a member of the United States Congress. He represented the district in the 32nd and 33rd congressess (1851-1855). During his first term he represented the second district, in 1852 a new apportionment became effective and Williamson county was a part of the ninth district. Mr. Allen was defeated in 1846 for the office he finally won by John A. McClernand of Shawneetown who became a Civil War general.
Mr. Allen came from Tennessee to Crab Orchard about 1830, was elected sheriff of Franklin County in 1836, the state representative in 1838. On the question of county division, 1884 votes were polled in Franklin county and Mr. Allen was the best of five candidates with 533 votes. Soon after the new town of Marion was laid out Mr. Allen bought three acres from William Benson and moved into the log cabin on the land. He was appointed the first postmaster for Marion January 30, 1940 and became prosecuting attorney of the judicial circuit the next year in 1841
When James K. Polk was elected president in 1844, Mr. Allen was one of the presidential electors. He was a candidate himself that summer, and defeated the veteran Dempsey Odum for state senator by less than one hundred votes. Senator Allen was a member of the 14th and 15th general assemblies, 1844-1847. Then Mr. Odum succeeded to the office.
Fellowship lodge #89 of the Masonic order was the first in the county, chartered at Marion October 8, 1850. Mr. Allen was senior warden. His election to congress followed.
A commission as circuit judge was presented Mr. Allen March 2, 1859 and he rode the county circuit on horseback with his fellow lawyers. but he died while holding court at Harrisburg that June. His son William J. Allen succeeded him.Willis was buried in a family plot on his property near his residence at 514 S. Market St.
Mrs. Allen’s maiden name was Elizabeth Joiner. Their suviving sons were Jefferson, William J. and Robert M. Allen. Jefferson Allen lived with the Logan family at Murphysboro and was one of the commissioners employed to locate Marion. Josh Allen was a congressman. Robert M. Allen was sherriff for the term 1864-1866. Willis Allen’s wife sold their home on 514 S. Market to their daughter Paulina who became the wife of Dr. Augustus N. Lodge, a member of the legislature. When she died, she was buried along with her father, mother and siblings at the family plot near the S. Market home. After her husband Augustus Lodge died, all of the burial plots were moved to the then new Rose Hill Cemetery and reinterred. Nannie Allen married first Monroe Goddard, then as a widow, Hartwell Hendrickson the circuit clerk. Harriet Allen became the wife of Dr. Robert M. Hundley.
(Extracted from Pioneer Folks and Places by Barbara Barr Hubbs, Herrin Daily Journal 1939)