Archibald B. McLaren was born in Dunfermline Fife, Scotland on January 6, 1873 to William E. and Mary (Kennedy) McLaren, both full blooded Scots.
In 1878, the McLaren family immigrated to the U.S. when Archibald was 5 years old. The family settled in Felix, Grundy County, Illinois where his father followed his occupation of coal mining. Grundy County coal was discovered and mined as early as 1820. Archibald followed his father’s footsteps and when he was old enough, became involved in mining himself.
On Christmas Day 1895, Archibald married Emily Peters at Coal City, Illinois. Emily was born in England in 1878 and immigrated with her parents to the U.S. around 1881.
In 1895 he was employed by the Star Coal Company at Carbon, Illinois, where he became manager of the mine.
In the 1900 census, the family was living in Carbon Hill, Illinois. Archibald was 27 and worked as a coal boss. Emily was 21. They had two children, William aged 2, born in 1898 and Joseph aged 10 months, born in 1899. They owned their home.
Shortly after 1900, the Chicago and Big Muddy Coal Company hired McLaren to be superintendent of their mine in Marion, Illinois.
The Chicago and Big Muddy Mine was opened in 1900 by Samuel H. Goodall as part of the Chicago and Big Muddy Coal and Coke Company, with headquarters in Chicago, and was one of the largest mines located near the edge of Marion, Illinois.
Scottsboro had its beginning in the development of the coal industry. A.B. McLaren, came to Marion around 1901 as superintendent of the Chicago and Big Muddy Coal Mine, and attracted many of his friends and former employees in and from the Coal City and Carbon Hill areas of Grundy County, Illinois.
Archibald quickly became immersed in Marion by investing in business and real estate, so much so, that McLaren Street was later named after him. He also, owned a large section of land located where Fosse Park is today. His donation of land to the city for the park got his name placed on one of the ball fields (McLaren Park).
McLaren served as Marion Alderman in 1906 under Mayor Charles H. Denison.
By 1910, McLaren had purchased a home located at 301 E. Allen Street. He and his wife were in their 30’s and had five children living at home. This couple is unique for the times, in that they had five kids and all of them survived childhood. Their children were Willie McLaren 13, Joseph McLaren 10, Elizabeth McLaren 8, Mary McLaren 4 and Esther McLaren 2.
When a meeting of the Official Board of the First United Methodist Church was held on March 7, 1911, a decision was made to build a new church. The new church would be the fundamental church that we see today on West Main Street. The motion carried unanimously by all board members, one of which was A. B. McLaren.
When McLaren registered with the WWI draft in 1918, he is described as medium height, stout build, blue eyes and light hair. He indicates that he was naturalized by process of being a minor child of an immigrant who himself became a citizen. Also, in the same year, he was named district power administrator in the National Fuel Administration during WW I.
In 1919, McLaren became superintendent of the O’Gara Coal Company at Harrisburg, Illinois, but a year later he resigned, to embark upon a career in mining in the vicinity of Marion which was to continue throughout his active life.
In the same year, 1919, he served as President of the Citizens Trust and Banking Company.
In 1920, A.B. McLaren bought and tore down the old Edwards Mill in the 500 block of West Main Street. The old three story building which housed Marion’s first mill was used as a flour mill and woolen mill since the 1840’s. McLaren built and operated the Marion Lumber and Fuel Company which remained in business until his death.
No only did McLaren operate the Big Muddy Coal Mine, he also formed the McLaren Coal Company in which he operated various mining properties. He also headed the McLaren Fuel Company.
When the Marion Rotary Club met and formed up for the first time in 1923, McLaren was a charter member. He can be seen in the 1950 Rotary Club photo taken in front of the Methodist Church.
In 1925, he was president of the Marion United Charities Committee and during his career devoted much time to community projects.
The late 1920’s directories indicate that McLaren maintained an office for the coal company at 1000 ½ Public Square. This would be in the south east corner of the square where Speed’s, the American legion and numerous newspapers had their start.
The couple is still living on E. Allen Street during the 1930 census and Archibald values it at $10,000. Both he and his wife are in their mid-50’s and have a single daughter, Esther 22, living at home. They have a granddaughter named Edith, aged 12 as well, plus Archibalds’s widowed father William E. McLaren, aged 77. His father was born in Perth, Scotland on August 6, 1851.
He maintained an interest in the youth of the community and in the thirties he conveyed a tract of land at the southeast corner of Marion to be used for Scout purposes. The land became the site of the Scout Cabin (Ashley Park) and is now a part of the Marion park system.
In March of 1941, when the Goodall Hotel that used to dominate the east side of the square burned, the east wall of the third story structure toppled on the roof of the Marion Baking Co. located behind it and facing East Main Street. The damage was contained and the bakery was back in business within days. The Marion Baking Company was owned by A.B. McLaren.
Archibald also purchased the lot directly behind the bakery across the alley facing S. Madison Street where the original county jail used to sit. He purchased it from the county after the jail was moved to S. Van Buren Street in 1913. The City of Marion eventually bought it to use as a parking lot, which is what its use is now in 2013.
McLaren was for many years a leader in the First Methodist Church. He was an active member of the Marion Rotary Club. He was a member of the Marion Elks Lodge No. 800 and many masonic bodies, including the Scottish Rite in Chicago, Knights Templar at Mt. Vernon, Fellowship Lodge No. 89 and the Royal Arch Chapter at Marion. He received his 50 year membership pin from the Chapter Mason only days before his death.
Just before his death, McLaren saw to it that some of his property bordering the Marion City Park, now known as Fosse Park, was used to expand the park. Later, around 1966-67, his heirs sold several more lots to the Marion Park District allowing even further expansion of the city park. In honor of this, one of the ballparks was named McLaren Field.
On January 5, 1959, A.B. McLaren passed away in his home at 301 E. Allen Street, at age 85.
Mr. McLaren was survived by his widow, Emily. He also left one son, William S. McLaren of Marion who was associated with him in the coal mining and marketing enterprises, and three daughters, Mrs. Mark (Eliza) McAlpin, Mrs. Owen (Mary) Stotlar and Mrs. A.M. (Esther) Baker, all of Marion. One son, Joseph P. McLaren, died in 1938.
There were five grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Funeral services were held Monday at 2:30 p.m. at Mitchell Funeral Home by Rev. C.V. Tolley, pastor of the First Methodist Church. Burial followed in old Rose Hill Cemetery.
His wife Emily died on September 11, 1964. Both are interred at Old Rose Hill Cemetery.
Sam’s Notes:
Elizabeth McLaren born 1903, died 1980. On February 22, 1922 married Mark Lee McAlpin (1898-1970). One child, Joseph Mark McAlpin (1924-2004), Dr. J.M. McAlpin was a dentist with an office at the corner of Van Buren and W. Main St. in the 1960’s.
William Sylvester McLaren, Born November 11, 1896. Married Florence Eggelsten, worked coal mines. Lived at 511 E. Everett St. in Marion. President of Marion Rotary Club in 1956-57. Died in 1965, buried at Rose Hill. No children noted.
Joseph Peters McLaren, Born August 16, 1899. Moved to Milwaulkee, Wisconsin during the depression, worked as a manager for tire store. Died September 28, 1938 in Chicago, Illinois, buried at Rose Hill. No marriage or children noted.
Mary McLaren, born 1906, married Owen Stotlar.
Esther McLaren, born 1908, married A.N. Baker.
(Data from Glances at Life, Homer Butler; Federal Census Records; Marion City Directories; Marion City Cemetery Records; Marion Daily Republican obits, 1959; compiled by Sam Lattuca on 04/19/2013)