The Marion Chamber of Commerce, listing a few of its 1937 accomplishments and achievements.
Established Marion as the center of concentration and distribution for flood relief.
Placed Marion for headquarters of the National Red Cross for Southern Illinois flood relief, securing the Elks Home for their operating quarters at a rental of $250 per month and a personnel pay roll of $5,000 per month.
Placed Marion for the U. S. Army’s Emergency depot. Provided housing for 200 drivers and station space for 200 army transmit trucks for quick transport and relief service.
Placed Marion for the housing of 1,000 refugees in the tent city at the fairgrounds which lifted the refugee burden from the churches, schools, and lodges of this and neighboring cities.
Placed the Fair Grounds for other valuable Army and Red Cross Relief work and secured the cooperation of the Resettlement Administration in surfacing the driveways with White Hill rock.
Placed Marion as the focal point for the giving of relief service by the Mother Church, Christian Science of Boston.
Cooperated with the Veterans of Foreign Wars in making Marion its central point for flood relief service.
Active support given to CCC and Farm Bureau in a wide program of soil conservation, tree planting, gulley erosion and other land reclamation that is bringing wealth to Marion’s trade area.
Joined with the Williamson County Fair Association to help make 1937 fair, the best in years.
Acted definitely to obtain transfer of twenty CCC camp buildings for the Williamson County Fair Association. $30,000 worth of property given free to the Fair Association which will make our County Fair Grounds the best appointed and equipped in the United States.
Caused the retention and recovery from the U. S. Army of valuable operating accessories to remain with the camp buildings.
Placed Marion as headquarters for the Crab Orchard Lake Project. From its offices thousands of dollars will be paid for some 50,000 acres of land in the lake area. The estimated payroll of this project operation is $25,000 per month.
Placed Marion for the headquarters of the County WPA offices which has to do with county farm to market roads and many other valuable, recovery projects. Some 60 projects now in force, employing 2,572 men, together with office personnel and rental, at an estimated outlay of $132,000 per month and $16,000 paid out each month for material and equipment.
Active support given to NYA, a vocational and recreational promotion. A youth saving project that is far superior to any other youth program. It’s estimated payroll per month is $1,100.
Placed Marion for the administration of the County Old Age Assistance. This office is paying out some $30,000 per month to 2,000 Williamson County recipients.
Active support given to the WPA Sewing and Household Aid projects, which altogether are employing 107 at a monthly pay roll of $5,100.
Placed Marion for the Illinois Emergency Relief Headquarters of which its estimated payroll is $1,000 per month.
Placed Marion for the County Relief Administration, employing a personnel of 23, the estimated payroll of which is $2,500 per month, with $40,000 per month paid out to relief recipients.
Placed Marion with a bank, through the efficiency of a splendid banking committee, from whose work came the establishment of The Bank of Marion.
Placed Marion as the convention city for many group meetings, conventions and conferences.
Placed Marion’s points of interest before tourists, through descriptive information furnished automobile associations and Chamber of Commerces in many cities.
The Marion Chamber of Commerce has for its policy “Gain to Serve a Greater Marion.” 52 weeks in the year its executive board and committee, meet in regular session every Tuesday noon. Each week gives proof of the value of the attention given to small as well as important matters that come before it, affecting the welfare of this community. The Chamber has accomplished a great deal, which in the aggregate, reaches a surprising total. It has attained its many objectives of intrinsic worth, in an economic performance and has avoided imposing the burden of raising unpopular bonus funds to create a “Greater Marion.”
This listing of the work of the Chamber of Commerce has been compiled by President C. W. Hay, with the cooperation of the members of the Chamber of Commerce.
Sam’s Notes: The flooding discussed in this post was a result of devastating floods that occurred on the Ohio River in 1936 and then again in 1937. Both floods, seriously damaged Shawneetown, Paducah and Cairo causing refugees to seek shelter throughout Southern Illinois. The Williamson County Fair Ground was filled and converted into a tent city primarily with citizens from Gallatin County for a considerable time during this period.
C.W. Hay spent a lot of effort pushing congressmen to locate commerce here in any way possible and donate whatever he could convince them of. I ran across numerous personal letters, beseeching those in charge to sign over the C.C.C. camp buildings at the fair grounds for use by the Boy Scouts and other organizations. He not only convinced the government to hand over the buildings, but also procured the leftover equipment as well.
The W.P.A. Sewing and Household Aid projects were a way to allow women to use their skills during the depression to make a little money. An office would be procured for the women to work and the women would sew and make clothing, quilts, bedding and anything else that was practical for the times. It paid very little, but something was better than nothing.
Trying to gain people’s trust in banks again after every one of them failed in 1930 was a serious challenge. I ran across a number of Hay’s personal papers where he spent a lot of time getting the public to trust and accept a new bank in town, including a handout questionnaire quizzing locals about what it would take to gain their trust again. The bank that turned that around by incorporating in this year of 1937 was the Bank of Marion, which has, of course, remained successful ever since.
(Extracted from the personal papers of Charles W. Hay, 1937 President of the Marion Chamber of Commerce)