1831, How Southern Illinois Became Egypt

Egyptian Key MagazineFor one hundred and fifteen years, that portion of Illinois that lies south of the old Vincennes-St. Louis Trace has been known affectionately as Egypt. The old road is no more. Travel today rolls along on U.S. Highway 50 or the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, both of which practically follow the old Trace. Twenty-eight counties make up Egypt, being those counties which lie south of the line of demarcation or are cut by it.

In all the history books considerable space is given to “the winter of the deep snow.” That was the winter of 1830-31. Continue reading

1787, The Old Soldiers’ Reservation

Soldiers Reservation Map 1787At the close of the Revolutionary War, a great many soldiers were discharged and sent home without their pay. To remedy this, the Continental Congress passed an act granting to every such discharged soldier one hundred acres of land, to be selected by him within a prescribed territory; and on October 22nd, 1787, that congress set off as a reservation for that purpose, a portion of land in the Northwest Territory, described and bounded as follows: Continue reading

Thompson, Frank, WWII Veteran

Around Marion many, many people know who Frank Thompson is. He is a man who has lived in Marion since 1957. He is the man who was the terminal manager for Viking Freight Co. west of town, on what was then the only Route 13. Frank managed this terminal until 1967, when Viking Freight sold out to Spector Freight and closed their Marion operation. For the next 15 years Frank commuted to Mt. Vernon, working for Spector. Continue reading

1950, Roland Theater Sale Stirs Memories

Sale of Roland Building Stirs Memories of Theater’s Heyday

The news that the Roland Theater building had been sold recently stirred a lot of memories in the minds of the older Marion citizens, for that was the place the fellows took their girls and where pa took ma and ma took the kids.

C.F. Roland built the theater and named it for himself in 1906. Activities, however, really started one day when a man, his wife and small son came to town to play an engagement in the old Opera House. Continue reading