Washburn, James M. 1826-1910, State Legislator

James M Washburn 1826-1910The following article is an extract taken from the 1905 Souvenir History of Williamson County detailing the life of Judge James M. Washburn and is followed by collected data. Washburn was a Marion merchant, State Representative, Assistant Secretary of State, Master In Chancery, Attorney, member of the State Agriculture Board and one of the founders of the Egyptian Press newspaper. Continue reading

Mitchell, J.C. 1925-2006, Mitchell Law Firm

J.C. Mitchell was born in Marion on February 2, 1925, the son of Everett Edward and Margaret Helen (Hartman) Mitchell.

One of Mitchell’s great-grandfathers, William N. Mitchell, first moved to the Williamson County area near Corinth about the year 1830. He was a school teacher at the time. He later studied surveying and when Franklin County split in two and formed Williamson County in 1839, Mitchell ran the survey line between the south boundaries of Franklin County and the present north boundary of Williamson County. He also served in the Civil War as Captain in the Union Army. He was a postmaster and after service during the Civil War was County Clerk of Williamson County. Continue reading

1982, My Legal Education from Ralph Harris

The following article was written by attorney J.C. Mitchell, senior member of the Mitchell and Armstrong law firm after the death of attorney Ralph Harris and published in the Marion Daily Republican.

When I returned to practice law in Marion in July of 1949, three lawyers Ralph Harris, August Fowler and Gordon Franklin, were the top trial lawyers in Williamson County. Continue reading

Harris, Ralph W. 1904-1982, Harris and Lambert Law Firm

Ralph Harris 1904-1982Ralph W. Harris was born November 20, 1904 in Creal Springs to Willis T. and Emma (Schafer) Harris.

The 1910 census revealed that Ralph’s family was living in Marion at 201 S. Market Street. Ralph’s father, Willis, was managing a livery stable. Ralph was 5 and shared space with six siblings. His older sister, Minnie L. Harris, was a public school teacher. The census indicated that Ralph’s mother had given birth to ten children and that eight of them were still living. Continue reading

Fowler, August L. 1900-1997, Fowler and Novick

August Fowler 1918August L. “Gus” Fowler was born December 11, 1900, in Marion, to John Vancleve Fowler and Mary Charlotte Birkholz. He grew up in the family home located at 919 W. Cherry Street with one younger sister, three years his junior, named Cecile Fowler.

Gus was a graduate of the Marion Township High School and was vice president of his senior class in 1918, and the editor-in-chief of the first yearbook at Marion Township High School. In the same year that Gus graduated from high school, his 14 year old sister, Cecile, passed away. Continue reading