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

Ohio and Mississippi Valley Telephone Co., Marion, Illinois

 

Joab Goodall 1904

Joab Goodall 1904

Joab Goodall started the first telephone company in Marion in the late 1880’s. His first telephone building was located at 102 N. Liberty St. The Ohio and Mississippi Valley Telephone Co. operated with Goodall as president until 1917, when they sold to the Murphysboro Telephone Co.  A. B. Minton was president and principal stockholder of this company and W. C. Alexander was an official of the company. Continue reading