In the early part of the 20th century, one of our local businessmen named Hosea Walter Cagle had the idea to create a large amusement park where people could go and have fun and relax. Hosea was known as one of the first car owners in Marion, a brass Elmore roadster. In 1915, he had already created one of the largest automobile garages in Southern Illinois known as Cagle Garage in the 600 block of N. Market Street which he ended up leasing so that he could focus on his amusement park.
On August 2, 1919, Hosea purchased a tract of land from Elijah & Cora Blankenship for $8,500. In total, the land occupied right at 110 acres and was located on what is now the Halfway Road extension that runs south from West Main Street to Westminster Road. The property occupied the space between what is now the Pepsi plant and reached almost to the Burlington Northern Railroad underpass. Back then, the railroad would have been the C.B. & Q, Chicago, Burlington & Quincy.
Articles appearing in the newspaper in 1919 stated, “Work has started on Southern Illinois’ largest amusement park, one mile west of Marion. The park being built by Hosea Cagle of Marion will cover over 100 acres of land, 30 of which will be an artificial lake. Other features will be a baseball diamond, airplane landing station, picnic groves and golf links.”
A newspaper from this period stated, “Hosea Cagle of Marion has purchased 110 acres of land one mile west of Marion, which when all work is completed, will be an aeroplane station. Mr. Cagle says it will be only a short time until aeroplanes will be used for both pleasure and business purposes, and that one Chicago firm is already advertising delivery service via air.” Another article from the same time said that Cagle expects to build a modern residence on one portion and convert the rest into a park. He has started work on an artificial lake covering 30 acres.”
An article appearing in the Marion Daily Republican dated February 20, 1920 stated, “Hosea Cagle is busy at work on his suburban park and the bath houses are now nearing completion. The big 30-acre lake is filled with water and four wells which will supply it with water during the season. Mr. Cagle says that the baseball park will be completed before the season opens. The gun club has arranged to use the grounds for the future matches and it will be the amusement headquarters for Southern Illinois.”
By 1920, the dances pavilion, baseball park and swimming areas were active and open to the public as evidenced by advertisements place in local papers. Many events began to be held at the park including local golf, baseball, soccer tournaments and boxing exhibitions that were held. Major bands and orchestras played to hundreds of enthusiastic dancers at the pavilion on weekends and people flocked to swim in his swimming pool and picnic in tree groves next to a 30-acre lake with a beach.
In an article published in May of 1921, a newspaper reported, “Hosea Cagle has installed another electric light plant at Cagle Park and now has an abundance of light at the dancing pavilion, swimming pool, entrance and where autos are parked. The new plant is one with a 110-volt generator which is driven by a big Titan engine and has a capacity of eight hundred lamps. The present load is of one hundred and fifty lamps but others will be added soon. Mr. Cagle has left the small plant used last season still connected up as an emergency proposition. The season opening of the dance pavilion will be on Saturday evening at which time the Royal Flush Jazz Band of six pieces will furnish the music. This is the band which has been engaged to play during the coming Hustler’s Convention at several dances.” Hustlers, just for clarification were traveling salesmen.
Later in May 1921, an article reported that a crowd of 1,200 spectators had gathered to watch the Marion baseball team defeat the Eldorado team. The article noted, “Cagle Park shows improvement over last season. A new section has been placed on the grandstand and now the largest crowds can be accommodated. A large elevated box has been erected at the north entrance to the grand stand for use of the newspaper men and officials. A telephone has been installed in the press box, so direct communication can be had with the city. A big sign has been painted over the entrance to the grounds.
Another article from the Marion Semi-Weekly Leader dated July 14, 1921 reported, “Hosea Cagle keeps on with his improvements at Cagle’s Park and they are all of the kind to give better accommodations to his patrons. He has just added four ceiling fans to his pavilion and is now sinking another deep well. The well is down 120 feet and struck and abundance of water at 90 feet. However, Mr. Cagle will make this a 300 foot well and will use the water for an outside shower bath at the big swimming pool. On Saturday evening the Ferry Novelty Society Orchestra of Chicago is to furnish the music at the dance and this same orchestra is to play again on Sunday evening.”
In June 1921, the Marion Semi-Weekly Leader reported, “Hosea Cagle is putting in a radio set at his dancing pavilion at Cagle Park and expects to be able to have concerts and music there at all times. He is installing equipment that will pick up messages and music from all directions and probably later will be able to have dances with music played in Galveston or New York City.
In May 1922, a local news article indicated that the swimming pool a Cagle’s Park was proving quite the attraction. Cagle had recently added to the equipment and has the pool open from one to ten P.M. Water from two deep wells is pumped to the showers and the golf course is now getting into good shape.
Advertisements and articles in the newspapers from 1921 through 1924 were continually making notice of upcoming events that were to be held or had been held at Cagle Park. These not only included big bands and sporting events but also weddings and business and personal outings like company and family get togethers. In the period of 1923 and 1924, marathon dancing became a fad and couples would compete in contests to see how long they could last on the dance floor while two live bands kept taking turns keeping the music going as they did at the pavilion at Cagle Park.
In January 1924, K.K.K. enforcer S. Glenn Young and numerous Klan members conducted 44 raids throughout the county for Illegal alcohol operations, so it was inevitable that they would raid the Cagle Amusement Park west of Marion. Among the people netted in the raid were Hosea Cagle. Victims of the raid claimed they were mistreated and had their property stolen including Cagle. Cagle claimed he was struck over the head with a gun and was charged with resisting arrest. All arrested ended up in the jail at Benton, Illinois.
In February 1924, federal courts issued temporary injunctions against 47 “soft drink parlors” including the Cagle Amusement Park. Evidence was said to have been abundant against them. Of all the cases, Cagle’s case was acquitted with two others in May 1924 and charges dropped.
The only one of Hosea’s plans for the park that didn’t come to fruition were his plans for an airfield, which likely would have taken up too much of the park’s space anyway.
An unfortunate event occurred on July 24, 1924 when Hosea was returning to Marion from the Saline County Fair at midnight to his home at Cagle Park. He unfortunately didn’t notice a cable placed across the road as a barrier and ran into it with his Cadillac car killing him almost instantly.
After Cagle’s death, the park was placed under the management of Ben Smith of the Ozark Hotel in Creal Springs and John W. Brown of Carbondale who leased the park into 1925.
After Cagle’s death, his family placed his estate in the hands of the Williamson County Chancery Court to be partitioned. The court sold off all of his assets and after all the bills were paid, divided the remaining money between his parents, wife, ex-wife, brothers and sisters.
In early 1925, the Marion Country and Golf Club was formed in Marion that consisted of about 250 business men with the intent to use the amusement park’s existing golf course and buildings as a private club. An article in the May 1925 Marion Evening Post reported that the organization had held its first meeting. The group had purchased the park and the deed was secured In a trust at the Marion State and Savings Bank. It was noted that the club had purchased the property for $16,000 and that it included a dance pavilion, a ball park and stands, golf course, a bathing beach, swimming pool, bath house and residence. The Marion Golf Club was actually deeded the property on May 28, 1927 from the Marion State & Savings Bank. By 1934, the club had added a good road from the club house to the swimming pool, built two new croquet courts, tennis courts and improved the golf course and swimming pool. Membership in 1934 was $10 per year.
Although the Marion Golf Club appears to have been active through to the 1940’s, the property was deeded to a Dr. Clark E. Baker on August 14, 1936. Dr. Clark sold it the following year to John Curl on April 16, 1937 who sold it to Delmar and Alfred Fluck on June 30, 1941. The Fluck family owned the property for the longest period of time, and even had a restaurant located on the property at one time, called the Country Kitchen.
In 2018 a 16-acre strip of property which would now run along the East side of the new Halfway Road was cold to Crisp Realty. In 2021, the Fluck family sold property to the City of Marion in order to create the Halfway Road extension running south from West Main to Westminster Drive. From Halfway Road west, the front property next to West Main St. is now owned by Marion South LLC purchased in December 2022 and the back half owned by ARG FEMARIL001 LLC was purchased in November 1923 leasing the property to the Fed Ex shipping depot.
(Sources: The Marion Daily Republican, The Marion Evening Post, The Carbondale Free Press, The Waterloo Republican Register, Williamson County Deed Records, compiled by Sam Lattuca, 5/31/2015)