Thomas Davis, Marion Alderman, merchant and Civil War veteran, was born September 18, 1840, the son of Oliver H. Davis (1805-1885) and Rebecca Ann Baker (1809-1885). Oliver Davis came from Tennessee to Illinois about 1828 with his wife and baby daughter Jane. His wife and daughter rode on a horse, and he walked by their side. He settled on the bank of Crab Orchard Creek in what is now Williamson County Illinois, about 1/2 mile East of Pittsburg, Illinois. Continue reading
Category Archives: C-D
Durall TV Company was begun when Maurice Durall and Hartley Grisham began putting up television antennas on the roofs of houses in 1951. At that time television reception was very poor with a lot of snowy and blank television screens. Antennas were about 48 feet high from the roof. Only St. Louis stations were available and that was beyond the range of most antennas but neighbors still congregated nightly in the homes that had television sets. Continue reading
Jerome Bonaparte Calvert, Marion lawyer and city attorney, was born on October 12, 1846 in Williamson County, Illinois, the son of Napolean “Bone” Bonaparte (1822-1882) and Sarah Reynolds (1823-xxxx ) Calvert.
His father, Napoleon B. Calvert, was the son of John N. Calvert who traveled from Alabama to Massac and later to Pope and Williamson County. In 1845 he was one of the first elders when a Presbyterian Church was organized in Marion. Continue reading
William Wallace Clemens, lawyer, judge, bank officer and Marion city Trustee, was born on a farm in Crittenden County, Kentucky on September 29, 1839, the son of Jonathan R. Clemens. His father was born May 24, 1811 in Livingston County, Kentucky and died February 23, 1862 in Crittenden County. William’s mother, Minerva Robertson, was born October 21, 1815 in Livingston County, Kentucky and died there on Jan 4, 1907. Continue reading
From the time I first compiled an article on the formation of the Marion Elks Lodge #800 in Marion a couple of years ago, I was intrigued with the statement that they were occupying the old Dunaway Opera House. The Dunaway building was located where the old F.W. Woolworth building is located in the 600 block on the west side of the public square. Since then, I have kept my eyes open for clues as to some history on the building and finally found its origins. Continue reading