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

Bloody Williamson’s History of Mine Massacres

Herrin Massacre map 1923From well before the turn of the century, coal became king in Southern Illinois and reshaped the economies and landscape of many counties, Williamson County among them. Coal mining has always been part and parcel of the lives and livelihoods of most of the citizenry of this county and back in the day if you didn’t work for the coal mines you assuredly knew someone who did. Continue reading

West Main Street Memories from 1977

 

Lilly Curve

Lilly Curve

Mrs. Ollie Anderson, 1613 West Main Street can look back at what has transpired during the last 79 years from the perspective of the oldest resident of the street where she came to live in 1898. With the exception of one five-year period in another location she has lived on West Main Street since she came to Marion with her parents at the age of five. Continue reading