1939, Chemical Warfare Arsenal Planned

The development of long range bombers by the Russians in the mid 1930’s put the U.S. government War Department on alert to its defense weaknesses and caused a scramble to relocate key bases and arsenal stockpiles from vulnerable coastal positions to more secure inland positions. This put Marion into the light of possibility for the manufacture and storage of a planned Chemical Warfare Arsenal. The project was planned to cost $21,000,000 and occupy 80,000,000 acres of land for the purposes of building, testing and storing chemical warfare agents. Continue reading

Bainbridge, Bill L. 1922-1997

Bainbridge Bill 1922-1997Bill L. Bainbridge was born July 8, 1922, in Marion, to Lawrence and Lottie Mae (Eyre) Bainbridge. Having been born into a family of merchants, Bill was a WWII veteran who spent his life in the family jewelry business and was the great-grand-son of J.B. Bainbridge, an early pioneering Marion merchant. Continue reading

Bearden, Herman 1907-2005

Bearden Herman 1907 2005Herman Bearden was born in Marion, on June 27, 1907, the son of Issac Noah and Sula (Moore) Bearden. He was an active builder, banker and businessman.

In the 1910 census, Herman was age 3 and living with his parents, three brothers and two sisters at the family home located at 1203 N. State Street. Herman’s father listed himself as a house carpenter. Continue reading

Butler, Homer 1904-1982

Eva and Homer ButlerThe following compilation consists of three articles describing Homer Butler and lastly, his obituary. Two articles were large, front page stories that were issued on the day of Homer’s death. The last article was composed by Pearl Roberts and printed in the 1989 Williamson County Sesquicentennial book commemorating the people, places and events of the county. Continue reading