1954, Improvements for Marion and Vicinity Planned

Over Two Million Dollars in Improvements For Marion and Vicinity Planned For 1954

Over two million dollars will be spent in Marion and vicinity during this year on new construction and the purchase of right–of-way for relocating of State Highway 13, according to figures compiled this week by the Marion Daily Republican. Continue reading

Marion in 1861

By the start of the War Between the States, Marion was an extremely small town compared to what it is today.

The Illinois General Assembly provided Marion a town charter in 1851. Earlier, the legislature provided for a committee to plat out a county seat at the same time Williamson County was separated from Franklin County. Continue reading

The Post and Press Building, 100 S. Franklin Avenue

In the early days, all the newspaper printing in Marion was done primarily in one small section in the southeast corner of the square known as the 1000 block. Over the years, it housed the Egyptian Press, Marion Evening Post, Marion Evening Herald, Marion Leader Publishing and the Illinois Baptist Association Printing. 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

Darby, Richard A. 1937-2001

Darby Richard  1937-2001Family members and colleagues remember Richard Darby as a solid journalist and a patient teacher. The retired managing editor of the Marion Daily Republican died this morning at Arlington Memorial Hospital in Arlington, Texas.

Darby, who passed away at 6:30 a.m., had been splitting time between his Marion home and the Dallas-Fort Worth area while undergoing treatment for lymphoma. He had been fighting cancer for almost five years. Continue reading