Spiller, John W. 1872-1957 Mine Operator & Alderman

Posted on by May 30, 2024

John W. Spiller was born in Spillertown on February 21, 1872 the son of William J. Spiller and Susan E. Goodall. William J. and his wife produced 14 children, but 3 of them died in infancy. In the 1880 census, the couple had 9 children including John.

On March 29, 1899 John married Eliza Burnett, 29 year old daughter of John H. Burnett & Mary Ann Davis. By the 1900 federal census, the newlywed couple were living in Marion in a home owned free of mortgage. John was 28 and Eliza, listed as Lizzie, was 30 years old. John recorded himself as an implement dealer. The couple had a live-in servant named Martha Phillips aged 35.

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Brack, George L. 1867-1947 Miner & Alderman

Posted on by November 29, 2023

George L. Brack was born on March 21, 1867, the son of George Brack and Malinda Youngkin in Wolf Creek, Grassy Township. When he was 3 years old, his father died and his mother remarried to Willis Hoover, a farmer, who also resided in Grassy Township. Raised on a farm by his step-father, his education was limited by the possibilities of common rural schooling until he reached 6th grade at the age of 13. At that age, George began earning his first money plowing fields using an ox in which he received 25 cents per day.

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Walker, William J. 1855-1933 Lumber Dealer & Alderman

Posted on by November 29, 2023

William James Walker comes of Tennessee parentage, but was born near Arilla, Missouri in Jasper County to Louis D. and Sarah Walker on January 26, 1855. He came to Illinois with his parents in 1865 at the end of the Civil War and they settled in Franklin County. His father was a farmer and he received only the advantages of a common school education.

The 1870 census located 18 year old William living with his parents in Township 6, Range 2 of Franklin County using the Crittendon Post office. The family farm was estimated to have a value of $600 and the family is thought to have a personal estate of $200. Along with William and his parents were 4 siblings.

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Strike, John S. 1856-1941 Carpenter & Alderman

Posted on by June 5, 2024

John Shields Strike was born October 3, 1856 in Corinth Township to Matthew S. Strike and Sarah H. Milligan. Matthew was an early pioneer of the county, served as Williamson County Circuit Clerk for four years and was a Civil War veteran.

22 year old John married 19 year old Jane C. Stewart on July 2, 1878. She was the daughter of James H. Stewart and Margaret Consley Louden. Both of them were listed as being from Northern Precinct which today is Corinth Township.

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Gill, James D. 1869-1949, Contractor & Alderman

Posted on by September 20, 2023

No specific year can be established for the birth of James D. Gill, but by all records it appears to have been in 1869. James was born in Township 9 Range 3 of Williamson County which today would be East Marion Township. His parents were Leonard Wilson Gill and Elizabeth Jane Sherertz, both born in Tennessee and appear to have been fairly recent arrivals when James was born due to the fact that the 1870 census revealed his farmer father had no real estate and only $100 in personal estate value. When that census was taken there were only two children in the home, William 13, an older brother to 1 year old James. Interestingly, there were a couple of Sherertz family farms surrounding them, no doubt relatives, in addition to the William J. Spiller family.

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