Hudgens, Hugh, 1882-1969, Merchant, J.P. & Alderman

Posted on by December 30, 2023
Hudgens family
Hudgens & Reid
901 W Maplewood-St

Hugh Hudgens was born in Southern Township of Williamson County on January 29, 1882 to Zachariah Hudgens and Mary Jane Cooksey and was one of 14 children in the family. He attended Marion grade school, Marion High School and a commercial course at Creal Springs College graduating in 1900 according to his obituary.

Hugh married Mary Ann Lilley on July 17, 1903 in Williamson County and in September 1905 paid $150 for a lot at 901 W. Maplewood Street in Marion where they went on to build the home they both would spend the rest of their lives.

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Motsinger, Solomon Thomas 1865-1916, Alderman & Coal Miner

Posted on by December 16, 2023

Solomon Thomas Motsinger, who went by Thomas, was born August 24, 1865 in Crab Orchard, Illinois to Solomon Fisher Motsinger and Mary Ann Caplinger. He was captured in the 1880 census record at the age of 14 living on a farm near Crab Orchard with his parents, Solomon 46 and Mary 39. Siblings present in the home were George F. 12, Minnie O. 11, Charles J. 9, Theodore M. 7, Victoria 5, Elizabeth 2 and Moody age 1. His father was listed as a laborer.

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1941, WPA Writer’s Project, African-Americans in Marion 6

Posted on by December 5, 2023

In the depression and into the 1940’s various Work Progress Administration (WPA) projects were activated by the federal government to put people to work. There were new roads built, state park improvements, sewing rooms, etc. One of those projects was an authorship in which local authors documented local housing, recreation, businesses, churches, etc. One of those projects was the Illinois Writers Project based out of Chicago. I ran across a series of articles written in 1941 specifically about the black community of Marion under the general heading of “The Negro in Illinois.” I present these articles just as written in 1941.

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1941, WPA Writer’s Project, African-Americans in Marion 5

Posted on by December 5, 2023

In the depression and into the 1940’s various Work Progress Administration (WPA) projects were activated by the federal government to put people to work. There were new roads built, state park improvements, sewing rooms, etc. One of those projects was an authorship in which local authors documented local housing, recreation, businesses, churches, etc. One of those projects was the Illinois
Writers Project based out of Chicago. I ran across a series of articles written in 1941 specifically about the black community of Marion under the general heading of “The Negro in Illinois.” I present these articles just as written in 1941.

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