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.
Continue readingIn 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.
Continue readingIn 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.
Continue readingIn 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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Fabian Alvis Nance was born on March 10, 1861 in Mayfield, Kentucky to William Peyton Nance and Martha Ann Eaker. According to the book “Historical Souvenir of Williamson County” published in 1905, one article stated that William P. Nance was a minister with the Methodist Episcopal Church, South and moved from Kentucky to Jackson County, Illinois in 1867 and moved to Williamson County in 1869. Another historical source in regard to the M.E. Church, South in Marion stated, “In 1870, Reverend W. P. Nance came as pastor, and through his untiring efforts and energy, the church purchased for $1 a lot on the southeast corner of Jefferson and Liberty Streets”, thus helping kick start the Marion M.E. churches beginnings.
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