Marion Illinois History Preservation

Holland, Caleb T. (1845-1924) Veteran, JP, Alderman and Lumber Dealer

Posted on July 24, 2021 by Sam LattucaSeptember 20, 2023

Caleb Tarleton Holland was born July 28, 1845 in White Day, Virginia (which became West Virginia after the 1860’s) to Jacob Holland (1816-1875) and Emily Tarleton (1819-1857). Jake was born in Morgantown, West Virginia and died in Harrisburg, Illinois.

Jacob and Emily were married in Monongalia County, West Virginia Dec. 6, 1837. They had six children: Mollie, Cordelia (1840), Brice (1842-1922), Caleb T. (1845), Romulus D. “Tobe” (1847), Evaline (1849), all born in West Virginia. In 1850 The Holland family was living in Monongalia County, West Virginia. Caleb was 4 years old living with Jacob and Emily, Cordelia, 10, Brice, 7, Caleb 4, Romulus, 2 and Evaline, less than a year. They had another child in 1853, Europa. Jacob was a farmer with real estate valued at $2,500. The whole family was born in West Virginia. Emily died in 1857 and Jake married Sophronia Bogus (born 1825) in Virginia. They had five children together: Lucien (1859), Bruce (1861), Idella (1863), Guy (1865) and Zera (1868). Continue reading →

American Legion Post 147

Posted on July 22, 2021 by Sam LattucaJuly 22, 2021

The first American Legion Post in Williamson County had its beginnings shortly after the St. Louis Caucus in May of 1919. The Marion Daily Republican newspaper announced the St. Louis Caucus that month and reported that “plans soon would be made for a local chapter.” John Steele had already made contact with Oldham Paisley of the Marion Daily Republican newspaper. John Steele (later a National Commander) was determined that Chicago wouldn’t control the American Legion in Southern Illinois., therefore he made contacts throughout Southern Illinois to insure that many posts were formed in Southern Illinois. He contacted all recently discharged veterans that were newspaper editors, politicians and business men to assist in forming posts in as many communities as soon as possible. Others did the same in the center of the state. Therefore, any post in Southern Illinois that has a number of 400 and below is known as a “John Steele Post.” Continue reading →

Marion Timeline 1954-2016

Posted on July 22, 2021 by Sam LattucaSeptember 25, 2024

In the process of creating an extensive article about the Robert L. Butler administration (1963-2018) a few years back I searched through the Southern Illinoisan newspaper archives back to the late 1950’s and took note of significant events that occurred in Marion forward to about 2016. Events include city government decisions, actions, budgets, business openings and closings, and anything thought noteworthy between 1954 and 2016. Continue reading →

Sanborn Maps of Marion

Posted on July 18, 2021 by Sam LattucaJuly 18, 2021

Sanborn maps are detailed maps of U.S. cities and towns in the 19th and 20th centuries. Originally published by The Sanborn Map Company, the maps were created to allow fire insurance companies to assess their total liability in urbanized areas of the United States. Since they contain detailed information about properties and individual buildings the maps are valuable for documenting changes in American cities over many decades.

Sanborn held a monopoly over fire insurance maps for the majority of the 20th century, but the business declined as US insurance companies stopped using maps for underwriting in the 1960s. The last Sanborn fire maps were published on microfilm in 1977, but old Sanborn maps remain useful for historical research into urban geography.

The following are links to Marion Sanborn maps available in various resolutions:

Marion, Jun 1886 Marion, May 1894

Marion, July 1900 Marion, Nov 1906

Marion, Aug 1913 Marion, Jul 1922

Marion, Mar 1937 Marion, July 1946 (updated from 1937)

Alcohol in Marion

Posted on December 31, 2018 by Sam LattucaDecember 31, 2018

In 1839, when 20 acres of land was donated to the newly formed Williamson County in order to establish Marion as the county seat, a survey was organized that platted off the public square and about one block surrounding it as the beginnings of Marion. Before, the survey could even be completed, an individual by the name of Bone Davis had already built a makeshift tavern in the form of a small log cabin on what would later become the near center of the square. Needless to say, it had to be moved but it gives you the idea of where some folk’s priorities were at. Continue reading →