The Marion Daily Republican is in the process of downsizing and will be moving from Marion. They graciously gifted the Historical Society with all 154 of the archived books containing the Marion Daily Republican from 1963 through 2013. The exception is a block missing from the 1970’s through 1990. This archive of newspapers will be a great addition for research and maintaining our local history and we really appreciate the gift. All 154 of the very heavy volumes we’re schlepped out of the MDR office in Marion and moved to the museum and secured in our storage area by Sharon Vansaghi, Andrew McCoy and Sam Lattuca.
Feel free to drop by the museum and try your hand at research. We aren’t sure why there is a missing block of books, so if anyone has any idea where they might be, please contact us.
The local history book “The History of Gallatin, Saline, Hamilton, Franklin & Williamson Counties, From the Earliest time to the present, together with sundry and interesting biographical sketches, notes, reminiscence’s, etc., etc.” has been indexed for references to Williamson County only. The index was added to the Master Local History Index and was published in 1887 by the Goodspeed Publishing Company out of Chicago.
The new index contains 2,900 references to people, places, businesses, organizations, schools, churches and government.
The index to “Williamson County Miscellaneous Court Records, 1840-1903” published in 2002 by Mary Jo Moore has been posted on our site in the Master Misc. County Records Index and contains court records taken from the circuit clerks office found in the miscellaneous files. First forty pages are Coroner’s inquests and verdicts and the rest are varied cases ranging from divorces to adultery and murder. The index contains 616 new references.
The indexes to two Williamson County Will books have been added to our Master Misc. County Records Index. Both books were re-indexed to add familial connections (i.e, Smith, John, son of James & Martha) where available and contain 1,538 references to people.
County Will Book A was published in 1998 by Violet Grisham and contains records dating from 1847-72. Will Book B was published in 2001 by Mary Joe Moore and contains records from 1867-97. Both books were transcribed from the county clerks office. The Will Books appear to have three basic functions: 1) Establish a last Will & Testament. 2) Establish an estate administrator or 3) Establish a guardian for your children in case of your demise.
The books can be telling in that wills not only reveal what a person owns but can also expose family rifts. The books can also point out who a person would trust not only with their estate but with the care of their children as well, which in itself can be revealing. Who would you trust with your children’s lives after you’re gone?