Personal information & belongings related to a deceased Marion man was recently found in a house in Marion located at 908 N. Van Buren St. The information and belongings were the property of Bobby L. Stewart Jr. who passed away in October 1986. We would like to re-unite these belongings to a family member. Please contact the Williamson County Historical Society if you have any information about a living relative. Our contact information is: wchsmail@yahoo.com, 618-997-5863
Approximately 250 people passed through the Williamson County museum on the evening of July 20, 2023. The attraction was created by an event called Urban Cowboy Line dancing held on the tower square and sponsored by B2N Construction. The event was put together by Marion Connects who plan an event every third Thursday downtown on the square.
As part of the event held on the square, arrangements were made to offer photographs taken in the museum’s jail cell block by “One Fine Day Photography.” Additionally, face painting, hair extensions and coloring were offered by “Hot Heads” of Marion. Both were wildly popular and drew large groups of people into the museum, likely for the first time.
Williamson Co. Historical Society attended a cemetery preservation workshop July 13, 2023, held at the Troy Cemetery in Troy Illinois. The workshop, sponsored by Atlas Preservation with Jonathan Appell teaching over 40 attendees from Illinois, Missouri and one from Iowa how to safely and correctly preserve cemeteries along with history of the type of stone used to make headstones. We cleaned markers using a biological solution and learned when NOT to rub/brush because of removing the surface of the marker, how to repair fractured tablet stones, reset tablets into Keyway bases, and secure headstones to flat base with proper training, equipment and products.
He suggested to always ask for permission before working on markers and document the work by creating a log and taking before and after photographs. Troy was selected from many submissions for the 48 State Tour Restoring Americas Cemeteries and was hosted by Troy Genealogical Society and VFW Auxiliary who furnished lunch for the group.
If a group or individuals are interested there are videos of Jonathan and others doing this type of work by clicking on links at Atlas Preservation.
Those representing WCHS are Brian Norman, Marion, Jeff Smith and granddaughter Maranda Smith, Carbondale and Sharon Vansaghi, Marion.
Two local history books covering Herrin from 1900-1974 by Lucille Vick Howell have been indexed and their indexes added to our Master Local History Index on this site. The two short books are entitled “Down Memory Lane” and Down Memory Lane, Another Stroll”.
WCHS is doing research on one of our early rural schools and would like assistance if you have any information about White Oak School. The school was known to be located on what is now Cobb Hill road about half way between Lake of Egypt Road and Sulphur Springs Road (see map).
We don’t have an exact start date but we are fairly certain it was started prior to the end of the Civil War in 1865. We do know it closed in the 1951-52 school year when it was absorbed by the Marion Community Unit School District #2. We also know the building was sold off to Carl Kimmel after its closure. Local family names would have been Kimmel, Dunn & Webb.
If you have any details as to the school and its starting date please contact us at wchsmail@yahoo.com or call 618-997-5863.
