Author: Sam

The Williamson County Historical Society held its first quarterly meeting on January 26^th, 2020 at 2 P.M. at the society’s museum and library located at 105 S. Van Buren St. in Marion. President, Sam Lattuca, reported recent and ongoing projects to the membership and revealed a number of recently restored historical objects that have now been placed on display at the museum. An historical marker for the Creal Springs turn of the century resort business is planned in March with a date yet to be announced and a military marker placed at the grave of revolutionary war veteran John Ellis will be dedicated in June. Lattuca presented a number of historical artifacts that belong to the museum and some details about their use and origins.

   The speaker for the event was Brian L. Alvis and his photographer wife, Robbie Edwards. Brian and Robbie operate a Mt. Vernon photography business and recently completed publication of a book entitled, “Bootlegger.” The book weaves local Southern Illinois bootlegging history and gang activity into a fictional account inspired by stories based on local lore. Brian and Robbie spent considerable time rounding up musicians, enactors and genuine artifacts from the 1920’s to visually portray the events that unfold in the book.

WCHS Members,

We will be holding a membership meeting here at the museum on Sunday, January 26^th, 2020, at 2:00 P.M.  We will be discussing society business as well as completed, ongoing and future projects. If you have a show & tell item, feel free to bring it and tell us about it. The program will be presented by author, Brian Alvis and will be talking about bootleggers during prohibition.

Membership dues for 2020 are currently due and are still $20 per year. If you look at the mailing label on the front of this card there will be a year date that reflects the year you are paid up to. The date should read 2020 or higher. Any questions can be addressed by calling 618-997-5863 on Saturdays or emailing us at wchsmail@yahoo.com.

We look forward to seeing you at the meeting.

Two Items have been added to our master indexes, church records from St. Paul’s UCC Church in Johnston City that existed from 1898 till 1990 and newspaper clippings from the Johnston City Progress newspaper from 1924 to 1937 which consists primarily of marriage announcements. The church records were added under the Master Misc. County Records Index as 1898-1990 St. Pauls UCC Records and the Johnston City Progress clippings were added under the Master Newspapers Index under 1924-37 JCP Clippings.

Our museum and library will be closed over Thanksgiving on 11/27/2019 through the holiday weekend. We will be going to our winter hours of operation and be open only on Saturdays from 9:30 to 3:00 P.M. in December through February.

Cub Scout Pack 21 from Zion Church in Marion visited the museum on Tuesday evening, November 12, 2019, and had their photo taken in the newly renovated jail. They were accompanied by their leader Brad Andrews, their parents and a few siblings. Their tour guides were Sharon Vansaghi and Sam Lattuca.

Back L to R,  Aydan Bryant, Jonathan Schieber, Eli Sprague, Cameron Randolph and Seth Patton. Front L to R, Nicholas Stroud, LG Lewis, Layton Townzen, Gavin Gile and Gunner Wells.

On Friday November 8, 2019 the Williamson County Historical Society sponsored the re-dedication of a plaque between the DAR and Williamson County Illinois Courthouse.

In 1977 the Daughters of The American Revolution, Daniel H. Brush Chapter presented a memorial plaque to the soldiers of the American Revolution buried in this county to the Williamson County Courthouse to commemorate the Bi-Centennial. The DAR also placed similar plaques in Franklin, Jackson and Perry Counties as their Bi-Centennial project. (more…)

The October membership meeting for the Williamson County Historical Society was held on October 27^th, 2019 at their museum and genealogy library at 105 S. Van Buren Street in Marion. Past, ongoing and upcoming projects were discussed including military marker installations, historical county markers, and the transcription of local funeral home records. President, Sam Lattuca, reported that renovation of the cell block in the museum was near completion and only lacked restoration of informational displays to be completed. (more…)

Williamson County Historical Society Museum and Library is used to having a variety of visitors from all over the United States and abroad.  They come for many reasons, to research ancestors from the area, gather information to write books on the coal mines and unions, the railroads, Charlie Birger and other notorious people, unsolved murders, etc.. Others come to see the old jail built in 1913, coal mine exhibit, country store and many other items exhibited in the museum.

We also, are used to SI Visit coming to take photographs of items to use in travel and informational brochures. However, on Tuesday, October 7^th, 2019 we had a special visitor. Her name is Carol M. Highsmith a Visual Documentarian of America for the Library of Congress and she came to photograph the museum to be part of her permanent collection at the Library of Congress. (more…)

WCHS Members,

We will be holding a membership meeting here at the museum on Sunday, October 27^th, 2019, at 2:00 P.M.  We will be discussing society business and recent accessions to the museum as well as completed, ongoing and future projects.  Board elections for the year 2020 will be held and nominations for open positions can be made from the floor prior to the election. If you have a show & tell item that others might find to be of historical or genealogical interest, feel free to bring it.

The program will be presented by Darrel Dexter, history teacher, lecturer and author of 28 books including his latest “Bondage in Egypt.” Dexter will be presenting a program related to slavery in Southern Illinois.

We look forward to seeing you at the meeting and want to remind you that 2020 dues are coming up at the end of the year.

The Williamson County Historical Society held its quarterly meeting on Sunday, July 28^th, 2019 at the society’s museum and library at 105 S. Van Buren St. Thirty four people attended to hear of the societies latest projects both completed and ongoing. The society recently dedicated an historical marker in Creal Springs to mark the location of the old Creal Springs College, co-sponsored Memorial Day services at Rose Hill Cemtery and held an open house at Goddard Chapel in Rose Hill to mark the 100^th anniversary its dedication.

The guest speaker was Michal Jones, director of the General John A. Logan Museum in Murphysboro who spoke to the society about the life of John A. Logan and his role in Southern Illinois, Williamson County and Marion history.

Society president, Sam Lattuca, conducted the meeting and displayed the latest additions to the museum over the last quarter. Among them were numerous tintype photos and items that came from the family of Alonzo N. Owen, sheriff of Williamson County from 1870-1872 and his connections to the historic Ed M. Spiller home at 1304 W. Main in Marion, currently owned by the DeMattei family.

Longtime society member and former board member, Colleen Norman, was selected to be placed on the societies’ Honor Roll Plaque in commemoration of her dedicated service to the organization.