Williamson County Illinois Historical Society

Preserving Williamson County History – A 501(C)3 Organization

Author: Sam

  • Marion Garden Club Makes Donation to the Museum

    Marion Garden Club members Lynn Love (past president) and Debbie Lattuca (current club secretary) installed 6 new azalea shrubs in the beds at the front of the county museum on June 2, 2015. The Garden Club usually donates $150 per year to the museum after deducting the costs of annual bedding plants and supplies which club members plant for the museum each spring.

    It was decided this year to install perennial shrubs which  will add color to the front of the building in the spring and require less overall maintenance in the long run. The azaleas were donated to the museum by Sam and Debbie Lattuca of Marion. Bedding plants were installed by the club in large planters on either side of the front entry steps to the museum.

    On Monday, June 8, 2015, several of the Garden Club members visited the museum and the equivalent of $150 in money, bedding plants and mulch was donated to the museum. Sam Lattuca, current Williamson County Historical Society president accepted the donation on the part of the museum.

  • Wohlwend Family Visits Museum

    Wohlwend
    Shown L-R are John Wohlwend, Ron Wohlwend, Betty Neely and Sharon Wilson in background

    Descendants of the Wohlwend family visited the museum on Monday, June 8, 2015 to research their local family roots, tour the museum and recollect times gone by. The Wohlwend family owned family farms west of Marion prior to the installation of the Illinois Ordnance Plant (Ordill) in 1941 which uprooted over 100 families. The properties are now part of the Crab Orchard Wildlife Refuge.

    Many of the early family members attended rural one room school houses such as Bainbridge School while they were young. Betty Neely, a Marion resident, was one of those students and still has vivid recollections of those days.

    The Wohlwend family were also involved in the formation of the Bank of Egypt and operated Wohlwend Motors (later called Westernaire Dodge.)

    Members of the Wohlwend family in attendance on Monday were John and Ron Wohlwend, Betty (Wohlwend) Neely, Sharon Wilson. Also visiting with the Wohlwends was Rick Avery.

  • Two Wars of the 20’s Historical Tour June 27th 2015

    TWO WARS

  • Herrin Massacre Tour June 13th, 2015

    HMTour

  • Museum Hosted Advisor

    The Williamson County Historical Society Museum was visited on Thursday and Friday, the 21st and 22nd , as part of the museum’s continuing participation in the Museum Assessment Program called MAP.  The museum was the recipient of a MAP grant early in the year and has been performing a self-assessment for the past three months. After that process was completed, it was to be followed up by a visit from a selected museum advisor who assesses the museum as a professional outsider.

    The advisor assigned to the county museum was Lisa Chastain, assistant director of the Missouri State Museum which is located on the bottom floor of the capitol building in Jefferson City, Missouri.  Chastain arrived Thursday Morning and followed a pre-agreed upon agenda designed to interview museum workers and board members. She also took two tours of the museum, one guided and one unguided and had group discussions with volunteers and board members to discuss various museum methods and procedures.

    A dinner meal was held at Bennie’s Restaurant on N. Market in Marion on Thursday evening in which board members and volunteers were able to chat with Chastain and learn of her experiences working with a state museum and smaller museums prior to that assignment.

    The assessment was completed on Thursday afternoon and Chastain returned home. She will submit a report of her suggestions on any recommended procedures or changes that she feels the museum will benefit from implementing.

    The MAP grant project is being chaired by volunteer and WCHS member, Dr. Ann Gammon. Participating in the MAP program were board members, Colleen Norman, Dolores Thetford, Clyde Bailey, Bob Jackson, Helen Lind and Sam Lattuca. Community members Patty Lynn and Connie Baker served on the assessment team to get a local perspective from someone not directly involved with the museum.

  • SI Treasure Tours Begin Season

    5_16_15_tour

    SI Treasure Tours who brought you the “Herrin Massacre Tours” of 2014 have increased their tour capabilities this year and recently began the season with one of their new tours. The “Two Wars of the 20’s Tour” kicked off this season last Saturday, May 16, 2015.

    The tour started at the Williamson County Historical Society Museum and was attended by about 24 people. Local historian and author Jon Musgrave narrated the tour alongside author Ruthie Shelton. The bus tour’s route included points of interest in Herrin, Benton, Harrisburg and points in between.

    The tour ended back at the museum where tourists were able to investigate the museum as well as ask questions and purchase local history books from both authors Musgrave and Shelton.

    For more information on the tours, contact “SI Treasure Tours.”

  • Ninety Marion Fifth Grade Students Tour the Museum

    Ninety Marion fifth grade students took a walk into the past on Thursday May 14th. The students were accompanied by about 10 teachers and parents. The visit was part of Washington school teacher Rosy Gribble’s efforts to teach the students about local history. Gribble arranges the tour for her students each year to expose the children to how local citizens have lived their lives throughout the county’s history.

    The museum allows students to see how people have entertained themselves over time as well as experiencing what the inside of a jail cell is like, what turn of the century stores looked like and how people dressed.

  • Images of Herrin’s Past

    HAHS Mtg 3rd Slide Show May 22 2015

  • J.A. Logan Antique Class Tours Museum

    J.A. Logan antique class

    On Thursday afternoon, April 30th, the Williamson County Museum hosted a field trip by a John A. Logan antique class. The class is part of the college’s continuing education program and is taught by Teresa Ewell of Johnston City.

    Teresa likes bringing her antique students on trips to the historical society because of the large amount of antiques and objects that can be found in the museum.  The building which is deceptive from the front entrance hides the fact that there are four floors counting the basement and about 26 rooms, most of which have items on display and usually requires about 1 ½ hours to see everything.

    Among Teresa Ewell’s students and present on the trip were Sandra Jent, Marlene Schroeder, Peggy Carroll, Jeanne Warren, Dorothy Serbin, Ann McMurphy and Bill Young. Tours were conducted by museum coordinator Sharon Vansaghi and WCHS president Sam Lattuca.

  • Sanders Family Genealogy Book Now Available

    New Book!

    “The Genealogy Record of William Sanders Died 1803

    Robertson County, TN:

    And Many of His Descendants”

    By Charla Schroeder Murphy – 2015

    Contents of the book are in the form of a modified register report with extensive notes added for many of the early Sanders family of Robertson County, TN and others. The family of William Sanders born about 1736 and died 1803 arrived in the Robertson County, TN area by 1796 from evidence of deeds recorded there. They came from Camden District, Richland County, South Carolina with many other families of that area such as the Hunters, Moakes, Simmons and several others. (more…)