Steven Seim, a resident of Wisconsin, recently contacted us to make us aware of some work he has taken on. Steven is attempting to catalog all of the cemeteries throughout the Midwest established for residents of asylums, poorhouses, poor farms, prisons, orphanages, and similar institutions – in other words, cemeteries for the unclaimed. Most of the individuals laid to rest in these cemeteries were forgotten in their own lifetimes. It is my hope that they will not be forgotten to history. (more…)
Author: Sam
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Civil War 150 at SIU Special Collections Research Center
The Special Collections Research Center at Morris Library (SIU) is celebrating the sesquicentennial of the Civil War by hosting a national exhibit and three speakers.
Civil War 150, a national traveling exhibit, will be on display at Morris Library’s Special Collections Hall of Presidents from April 28 to May 16. This exhibit traces major events during the Civil War through the eyes of soldiers, presidents, freedmen, and families. A companion display highlights the impact of the war on Southern Illinois, showcasing the letters of local soldiers and their wives. To celebrate this exhibit, the Special Collections Research Center welcomes three guest speakers to the Hall of Presidents and Chancellors. (more…)
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Sneed’s Histories of Ghost Towns Added
An interesting book was published in 1977 by Glenn J. Sneed called “Ghost Towns of Southern Illinois.” A copy of it can be found in the Williamson County Historical Society’s museum research library. I have recently used this book to add about 45 new histories related to the ghost towns of Williamson County to our History Page. (more…)
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History Page Additions
Numerous additions to the History Page have been recently added:
- Histories of communities: Alleghany, Big Muddy (a.k.a. White Row), Burns Settlement, Carterville District Mine, Cedar Grove, Cowthon, Downey, Droit City, Grays, Halfway II, Jeffrey Mine, Malcomville, Moake Crossing, Nixville, Number Seven Row, Paineville, Pinch Off, Prosperity, Rogerville, Vicksburg, and Other Communities.
- Plat Maps (1908) added to histories: Alleghany, Blairsville, Canaville, Corinth PO, Crab Orchard, Fordville, Hudgens, Malcomville, New Denison, New Virginia, Jeffersonville, Pittsburg, Pope’s Highland, Reeves, Spillertown, Stonefort and Whiteash. Oraville and Stern’s Outlots were added to Other Communities.
- Railroad Maps: Maps from 1876 and 1908 covering the state and Southern Illinois.
- 1822 Illinois State Map
- 1876 Williamson County Map showing the names of all the old precincts
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1908 County and Township Map Set Added
A new page had been added to the History Page on this site that includes a 1908 Williamson County map and maps of each of the twelve county townships. These maps can be invaluable when trying to determine the location of old lost sites or property ownership locations.
The page can be found under Williamson County on the History Page or you can jump straight to the link by clicking here.
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Carbondale New School Students Tour Museum
The Williamson County Museum was host to the Carbondale New School’s fifth through eighth grade class members on April 2, 2014. The students were accompanied by parents and teachers on a tour of the old county jail where they got to pour over our Native American artifact collection and spend some time in the slammer. (more…)
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Williamson County’s Early Settlers & Mills
New postings related to our counties first settlers and early mills have been added to the History Page. They were extracted from Goodspeed’s History of Gallatin, Saline, Hamilton, Franklin and Williamson Counties, Illinois published in 1887. (more…)
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New WCHS Brochures Printed
We have thousands of newly printed brochures ready for distribution reflecting our new hours of operation. The brochures were printed courtesy of the Williamson County Tourism Bureau and encapsulate descriptions of the museum and its exhibits.In addition, the brochure contains information related to membership, our research library, hours of operation and the internet addresses of not only the county website but the Marion History Preservation site as well.
The brochures will be distributed to public locations so they can be accessed by those who may be unfamiliar with the historical society and the museum and library.
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2014 Quarterlies in the Mail and Member Dues Due
Thanks to the efforts of Helen Sutt Lind, the first installment of the 2014 quarterly publication “Footprints in Williamson County” are in the mail and members should receive theirs soon. If you haven’t received yours yet, you can get a preview of what’s inside by checking the Quarterlies Footprints Index in the Records Tab of the menu or just Click Here. (more…)
