Williamson County Illinois Chain of Title and Act of Creation Added

The chain of title claiming ownership to the land now occupied by the County of Williamson in the State of Illinois is followed from the early French trappers and explorers of the 1600’s to the Act of creation by the Illinois legislature in 1839 has been added to the History page under the Williamson County heading.

The data was extracted from Barbara Barr Hubbs book “Pioneer Folks and Places” written in 1939 with a great deal of help from our own Nannie Gray Parks, local historian and librarian.

The article can be found on the history page or you can jump from the following link:

Williamson County, Illinois Chain of Title and Act of Creation

 

Williamson County Illinois, A Brief Pioneer History Added

An excerpted history of early Williamson County written by Nannie Gray Parks in 1939 has been added to the History Page under the Williamson County heading.

The brief history is an account of the Williamson County of 1839 which originally appeared in 1939 in the Souvenir Program of the Williamson County Centennial published by The Herrin Daily Journal and republished in the 1989 Williamson County Sesquicentennial History book.

To jump the article click on this link:

Williamson County Illinois, A Brief Pioneer History

1869 Williamson, Franklin and Jefferson County Map Added

1869 Franklin Williamson County Map S

Thanks to a friend of Helen Sutt Lind, a new map has been added to the Williamson County Museum library. The 1869 map illustrates the counties of Jefferson, Franklin and Williamson as they existed in 1869 and reflect changes to the townships on the west side of the county when compared with the 1876 county map.

The map has been added to the Williamson County section of the History page or you can jump to the post with this link:

1869 Williamson, Franklin and Jefferson County Map

Two Williamson County Maps Added

Two Williamson County Illinois maps have been added to the Williamson County Maps section of the History page. One map shows all of the towns, ghost towns, villages and railroad stations that have existed in the county and the other map was put together by Nannie Gray Parks for the 1939 County Centennial event marking the 100th anniversary of the county. The Nannie Gray map shows all of the early trapper and pioneer trails in the county as well as historic points of interest. Continue reading

Cross Roads Community, School and Cemetery Histories Added

Cross Roads School drawing by Bob Jackson

Thanks to the book “Cross Roads School’ published in 1984 by Bob Jackson, President of the Williamson County Historical Society, new histories have been added to the Cross Roads section of the History Page. Bob, himself, was a graduate of the Cross Roads School.

Cross Roads was a community of folks who lived at the crossroads of two old county trails which is located at the intersection of Khoury League and Songbird Roads just northeast of Marion, Illinois. The community had a church, cemetery and old country school, although all that remains today is the cemetery. Continue reading