Author: Sam

Our museum and library has recently switched over to our winter hours of operation. We will only be open to the public on Saturdays from 9:30 till 3:00 P.M. until the first of March next year when we go back to our regular hours of operation.

I you are doing research and need assisistance, you may contact us by email at wchsmail@yahoo.com or call and leave a message at 618-997-5863,

A membership meeting of the Williamson County Historical Society was held on October 8^th, 2023 at 2 P.M. at the society’s museum/library at 105 S. Van Buren in Marion. The state of the museum was laid out by current president Sam Lattuca indicating the current status of programs that are in progress and membership. Lattuca displayed the latest accessions to the museum, including a turn of the 20^th century mourning dress, bonnet and cape, the christening gown belonging to Oldham Paisley from 1892 and more. Oldham Paisley was part owner, editor and reporter of the Marion Daily Republican newspaper in Marion from around 1915 through 1974 as well as serving both in WWI, WWII and the reserves. A program related to archeological and historical research done on the old Slave House, also known as the Crenshaw house was shown.

After nearly a decade, investigators with the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office were able to return a displaced tombstone back to its home in Marion, Illinois.

According to the sheriff’s office, the tombstone was originally found at a home in Pittsburg, Ill. in 2014 when the property was acquired by a new owner. Since that time, it has remained in evidence at the Williamson Co. Sheriff’s Office without any leads to identify where it originally belonged.

Our next membership meeting will be held on Sunday, October 8th, 2023, 2:00 PM at the museum. Elections will be held to compose the board of directors for the year 2024. All board positions except for two director slots are to be voted on. Nominations can be made all the way up to election time, so if you have an interest in helping guide our society or know someone who might be interested, be sure to contact us or you may place names in nomination at the meeting prior to the election.

Our meeting will have a 30 minute program on an SIU archeological dig and research done at the old Crenshaw home known as the “Old Slave House” now owned by the State of Illinois.

Please be sure to check and see if your dues are caught up by looking at the date on the latest mailing label. If you’re dues are paid up it will say 2023 or higher. Membership dues will increase from $20 to $25 for next year, 2024, due to rising costs after remaining the same for 15 years.

We have been contacted by a lady that has a letter she acquired 20 years ago dated March 20, 1924, that had been sent to Mrs. W.H. Riggin, Carterville, Ill. and she would like to return it to a family member. 

The family is of Wm. Henry and Verna Iona Riggin, together they began Riggin Funeral Home in Carterville, IL. If you are family or know a descendant, please contact us at wchsmail@yahoo.com or thru our facebook page, Williamson County Illinois Historical Society

Photographic slides belonging to Baptista “Bob” Castrale were donated to the Johnston City Library years ago containing photos of mine subsidence and construction of the Washington School in Johnston City. Many of the slides were dated to around 1975. The slides were gifted to the Williamson County Historical Society by the library recently and upon inspection were found to contain 57 slides of family events that likely weren’t intended to be part of the collection. We would like to get these personal slides back to family members who may be interested in them. We can be contacted at wchsmail@yahoo.com or 618-997-5863.

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”.