Category: WCHS

As of March 1st, the Williamson County Historical Society’s Museum/Library is now open on it’s extended hours of operation. Until Thanksgiving, we will now be open Wednesday thru Saturday from 9:30 AM till 3:00 PM.

Indexing related to our collection of digital obituaries for the year 2022 taken from local funeral homes have been added to our Master Obituary Index. 

Indexing to the recently published local history book, Cedar Line Legacy, has been added to our Master Local History Index.

WCHS President, Sam Lattuca, gave history programs to students of the Adams School on Friday 10th, 2023. Lattuca spoke to the 7th grade civic’s class about prohibition and how it was handled in Williamson County and additionally also spoke to the 8th grade history class about Williamson County history.

Lattuca recounted who has occupied the counties land since prehistoric times including the tumultuous times of the civil war, the late 1800’s and 1920’s through the depression and WWII years up to the county’s development in more modern times. These included the formation of the Marion Prison, I-57, the Crab Orchard lake project and the Illinois Ordnance plant during WWII. 

The talks were scheduled by Adams school teacher Dana Stearns and Lattuca had just recently spoken to a class of high school students about Williamson County history

Williamson County Historical Society President, Sam Lattuca, gave a 30 minute presentation about the society to the Rotary Club (Jackson/Williamson Counties Sunset Club) held at Bandanas’s Restaurant in Carbondale on Tuesday, February 7^th, 2023 at 6 PM.

Lattuca recounted the roots of the historical society that evolved out of the 1939 Williamson County Centennial event and the societies reconstitution in 1954. Lattuca described how the society came into possession of the old county jail and how it has evolved into the organization that we know today. He also informed them of the museum’s contents and what is contained in the genealogy and history research library.

All 74 mortgage record books, A to Z and 1 to 48, have been indexed and added to our Master Mortgage Record Book Index. These record books span the time period from the 1850’s through the early years of the 1920’s and include indviduals, businesses, organizations, churches and schools. Whereas most of the records are either real estate or chattel mortgages, there are many articles of incorporation, lease agreements, coal leases, retail contracts and even a few marital agreements, powers of attorney and last will and testaments.

WCHS president, Sam Lattuca, presented a one hour program to high school students at Adams School on January 27^th, 2023. Lattuca detailed the history of Williamson County beginning with prehistoric native occupation through present day highlighting the events over the decades that formed the county we recognize today. Another presentation is being planned for 8^th grade students at the same school.

Mortgage record books 27 through 34 of 48 have been indexed and added to our Master Mortgage Record Book index. When completed there will be 74 mortgage books in the index ranging from about 1850 through the 1920’s.

Williamson County Mortgage Record books 21 through 26 have now been indexed and added to our Master Mortgage Record Index. The dates range over around 1912 through the early 1920’s. There are a total of 74 Mortgage books to index and so far we have indexed 52 of them.

The WCHS Museum & Library has returned to its winter schedule of operation of being open on Saturdays only from 9:30 A.M. to 3:00 PM to conserve on heating costs. The schedule will be in effect until next March 1st when we return to four days a week again.

The down time through the winter months allows us to clean, repair, maintain the building, change displays and organize the library and its materials.

Some volunteers still maintain voice messages and email through the week so feel free to contact us if there is a need. Our email address is wchsmail@yahoo.com and our phone number is 619-997-5863.

WCHS is looking for your help. Some of you are familiar with Pioneer Daughters of Williamson Co, a group that was created to help with the 1939 Centennial of Williamson Co. We have the applications of those that submitted their genealogy to become a member and have those applications transcribed into a book. There were also Pioneer Sons of Williamson Co., group that was created. We do have one application that was given to us but no others. This was also a large group but other than the officers we have no listing of members. If your family member has an application that we could have a copy of or any reference to being a member of the Pioneer Sons we would be interested in the information.