What’s New

The Williamson County Historical Society held a membership meeting on Sunday, April 19^th, 2026 at the museum/library in Marion. President Sam Lattuca informed the membership of the current state of the museum and presented photos of recent items accessioned into the museum including an 80 lb. ball and chain once worn by prisoners while on chain gang duty outside the prison. In addition, a selection of photos was presented which had recently been recorded into the museum/library’s database. Members were also informed of past events the museum has participated in as well as upcoming events.

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5th Grade students from the Washington School in Marion toured the museum on April 13th through the 16th, 2026. Approximately 80 students from the school toured the museum in groups of 20 over 4 days. Each group was accompanied by a teacher. Those teachers accompanying the groups this year were Mr. Vickery, Ms. Kadela, Ms. Holderfield, and Mrs. Rowland.

Please call (618) 997-5863 Wednesday – Saturday 9:30 to 3:00 or email wchsmail@yahoo.com to see if books are available, books may have been sold since latest booklist update.

These prices are for pickup only, shipping and handling will be added if mailed. We can give the cost of handling and postage for any books to be mailed USPS Media Mail.

Books can be paid for through our website: www.wcihs.org using Paypal, we do not hold any books without payment. Orders can be picked up at 105 S. Van Buren, Marion, IL.

Thank You!

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Williamson County, IL Historical Society

Pre-Owned Books

April 15, 2026

Williamson County, IL

$3.00 Register of Interment Permits Jan 1902-May 1903, 20 pages

$5.00 Gone to be an Angel, Volume 1 by Murphy and Lind.

$4.00 Tornado, Marion, IL May 29, 1982

$8.00 Oldham Paisley – Newspaper Editor

$8.00 Steal-Easy: My Home Town – Crab Orchard

$5.00 Sugs & I – From Steal Easy by O. Paul Allen

$5.00 Volume 1, Hatch, Match & Dispatch, Johnston City Progress Newspapers, by Margie     Garr 22 Jun 1905 – 20 Jan 1927 through 26 Dec 1929

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The Williamson County Historical Society recently added two new resources to its library. The first is a book called “Stillbirths” which was taken from a microfilm copy of the county record book called “Stillbirths Book A.” The book records registered stillbirths and infant deaths from 1878 to 1969 and contains well over 3,000 new names.

The second addition was smaller. We found some naturalization records in the museum that were not part of any earlier naturalization records so the were added as an addendum called Naturalzation and Petitioins Volume 8B.

Both records can be perused in the Misc. County Records Master index.

The Williamson County Historical Society will be holding a membership meeting on Sunday, April 19th, 2026 here at the museum/library at 2:00 P.M.

During the meeting we will be going over projects undertaken at the museum & library since the last meeting, accessions taken in, upcoming projects and the state of the museum. The program will be conducted by Leann Johnson who will talk about Revolutionary soldiers in Williamson County

As a reminder, our yearly WCHS membership dues are due and run from January thru December and are $25 per year. You can check the status of your dues by looking at the year date on the address label on the next mailing. If you’re dues are current it will say 2026 or higher, if it says 2025 or earlier, your dues are due. We hope to see you at the meeting.

The Williamson County Historical Society held Pie Day on March 20, 2026. This is a tradition based on the opportunity to periodically have lunch at the museum with all the volunteers that can make it and treat them to their favorite pies. Those in attendance were Candy Calcaterra, Leann Johnson, Sharon Vansaghi, Sam Lattuca, Ursula Richey, Charla Murphy, Helen Lind, Sierra Gee and Colleen Norman. Thank you to all our volunteers who help out at the museum.

After having been down to open on Saturday’s only since last Thanksgiving the museum will once again go back to our normal hours of operation on Wednesday, March 4th, 2026. Our new hours will be Wednesday through Saturday from 9:30 AM till 3:00 PM.

Our restricted winter hours are chiefly due to energy costs, but it also gives us a chance to take care of maintenance and restoration. This winter we were able to clean and reorganize one of our main storage rooms and also remodel the second floor bathroom.

Mary Jo Moore, age 83, passed away on Friday, February 13, 2026, at Jackson Purchase Medical Center, surrounded by her family. She was lovingly known by her grandchildren as “Sugar.”

Mary Jo was born on May 11, 1942, to the late William and Mary Edna Harper.  She graduated from Marion High School in Marion, Illinois, in 1959.  Later, she married C.W. Moore on March 25, 1961.  He was the love of her life.  They would have celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary this year.  

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Boy Scout troop 21 of Marion toured the museum on February 12^th, 2026 at 6:30 P.M. In attendance were about 15 boy scouts accompanied by about 16 parents and troop leaders. The scouts were conducted on a tour of the museum by WCHS President, Sam Lattuca and WCHS curator/coordinator, Sharon Vansaghi. The scouts were instructed about the many artifacts in the museum and how people used to have to conduct their everyday lives in work and play.