USA > Illinois > Williamson County > Historical souvenir of Williamson County, Illinois : being a brief review of the county from date of founding to the present > Part 7
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67
SOUVENIR OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
REV. J. J. TATUM, Pastor of the Free Baptist Church.
MR. SAMUEL DUNAWAY, Chief Bookkeeper for the Frisco System Ry., Danville, Illinois.
J. M. BRADLEY. Farmer.
Sidney Breese, one of the Judges of the Supreme Court, died sudden- ly at Mt. Vernon, while holding court, June 28, 1878, and on July 9, 1878, David J. Baker was ap- pointed by the Governor, from the Circuit Bench, to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Bench caused by the death of Judge Breese.
August 27, 1878, Governor Cul- lom appointed Oliver A. Harker Cir- cuit Judge to fill. the vacancy on the Circuit Bench, caused by the ap- pointment of David J. Baker to the Supreme Bench.
June 2, 1879, occurred the first regular election under the three (3)
Judge System. At this election David J. Baker, Daniel M. Brown- ing and Oliver A. Harker were elected to serve six years. Under this three Judge law it became the duty of the three Judges to meet in conference and assign, or lay out, the work each had to do. As there has been no change in the system of assignments since the act of 1877, and no Judge ever having been per- manently assigned to hold the Cir- cuit Court in Williamson County, the history of the Circuit Bench is the history of the election and ser- vice of the Judges who have been elected since June, 1879.
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COAL BELT BOTTLEING CO'S FACTORY. Morrison & Willeford, Proprietors.
At the election held June 1st, 1885, David J. Baker, Oliver A. Harker and Robert W. McCartney were elected to serve for a term of six years. These Judges alternated irregularly in holding court in Williamson County.
At the election June 4, 1888, David J. Baker was elected to the Supreme Bench, vice John H. Mul- key whose term expired.
November 6, 1888, George W. Young was elected Circuit Judge to fill the vacancy caused by the elec- tion of David J. Baker to the Su- preme Court.
June 1st, 1891, at the regular election, Oliver A. Harker, Joseph P. Roberts and Alonzo K. Vickers were elected for the full term of six years.
June 7, 1897, Oliver A. Harker, Alonzo K. Vickers and Joseph P. Robarts were elected for the full term of six years.
June 1st, 1903, Warren W. Dun- can, Alonzo K. Vickers and Joseph P. Robarts were elected for the full term of six years.
Joseph P. Robarts died after a long and painful illness at San Diego, California, October 20, 1903.
At a special election held Decem- ber 12, 1903, Winiam N. Butler was elected Circuit Judge for the unexpired time of Jos. P. Robarts, deceased.
The present presiding Judges for this, first Judicial Circuit, are War- ren W. Duncan, of Marion: Alonzo K. Vickers, Vienna; William N. Butler, Cairo, and they alternate in holding Circuit Court i̱n this County, as has been the custom for the last 28 years. Their terms will expire June 7, 1909.
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SOUVENIR OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
MAJOR JAMES D. MCCOWN, Deceased.
MRS. MARGARET SHERERTZ, Aged SC.
County Judges and Judges of the County Court.
Prior to 1872 the office of County Jndge was not regarded with the same degree of importance that it has been since that date. Up to 1873 the County Judge, with two other officers, called associate jus- tices, constituted the County Board, and did all the county business, the County Judge doing prohate busi- ness also. Since 1873 county busi- ness has been given to three County Commissioners.
By act of 1872 the County Court was given common law jurisdiction in civil actions to the extent of $1,000, and criminal jurisdiction of
misdemeanors, in addition to pro- bate jurisdiction.
The first county judge after the division in 1840 was William H. Enbanks, then David Norman, Isaac M. Lewis, Jesse Bishop and James M. Spain.
At the election in 1873, being the first election under the new consti- tution and the new law, Jesse Bishop was elected Judge of the County Court, which had become a court of considerable importance. At the election in 1877 George W. Young was elected County Judge ; at the election in 1882 James W. Washburn was elected; in 1886 Warren W. Duncan was elected; in 1890 Lorenzo D. Hartwell was elect-
RUINS OF THE OLD COURT HOUSE.
Burned May 30, 1875. It stood at the southeast corner of the square. All the houses to the west of it as far as South Market Street were also hurned. Loss, $25,000.
MRS. CENA A. MCCOWN, Wife of James D. MeCown.
ed, and again in 1894; in 1898 Wiley F. Slater was elected: in 1902 Rufus Neeley, the present in- cumbent, was elected. All the seven men who have filled the position of County Judge since 1873 have been practicing licensed lawyers
Prosecuting Attorneys and States Attorneys.
Prior to 1872 the prosecuting at- torneys or public prosecutors were elected in the same territory of the Circuit Judges and went with the Circuit Judges to attend Court in the different Counties composing the Circuit. Among the early Pros- ecuting Attorneys were Edward V. Pearce, John A. Logan, John M. Clementson, Chas. N. Damron and Francis M. Yonngblood.
This brings us up to the change in the statute and the provision of the constitution of 1870, and the act of the Legislature approved March 22, 1872, which provided that one States Attorney should be elected at the general election to be held November 5, 1872, in each county in the state and every four years thereafter. The names and date of election of the States Attor- neys for this, Williamson, County, since 1872 are as follows:
John D. F. Jennings, 1872; Jos- eph W. Hartwell, in 1875, to fill the unexpired time of Jennings; Joseph W. Hartwell, 1876; William W. Clemens, 1880; Geo. W. Young, 1884; Jesse Bishop, 1888; John W. Peebles, 1892; Richmond R. Fowl- er. 1896; Lorenzo D. Hartwell, 1900; Richmond R. Fowler, 1904, all of them lawyers in good practice and men of considerable legal
ability.
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SOUVENIR OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
KARL WOLF, Journeyman Merchant Tailor.
W. J. WALKER, Alderman 2nd Ward.
ED SPILLER, Attorney at Law.
The following named attorneys who formerly resided in Williamson County, anl practiced before the Courts in said County, are dead, but their names are inserted in this article in honor of their memories: John T. Louden, John A. Logan, Anderson P. Corder, John E. Galla- gher, Willis Allen, George W. God- dard, Jerome B. Calvert, Joseph H. Benson, William Joshua Allen, Jos- eph W. Hartwell, Jesse Bishop and Milo Ervin. .
The following are the names of the lawyers composing the William- son County Bar, and who are con- sidered practitioners, according to
the age and the length of service:
William W. Clemens, James M. Washburn, Lorenzo D. Hartwell, Geo. W. Young, John W. Peebles, Geo. W. Pillow, William H. War- der, Winfield C. S. Rhea, John C. B. Smith, Ed M. Spiller, Geo. B. White, Wiley F. Slater, Andrew J. Kimmel, Richmond R. Fowler, John E. Carr, Charles A. Jochum, John A. Treese, John L. Gallimore, William O. Pot- ter. William T. Freeze, Thos. J. Youngblood, Otis H. Burnett, De- witt T. Hartwell, Everett E. Deni- son, Rufus Neeley, Archibald C. Hentz, Luther E. Robertson and Robert T. Cook.
THE JORDAN HOUSE. One of the Oldest in Marion. Built of Hewn Logs.
The City of Marion
By Geo. W. Young. Attorney at Law
B an act of the Legislature, en- titled "An Act to establish the County of Williamson," approved February 28, 1839, it was provided that Calvin Bridges of Union Co., Thornbury C. Anderson, of Galla- tin Co., and Jefferson Allen, of Jackson Co., were appointed Com- missioners to locate the seat of jns- tice for the County of Williamson. These Commissioners were to meet at the town of Bainbridge, and after being qualified, they were directed to proceed to locate the said seat of justice at or as near the center of the County as an eligible site con- taining twenty acres could be ob- tained by donation from the owner thereof, in accordance with said Act. The County of Franklin was divided, and the County of William- son established.
On the Sth day of October, 1839, the Commissioners to locate the County seat made the following re- port :
"STATE OF ILLINOIS,
County of Williamson.
We, the Commissioners, appoint- ed by an Act of the Legislature of said State to locate the County Seat of Williamson County, approved February 28, 1839, have agreed on the Southwest corner of Section Eighteen (18), Township Nine (9) South, and of Range No. Three (3) East of the Third Principal Me- ridian line: and that we do further agree to name the site Marion.
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SOUVENIR OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
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1
J. H. REYNOLDS, Deceased.
MRS. A. C. REYNOLDS. Proprietor of Commercial Hotel.
J. W. WILDER, Photographer.
Given under our hands this 20th day of August, 1839.
Signed,
CALVIN BRIDGES,
THORNBURY C. ANDERSON, JEFFERSON ALLEN."
On the same day, August 20, 1839, William Benson and Bethany, his wife, deeded as a gift to the County the West half of the South- west Fourth of the Southwest Quar- ter, Section Eighteen (18), Town- ship Nine (9) South, Range Three (3) East of the Third Principal Me- ridian line, containing 20 acres, which was the first deed record- ed in the County by the County
Clerk, who was then the recorder.
Henry W. Perry, a surveyor, was employed October 16, 1839, to sur- vey and plat the town lots, which are known as the Original Survey of the City of Marion, including the Public Square. These lots were or- dered to be sold on six, twelve and eighteen months' time by the Sher- iff. The sale commenced November 17, 1839, and continued for three days. At this sale there were thirty-eight lots sold for the sum of two thousand four hundred and forty-nine dollars and fifty cents ($2449.50) to the persons and for the prices shown in the following tabular statement:
Name. No. Lts.
Amt.
Sam'l. H. D. Ryburn 1
$ 50 00
Sterling Hill 1 60 00
John T. Davis 1
111 00
William Benson 1
113 00
Daniel R. Pulley 1
93 00
1 Joab Goodall 67 00
J. T. and T. D. Davis 1 100 00
F. F. Duncan 1
116 00
John G. Sparks 1 78 00
Dempsey Odum 1
80 00
John Davis 1
131 00
A. T. Benson
1
150 00
E. C. Spiller
1
114 00
William Benson
1 102 00
William L. Benson
1
161 25
J. B. Freeman
1 96 00
John D. Sanders
1
68 00
John Davis
1
70 50
John D. Sanders
1
50 00
Henry Sanders
1
30 00
W. K. Spiller
3 63 50
James Hill
2
90 25
Elijah Mooneyham
1 41 00
Henry Robertson
1 76 00
John Simpson
1 66 00
Sterling Hill
1
30 00
John D. Sanders
2 37 00
William Burns
2
51 00
Junior Meredith
2 51 00
G. W. Binkley
1 30 00
Willis Allen
1 23 00
Total 38. $2449 50
The sale of the lots was one of the first sources of revenue to the County, and the aggregate consti- tuted a liberal sum with which to defray the cost of the construction of the public buildings.
The first buildings erected were a clerk's office and the jail. The
clerk's office was built on the Pub- lic Square early in the year 1840 by Gabriel Sanders, who took the con- tract for $108.00, and the first term of Court was held in this building
FIRST STORE IN MARION.
F. M. Westbrook & Co's Store, built in 1876. Used until 1893, then moved and rebuilt of brick in 1893. Now The New York Store.
Geo. W. Binkley
1 50 00
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SOUVENIR OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
3
F. M. GOODALL, Capitalist.
MRS. F. M. GOODALL.
F. L. NANCE, Merchant.
beginning May 4, 1840. The con- tract for the jail was let to Squire Howell for $335.00 on the 8th day of January, 1840. It was a log house, and stood where the jail now stands, being Lot No. Two (2), in Block No. Eight (8) in the Original Survey or plat of the town of Ma- rion. This building was used as a County jail until 1865, when the second jail was erected by Robert M. Hundley, contractor, for $9,000 on the same lot. Its dimensions were 20x44 feet square and two stories high; the walls of the' first story were of brick and were 18 in- ches in thickness; the walls of the second story consisted of nine in- ches of brick on the outside and of timbers squared 8x10 inches on the inside, the floor and ceiling being made of these timbers also. This building stood until November, 1882, when it was consumed by fire.
The Conrts were held in the building erected for a clerk's office until the completion of the first Conrt House, which was built by John Paschal, began in 1841, and completed in 1842. It was a two- story brick building 40 ft x 40 ft., and stood on the Public Square, and cost the County $3500.00. This building was used for the Court House and County offices until 1859, when it was removed and the briek was used in building the brick honse which now stands on the Brooks' farm, three miles north- west of Marion. In 1858 a new Court House was erected by Col. R. M. Hundley, the contractor. on Lot Two (2), Block Five (5) of the Original Survey of the town, being the site where H. M. Parks' build- ing now is. This building was also a two-story hrick structure, being about 50x70 ft. square, with a hall and stairs, County offices and jury
rooms on the first floor and the Court Room on the second. Col. Hundley, the contractor, received $7700.00 in County orders, bearing eight per cent. interest from date until paid. and $1800.00 in cash from the Swanip Land Fund, mak- ing $9500.00 in all which he re- ceived for erecting the building. He also received $245.00 for painting it, and N. B. Calvert was paid $305 for furnishing the Court room. This house was destroyed by fire May 30, 1875, but the County records were all saved, with the ex- ception of one or two court records.
The proposition to levy and col- leet a special tax of thirty-five cents for each one hundred dollars of taxable property within the County, for a period of three years, to raise snm sufficient to build a new a
Court House was submitted to the people of the County at an election held November 2, 1886, and was carried by a large majority. The present Court House was built un- der the supervision of Mr. Isaac Rapp, of Carbondale, who was em- ployed at a salary of $5.50 per day to superintend the planning and building of the house. The esti- mated cost was eighteen thousand dollars, and it was finished in the summer of 1889.
The Town of Marion was first chartered by Act of the Legislature approved February 24, 1841, but it seems there was no organization or election of officers under this Act, and the same was repealed Febrn- ary 15, 1847. The town was again chartered by Act of the Legislature approved February 16, 1865, by
ILLINOIS CENTRAL RAILROAD DEPOT AT MARION, ILLINOIS.
72
SOUVENIR OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
JOHN W. PEEBLES, Attorney at Law.
PAUL J. SMITH,
Local organizer Marion Trades Council and district organizer of Labor Unions for American Fed- eration of Labor.
DR. C. L. WASHBURN.
which said Act, it is provided that the inhabitants of the town of Ma- rion, in Williamson County, Illinois, be, and they are hereby, constituted a body politie and corporate by the name and style of the "Town of Ma- rion," and by that name shall have perpetual succession, and may have, or not have, a common seal, which they may change, alter or abolish at pleasure. The corporate limits of the Town of Marion shall embrace a territory of one mile square ex- tending one-half mile East, West, North and South of the Pubilc Square in said town. The munici- pal government of the town shall consist of a president and six trus- tees and other general provisions
vesting corporate authority and power in the municipal authorities of said town. Under and by virtue of the authority of this Charter, at the election in April, 1865, Rev. A. T. Benson was elected President, W. P. Goodall, Wiley W. Hall, Jas. M. Edwards, Jeremiah Rice, Oliver H. Wiley and James H. Stewart were elected trustees. This City Board adopted and approved the first code of ordinances for the gov- ernment of the Town of Marion May 15, 1865.
After the adoption of the present State Constitution in 1870, which prohibits special legislation, the Legislature passed a general act for the incorporation and government
C. & E. I. RAILROAD DEPOT, LOOKING SOUTH.
of all cities, towns and villages, and under this Act, Marion became in- corporated as a City under the gen- eral law of the State in April, 1873, and at the election held in April, 1874, Jos. W. Hartwell was elected and qualified as the first Mayor of the "City of Marion." The City has been under the organization and powers vested in cities, towns and villages under and by virtue of the authority of the general law of the State granting powers to cities, towns and villages since April, 1873. Prior to 1872, there was no rail- road reaching the city of Marion, and prior to 1854, there was no market at any point on any railroad accessible to the citizens of Marion. In this latter year the Illinois Cen- tral Railroad was completed, run- ning from Chicago to Cairo, passing through Carbondale, eighteen miles west of Marion.
The early history and progress of the town (now City) of Marion in- cludes many novel facts and condi- tions connected with the life and conduct of our people in the early days of the City; for instance, at the time the City was located, it seems that John Davis, more familiarly known as "Bone" Davis, owned a log house located near the center of the Square where the Court House now stands. As soon as the County was organized, he immediately ap- plied for license to sell whiskey, and the County authorities charged him $25.00 license for one year, and the Court also established the price at which liquor should be sold, as follows: Whiskey, 1215 cents per one-half pint: hrandy, rum, wine and gin each 1834 cents per one- half pint; cider per quart 121/2 cents.
SOUVENIR OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
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CITYA
HALL
BANK
..
4
CITY HALL AND MARION STATE AND SAVINGS BANK.
The first store put up in Marion was by Joshua Mulkey in 1840; the next by Robert Hopper. It seems that groceries, as they were called in those days (they are called sa- loons now) were always plentiful in the early days of the history of Ma- rion, license to sell liquor varying from $25.00 per annum in 1839 to $500.00 in 1864. The County Com- missioners' Court also regulated the charges for the hotels.
Prior to 1901 the Mayor and Al- dermen were elected by the popular vote of the voters of the City. On the 14th day of January, 1901, the City Council passed an ordinance dividing the City into four wards, making the four main streets lead- ing East, West, North and South from the Public Square the dividing lines.
All that territory lying north of West Main Street and west of North Market Street, heing the Northwest Quarter of the City, is designated as Ward Number One (1).
All that part of the territory lying south of West Main Street and west of South Market Street, being the Southwest Quarter of the City, is designated as Ward No. Two (2).
All that part of the territory lying south of East Main Street and East
of South Market Street, being the Southeast Quarter of the City, is designated as Ward No. Three (3).
All that part of the territory lying north of East Main Street and east of North Market Street, being the Northeast Quarter of the City, is designated as Ward No. Four (+).
With the opening up of the vast coal fields lying adjacent to and im- mediately North and Northwest of the City, there have been great im- provements in the way of substan- tial buildings and sidewalks and the construction of an Electric Street Railway leading north two miles to tbe Spillertown mines and west through the mining district to Her- rin and Carterville. The population since 1896 has almost doubled. It is estimated now that we have some- thing near six thousand inhabitants within the corporate limits of the city. There have been a great many
new additions surveyed anl at- tached to the Original Plat, so that now the corporate limits extend three-quarters of a mile north, south and east and one mile west of the center of the Public Square, em- hracing and including 1480 acres of land.
The City of Marion is aiso a noted railroad center, Illinois Cen-
tral Railroad passing through run- ning east and west, the C. & E. I. ( Frisco System) running north and south. It is the leading market point in the County, in fact, it is the greatest market for mules, horses and live stock of any point in Southern Illinois.
We have an extensive telephone system, electric light plant, water works, ice and cold storage plant, two flouring mills, bottling works, a brick plant for the manufacture of first-class building brick. Marion is also headquarters for the Egyp- tian Powder Company, three of the leading coal mines, all lines of gen- eral merchandise, hardware, furni- ture, farming implements, wagons, buggies, harness, family groceries, are represented in the business in- terests of the city. We have not the space to particularize, but we can say in a general way that there are as large stores and business houses, and as much business is done in the commercial line as in any City in Southern Illinois. Large trains of cars loaded with coal leave the City every day; live stock and farm products going to distant mar- kets continuously.
We venture the assertion that there is not another city in the
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SOUVENIR OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
ANOTHER VIEW OF C. & E. I. RAILROAD DEPOT, Looking South. The Electric Belt Line Railroad Crossing in the Foreground.
United States possessed with the school facilities that Marion is, for the reason that we are conducting our public schools under a special charter granted by Act of the Leg- islature approved February 16, 1857, forty-seven years ago, and it embraces six whole sections, and one-fourth of another section, of land, running one mile north and one mile south and two miles east and one mile and a half west of the Public Square, containing 4000 acres of land. All this vast wealth is under the supervision and control of the Board of Education, and is governed in the distribution of the school funds of the State the same as in other common school districts that are operated under the state school law, and the result is that the inhabitants of the City of Ma- rion get the benefit of an academic high school course, with all the modern appliances and methods of instruction for the same rate of tax- ation as is levied for the purpose of keeping up the schools in the coun- try districts where nothing but the common branches are taught. We have two large, modern, well- equipped school buildings all paid for, and only a few days ago, the people voted to purchase another site and build an additional build- ing in the Southwest Quarter of the City, which will probably be com- pleted the present year. This one feature of our public advantage is quite an inducement for those hav- ing children to educate to purchase property and become residents of our city, as it enables them to give their children a high school educa- tion at a very small expense with- out sending them away from home.
We include in this article the names of all the Mayors and Alder-
men that have held positions since the city assumed corporate author- ity in February, 1865, so that our readers may see who have been in- strumental in enacting and enforc- ing the laws and ordinances govern- ing the city up to the present time.
We are in possession of wonder- ful natural facilities, such as fuel, light, water, good markets, first- class transportation to all the lead- ing cities and markets of the coun- try. We have six churches, all well attended and in a prosperous condi- tion, the largest and best managed Building and Loan Association in the State. We are well supplied with a full complement of Lawyers, Doctors, Ministers and Teachers:
two weekly newspapers and two daily papers.
Our people, as a rule, are honest, intelligent, industrious and law abiding. There is no honded in- debtedness hanging over the city, and the floating debt is small, the revenue from taxation and license being adequate to meet all liabili- ties. The rate of taxation is as low, if not lower, than any city of its size in the state.
Taking into consideration the wealth, intelligence and progressive character of our citizenship, we have every reason to believe that the City of Marion will keep and maintain its present high position, that of being the most progressive and best governed city in Southern Illinois.
City Officers.
The following is a list of the Trustees, Mayors and Aldermen of the Town and City of Marion, Illi- nois, from A. D. 1865 to A. D. 1904:
1865-A. T. Benson, President: W. P. Goodall, Wiley W. Hall, J. M. Edwards, Jeremiah Rice, O. H. Wi- ley, J. H. Stewart, Trustees.
1866 -- R. M. Hundley, President : O. H. Wiley, J. S. Rice, J. M. Ed- wards, A. T. Benson, Wm. Cook, W. W. Hall. Trustees.
1867-R. M. Hundley, President; O. H. Wiley, Wm. Broad, W. W. Hall, A. T. Benson, Wm. Cook, S. W. Dunaway, Trustees.
1868-R. M. Hun ley, President ; A. T. Benson, O. H. Wiley, Samuel Cover, S. W. Dunaway, Wm. Cook. Thomas Davis. Trustees.
1869 -. G. W. Goddard, President: N. B. Calvert. O. H. Wiley, W. W.
IT ELECTRIC R.R.
COAL BELT BUBOTHIV R
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"READY FOR BUSINESS." Just Coming Out of the Stable.
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SOUVENIR OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS.
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