Memories of Early Marion
You can buy the book from The Wayne County Historical Society and many local Historical Societies and museums.
MEMORIES: In the spring of 1889 my family moved into Marion village from the farm, about three miles north of the village on the Marion-Williamson Road. Ill health forced my father to quit farming, so we bought the Frank Longley house, just across the road from the D. Henry Crane farm.
Click on photo to view larger image.
My memory of the firms doing business in those days follows. The Clark Block housed several firms. They were Lookup & Engert, owned by Fred Engert and William Lookup, Jr., who were produce dealers who bought wheat, corn, dried apples and dried berries. For a time they were successful but they got to drinking and the firm went up. Elmer Taylor ran a meat market in the south store. Next to him was Malcolm & Cole, a drugstore owned by James Malcolm and Myron Cole. George Sherman ran a barber shop upstairs, as did William Colvin. Dr. Guy Payne had an office upstairs. At one time the Post Office was located in the north end of the block; the Postmasters were John Richmond, Wallace Moon, and Thomas Geer. Warren Curtis was the clerk most of the time. At one time M. Lesser kept a toy shop in the block and I can remember a set of lead soldiers that my parents bought me from him. Business reverses drove him to his death and he drowned himself in Mud Creek near Palmyra Railroad Station.
There were two old wooden buildings where the First National Bank later stood. In one of these, a man called 'Old Turk' kept a grocery store as a blind, for in that place you could buy whiskey, hard cider and other good things to drink. Marion had no license to sell, but Turk made many a dollar selling on the sly. One would order groceries and Turk would put the drink in with the order. He was arrested times without number and taken to Lyons, the County seat, fined and then let go. After he was back home, it would only take him two or three days to sell enough liquor to more than double his fine. Later these buildings were torn down and for years the place was a great place for medicine shows in tents. Throne & Bestley, The Pelhams, and Bigelo & Brown were a few of the shows that always drew large crowds. The admission usually was ten cents and you got your money's worth at that.
South of the present home of Dr. Besmer, stood the big rambling building that housed the Lewis Smith (combined saw mill, foundry and machine shop), where we boys spent many happy days. We would watch the hot metal flow into the molds that made plow points, land roller ends and many other iron things used for work in the machine shop. We also saw huge logs made into lumber.
A short distance up from Main St. was the office of Dr. Richards, a man who did more good for the people of Marion than any other doctor they ever had.
The little building just south of the Presbyterian Church housed the firm of James Goossen. Goossen later purchased the George Holmes Block and remodeled it into the two-store department store - that once bore the name of Goossen & Steyaart. For many years in this store, George Holmes had a watch repairing and jewelry business. Next to that store was the Lyman Rice tobacco and candy store. Next was his mother's millinery store, conducted by Mrs. Matilda Rice. Next to this was the Warner grocery, owned by Horace A. Warner.
Down Buffalo Street to the west was the blacksmith shop of Sanford & Moon, owned by Riley Sanford and Wallace Moon. Down Palmyra Street near the creek was the blacksmith of Will Henion, who with his son, George, shod horses for many years. Near him at the south, was the cooper shop of Henry Gillette, a ramshackle place with worn-out machinery, where one took his 'life in his hands if he went to work. You never knew what minute a pulley or wheel would fly off its shaft. The old boiler was condemned every time an inspector came along, but still Mr. Gillette managed to keep going for many years. Then came the wagon shop of William Eisentradger, an old German who made wagons for many years, on the spot where this shop stood now stands the Marion Canning Factory and the railroad bed is part of the building foundation.
Down on Buffalo Street, on the west side of the street, stood the wagon repair and building where John Wolff for many years made and repaired wagons. John was a character, his favorite saying was ''Tis an ill wind, that blows nobody good.'
Alonzo Heslor kept a little grocery store on the west side of Main Street for many years, he was so honest that he would cut a raisin in two to make correct weight.
Down at the end of the west side of Main Street stores stood an old building where the village paper, 'The Marion Enterprise' was published, and where the writer of this article worked for some years, overhead upstairs, was the photographic gallery of R.A. Hammond, later that of Carl S. Gurnee.
Down Palmyra Street was the ladder shop of Howell Topping, where anything in the line of ladders from six to forty feet was made.
Down Mill Street was the blacksmith of the Curtis Brothers, Brainard and James. Here also was a wagon repair shop; further on was the Marion Roller Mills where flour was manufactured from wheat and grits ground for the farmers around the town.
- Clarence T. Wood
top of
page
return to history
index