LANDMARKS OF MARION
By Dora L. Westfall
Perhaps the earlist landmark is the road through Marion village to the Upper Corners which was built by Chas. Williamson in 1794.
The Cemetery at the Upper Corners, was established in 1804.
Previous to 1810 the settlement at the Upper Corners was in advance of the lower, and for a number of years fully equal to it.
Jas. Golloway owned the land on the west side of the street from the Young farm to the Upper Corners, and the present village was called "Galloway's Corners." Subsequently Timothy Smith built the original hotel, which was kept for many years by Samuel Todd, a major in the War of 1812.
Earlier in 1800, a tavern was kept in a log house by the Widow Styles, on what in now Mrs. Augusta Pulver's home.
A cabinet shop was run at an early date where Samuel Smith's blacksmith later stood, on what is now Henry Allen's house.
The oldest frame building of which there is a portion remaining was a dwelling built back of where T.F. Young now lives which is now moved to the Engert farm and used as a pig pen and storehouse. Mr. Gallaway lived in what is now Eva Radder's house. Henry Ganze built one of the first houses on that end of Palmyra Street and Mrs. Hawley's was built next to David Parks.
The Butler house now owned by B.E. Luce was built over 55 years a go. Mr. Butler also brought from the Upper Corners the house later owned by Ruth Cook.
A man by the name of Corrigan bought and repaired the house now owned by George Topping and while returning from Palmyra on a load of lumber he fell from the load and was killed. At this time the Isaac Jeffery house was the only one south of Mrs. Burruds on the opposite side of the road. The house now owned by Louis Eldredge was occupied by David Parks at the time his father and mother had small pox and the people went behind the house rather than pass along the street. The house owned by Mrs. Schoonerman on Buffalo St. was the original house built on Palmyra St. on the site of Mrs. Hesler's home is a very old house. Behind the Henion house was a house used as a tannery and this had wooden pipes connnecting with a spring by the mill remains of the pipes are still to be found on B.T. Curtices's place though which they passed.
At this time the pond was so large that persons in a row boat could get up to the Gaylord house by pulling themselves through the rushes. The house on the Agusta Pulver lot was built as early at 1830 and the house occupied by F. Van Chloster at the same time. A Mr. Chapin owned a saw mill on Mill St. about where Warner & Son's office now stands. There was also a grist mill on that side of the road. Where the present mill stands Deacon Caldwell had a distillery, it later became a tanner. There was also a potash factory where the Malcome Canning Factory now stands. The B.T. Curtis shop was built in 1834. A furnace was on the site of the Henion blacksmith ship at least 100 years ago and at one time there was a large engine cast and made at this shop.
One of the pioneers was Seth Tucker who in 1825 lived at the Upper Corners. He was physician to the country for miles around. Later he lived near the site of the First National Bank of Marion and his son, Chas. Tucker had a small jewelry shop on this lot, part of this shop is still in existance and is the hen house of Mr. B.T. Curtice.
There was in the early days an old cordoroy road behind the hill extending from the H.B. Smith farm past the Sulphur Springs. At one time it was thought the waters of this spring had great medical value and a sort of hotel was built near them.
There were stores where they are now on Main St. The Pond Store, T.E. Manely, Young and Hesler egg store, Alonzo Hesler's tailor shop was where C.G. Potter's now is. (Pictured is a 1910 post card of Main St., looking south.) The Hotel was one of the early buildings and was a story and a half high at that time and the barn was across the street where A.P. Williams now lives. There was also a distillery on the Young farm back of the present Jeffery house. Another was kept in connection with a tavern by Jas. Huggins where the Van Hee now stands. This house is probably 100 years old.
Enoch Turner had another tavern about where Belle Trumbull's house now stands*. There was also a sawmill at the Upper Corners, remains of the dam can be seen at the John Davis farm. There was also at the Upper Corners, a mill run by ox power built in 1831 by James Wright and Mr. Wing. Part of the Murphy house on Buffalo St. was built at least 70 years ago. There was no house from there to the Durfee house at that time. The next to be built was the Antisdale house.
*I don't know whether this is the brick house or the one of wood on the corner of the road. C.W.
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