Illinois State Genealogical Society

Today 15 SSGHS members and friends visited the Tinley Park Historical Society’s Landmark Church and replicated schoolhouse. There was **so much** to take in, and we thank the TPHS for being gracious hosts. (Some members not pictured.)

Constructed in 1859, the Williamson County Courthouse on Marion's Public Square was destroyed by a devastating fire on May 30, 1875.

Taken the morning after the fire, this restored tintype photograph shows the sheer devastation to the courthouse and the surrounding structures.

The fire began at the residence of Dr. T.D. Ferguson on South Madison Street, quickly destroying his large two-story dwelling, smokehouse, and stable.

Soon the conflagration destroyed a neighboring warehouse and storehouse of Westbrook & Howell. The first floor housed dry goods, while the second floor contained a photography gallery, a barber shop, and the Marion Monitor office.

Moving closer to the square, the South Market structure housing the Post Office and the drug store of Wm. N. Mitchell & Sons on the first floor was lost.

The second floor, which was also destroyed, contained a law office and the Egyptian Press office.

The adjacent Williamson County Courthouse with its wood shake roof did not stand a chance adjacent to nearly an entire city block ablaze. However, the early alarm did allow for most of the contents to be emptied before being consumed by the blaze.

South Market Street that would become the natural break and keep the inferno from spreading west and consuming half of the town.

To the south, homes as far south as the intersection of S Madison and E. Thorn Streets received varying degrees of damage as prevailing winds spread the fire south and east.

The aftermath of the blaze set a course in Marion of replacing the former wood-framed wood shake covered buildings with those of brick, mortar and asphalt. The goal was to minimize fire risks and save lives, but the unexpected bonus was the quality of architecture that surrounded the town square of Marion.

Just ten short years later in 1885, the town square which had been primarily made up of wood-framed buildings would be ringed by 100% brick and masonry structures.