The year 2014 marks the 175th year of existence since Williamson County was carved off of the south end of Franklin County in the fall of 1839. The county seat of Marion was located on August 20th and October 7th was the day that the county court held it’s infamous first meeting at the Benson home which was a double log cabin located where the ArtStarts building (old Wilson Funeral Home) is now located across the street from our museum.

As the story goes, Mrs. Benson was flustered due to so many people showing up and her not having enough seats, so she flagged down a local farmer with a wagon full of pumpkins and used the pumpkins for seats for her guests.

Lot sales on the newly surveyed square in Marion were held beginning on November 7th which netted the new county $2,409.50 to start the financing of the new county. The money was spent to construct an office for the county clerk to operate out of and was located in the southeast corner of the square.