What’s New | Williamson County Illinois Historical Society

WCHS President Gives Program at Library

Posted on May 18, 2017 by SamMay 18, 2017

WCHS president Sam Lattuca speaking at the library May 18, 2017

WHCS president, Sam Lattuca, gave a 1.5 hour program on the early history and formation of Williamson County and Marion Thursday evening, May 18, 2017 at the Marion Carnegie Library. Lattuca’s program covered early native American cultures, French and British occupation as well as the process that the county buyinglevitrahere went through in getting formed. A few of the topics discussed were crime in Williamson County, the growth of coal mining and its role and how alcohol and the temperance movement shaped the county in its early years.

Also discussed were the types of birds and animals that used to be found here in pioneer times that we no longer see today.

Washington School Students Tour the Museum all Week

Posted on May 13, 2017 by SamMay 13, 2017

Monday through Thursday, fifth grade students from the Washington School toured the county museum becoming aware of the ways of early pioneers and county citizens. On Friday a class of third graders from Dawn Jackson’s Washington School class visited.

Society Held Membership Meeting on May 7th, 2017

Posted on May 13, 2017 by SamMay 13, 2017

Speaking at membership meeting about Lewis and Clark

The Williamson County Historical Society held its spring membership meeting on May 7th at the museum. Society projects both current and future were discussed. A show and tell was held during the meeting to allow members to talk about artifacts or items of historical relevance that they own and are knowledgeable of.

The guest speaker was Robert Swenson, a heritage preservation consultant and associate professor emeritus of SIU. Swenson gave an engaging program on Lewis and Clark in southernmost Illinois that was well received by the membership.

SIAM Meeting Held at WCHS Museum

Posted on May 10, 2017 by SamMay 10, 2017

A meeting of the Southern Illinois Association of Museums was held on Saturday, May 6th, 2017 at the WCHS museum in Marion. SIAM board members first held a board meeting and then a membership meeting. The program consisted of a presentation of museum preservation techniques by Susannah Munson, Curator of Anthropology at SIU Museum followed by a program by WCHS President Sam Lattuca who explained the evolution of the Public Land Survey System and how to read property descriptions. Eighteen members were in attendance.

New Resource added to Library Index

Posted on May 5, 2017 by SamMay 5, 2017

The index for the book Events in Egypt 1914 has been added to the Library Resource Index. The Events in Egypt book are newspaper extracts from Marion, Herrin & Carterville for the year 1914 and add over 4,000 entries to the Library Resource Index bringing its listings to 104,615 entries. Helen Lind of our society spent hundreds of hours accumulating this information and should be commended for her hard work and determination.