Hello Everyone, The Marion Civic Center (which used to be the old Orpheum theater) burned a few years back, along with the buildings that housed Bainbridge Jewelry & Boatright Electronics. That corner is now bare and awaiting a new Civic Center that is in the works. There is some type of business in the building where Cox's Hardware used to be. The Police Department is now in the old P. N. Hirsch bldg. The Bank of Marion is still in its bldg. I think Zwick's Shoe Store is still there. There are some businesses in most of the other buildings but I am not sure what they are as I am not on the Square very often because I don't live in the immediate vicinity anymore. I am pretty sure that S. Market is still brick, at least some of it. Beth Riley -----Original Message----- From: Jerry Mullins <[email protected]> To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Date: Monday, April 24, 2000 11:07 PM Subject: [ILWILLIA] Southern Illinois babble >Okay Bruce, > >Sports generate communications of memories..... all things, sports, wars, >loves, antidotes and reminiscing about days gone by generate history. >Some topics that might be fun... > >Remember when they tore down the Marion Court House? It was hotly contested, >some people wanted to save that old building. I think they were right. It >would have made a beautiful museum. The tower in the Plaza is impressive, >but it's not the face of Marion that I remember. To me it's still the Marion >Square. > >Progress. What a concept! > >Is South Market Street still a brick road? > >What has happened to the Square now? Are there still major stores there. I >remember Grants, Ben Franklin, Bainbridge Jewelers, the Dotty Shop, Hotel >State, Illinois Brokerage, the Bank of Marion and the Gem Cafe and the steak >house. The horror would be that all the stores move out to a mall and >downtown becomes nothing but thrift shops. I always thought that downtown or >uptown should be the heart of a city. > >I haven't lived there since the early 70s but it is still home to me. My >folks were founding families of Williamson County. > >Jerry Mullins >PO Box 733 >Colfax, CA 95713 >(530)346-1022 >Researching: NORMAN/BAKER/SANDERS/THAXTON/MANN/HOPKINS > WADKINS/MULLINS/GROVES/RODDEN/COOK/BLYTHE >My Web Page : www.geocities.com/heartland/plains/6649 >email: [email protected] > > > >