Better Build By Boston

One of the old respected businesses in Marion  in the 1900s, and for many years later, was the J. N. Boston and Sons Lumber Company.

J. N. Boston, the senior member of the firm, J. N. Boston and Sons, was born January 21, 1863, at Hillman's Rolling Mill near Eddyville, Ky.  

In 1899 he ventured for the first time into the furniture business.  The next year he made his start into what has since developed into a prosperous lumber and building business.  

In 1903 he had a successful lumber, planning mill and contracting business.

Soon his elder son, Maurie N. Boston, joined the firm and was the head of the architectural and contracting division, and the younger son, Ted, was in charge of running the busy office.

Some of the larger local buildings for which they  had contracts for were:

• The First Baptist Church, a brick building that was at the time it was built, one of the nicest in town;
• The Methodist Church, the largest of its kind in the county;
• The Farmers Bank and Trust Company building, which won favorable comment as being an outstanding, one of its kind;
• The E.J. Hayward home;
• The James H. Orme home
• The Thomas H. Cochran home
• The L. H. James business buildings
• The A. M. Shelby building
• A new addition to the Masonic Lodge building
• The Woman's Club building, which has become known as one of the most modern buildings of its sort in the state
• Fohs Hall, a $1000,000 building, that has been pronounced by experts as one of the most beautiful building of its kind in Western Kentucky

 The First Baptist Church in Marion, just one of many that was built in 1907 by Bostons and Sons.

It's still a beautiful church today.

 

 

 

Plus outstanding buildings in other counties; the High School at Sturgis, Ky, the Christian and the Cumberland Presbyterian Churches in Sturgis, two new bank buildings at Morganfield, and the combined Catholic school and church at Waverly.

The Boston and Sons Lumber Company left a legacy for generations to come by the outstanding buildings that they constructed during their lifetime.

John Noble Boston died Oct. 1939, at the age of 77.  Son Maurie N. died in 1968 and other son, Ted, died Nov. 17, 1990.  All are buried in Mapleview Cemetery.