A Vist to Marion's past through Post Cards

Picture postcards from long ago, in their own special way,  have helped preserve our past history. 

Here are a just a few that tell of some of Marion's past history.

One of the older ones shows a picture of South Main Street.  The house on the left is the Wm. Barnett home built in 1911.   It is still there today, but the color is now gray. Today on the left of it would be Belt's auction realty and then Tabor's service repair station.

County Court Day in Marion was always a big day in the early 1900's.   Not just the monthly court meeting day, but a day of shopping and making a visit to Jockey lot, where mules and other farm animals were on hand for trading or buying, also many other farm and food items.  It was a big day for the merchants of Marion also, as with the large number of people in town, their stores would be busy all day. 

 

 This old post card gives us a glimpse of all the people that would be in town on County Court Day.  This picture would have been made on West Bellville St.  The building the men are on the porch and in the windows was the old Western Auto Store.   

Always heard of the big loads of lead and zinc that was located in the mines around Marion?  Especially in the Crittenden Springs area, as the Columbia Mines.  This picture made in 1902 shows a large number of loaded wagons being brought into Marion to be taken to the depot for unloading.  Such a wonderful post card as you can see the Farmers Bank on the left, and the Court House and Clerk's building a little farther down.  

 

Marion was as it's finest during these times.  Soon in a few years, 1905, the store on the right would all be burnt down in the great fire. 

 

This post card says "A Fourth of July Scene in Marion, KY."  It appears that the "blimp" may be what is popularly called an "exaggeration postcard" at the turn of the century.  The scene originally was a Fourth of July celebration that was turned into a more exciting event by an enterprising postcard publisher who superimposed "exaggerated" details for added interest and sales.

Some of the building on the right look somewhat familiar from other old pictures, but I haven't placed it for sure if this was is Marion, just exactly where it was made.