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T. VERNON. ILLINOISMARLOW SCHOOL 1896—First row, from left: Ira Bayne, Claude Stewart, Ha m Bruce, Alva Marlow, Will Brown, Earl Brown, Earl Pasley, Everett Bruce, Homer Feltz, Van Cleve Newton. Second row: Charles Stewart, Ida Stewart, Bertha Brown, Effie Brown, Jaustine Reece, Elva Scott, Eunice Howell, Myrtle Marlow, Emma Marlow. Third row: Willie Stewart, Stella Brown, Rosella Scott, Sylvia Parker, Susie Reece, Winnie Marlow, Leda Newton, Eunice Cummings, teacher, Letha Taylor, Ophelia Morris, Lily Howell, Della Newton, Min nie Scott, Bernie Massey. Fourth row: Neil Morris, Henry Cooprider, jJta Mun-roney, Susie Scott, “Bug” Howell, Fay Downey, Cora Reece, Esther Taylor, Net tie Downey, Quito Bruce, Kate Newton, Daisy Jackson, Mrs. Jude Howell, visitor. Fifth row: George Brown, Roy Stewart, Ola Bayne, Fred Morris, Leona Brown, John Reddix, Will Morris, Charles Gowler, Crete Gowler, Wilson Scott, Andrew Brown, and Mrs. Henry Brown, visitor.MadeRailroad, Ruined1/Hard Road//MARLOW-ONCE A BUSY LITTLE TOWN* *■By Lloyd R. DeWittI4L* %I ’/■Marlow still exsits as a little hamlet on the Southern Railroad between Mt. Vernon and Blu-ford. It still has a Methodist*»and a Baptist church, a town-house where people still vote, and a dilapidated store building, but no stores or business places. Like many other small towns, it was made by the railroad and ruined by the “hard road.”Prominent in its history are the Marlows from whom it got its name. James and Mary (May) Marlow, natives of Virginia, moved to Wilson county,Tennessee, and from there to Bullock Prairie near Mt. Vernon in 1828. Their twin sons, James and Abram, and another son Henry Settled in Webber township and raised their families there.Abram, called Squire Marlow, was a veteran of the Mexican and Civil Wars, and his brother, James was in the Civil War. Brother Henry might have gone too except that when he was a small boy his sister was playing with a hatchet. He put his trigger finger on the chopping block and dared her to cut it off. She did.The old Black Oak Ridge Methodist church about a mile and ahalf east of Marlow was built on Squire Marlow’s land about 1850, and he and his wife were charter members. School-o- -o- -o--O- -O- -0was also conducted in the old log church. Ed Staley of Blu-ford recalls that his father went to school there. There was no bell to call the pupils in from play, and the teacher summoned them by banging on the building with a picket.Black Oak Ridge School Started The old church has long been gone, but there is still a well-kept cemetery there where many of the Marlows and other pioneer settlers are buried. Later a Black Oak Ridge school house was built in the edge of the woods about a quarter of a mile from the church site. It had no bell, but the teacher usually had a hand bell to call the pupils. There was no well either, but the teacher would send one of the older boys to a neighboring farm house for a bucket of water. Since the school was in the woods, toilets were not considered necessary, but girls were instructed to take cover in one direction and the boys in the opposite one.Marlow got its start when the Old Air Line Rialroad (now Southern) came through in 1881. Mr. Staley recalls being told that there was a great drouth that year and that employment on the road was most welcome to the farmers. The road bed was of dirt and construction rather poor. There was a steep grade between Marlow and Blu-ford, and east bound trains withmore than twenty - five cars often had toruble. Sometimes they had to uncouple some of the car and leave them behind. Then the train would go onto the Bluford siding and the engine would go back to bring up the stranded cars.Give Land for TownThe land for the town of Marlow was given by Abram Marlow, John Scott, and Dr. J. H. Newton. According to Kate New ton Morris, daughter of Dr. Newton, Abram Marlow built a store building, two residences, and a grain house. He was the first merchant in Marlow, the first postmaster, and a justice of the peace.Alva Marlow, 85, of 1728 Main street, Mt. Vernon, remembers the blacksmith shhp which his father, James T. Marlow operated in Marlow and the car loads of apples which he bought and packed in barrels for shopping.There was a stock pen where stock were bought for shopping, and the Morris brothers operated a sawmill. Farmers made some money by hewing railroad ties which sold for a dollar or more apiece. Alva Marlow remembers well Bransf o r d Scott, the railway agent who had only one leg.Dr. Newton Prominent Besides the Marlow, Dr. Newton was one of the prominent men in Marlow’s history. In addition to practicing medicine he-o- -o- -o-had a big general store and also served as postmaster. He bought the store from Harlan Estes and moved his office a-longside of it and bult a porch across the two buildings. Dr. Newton was a resourceful man. Before moving his office he had to cross the street to get to it. When he got a bad knee injury and was confined to a wheel chair, he had a plank walk built across the road so that he could go back and forth to his office in his wheel chair.His son Walter and his daughter Anne did most of the work in connection with the management and operation of the store. The daughter, Mrs. Anne Newton Graves, is the only one of her family still living. She resides at Hickory Grove Manor, and though now 95 she remembers a great deal about the early days. Of the store she says, “It was a big, big, store, and we sold just about everything. It was a lot of work though. I would get to the store right after breakfast and work there all day.” Born in 1874, seven years before the railroad was built, she has some recollections of the events which she says was “the biggest thing that ever happened at Marlow, and all the men in the community could get jobs helping to build the railroad.”Business Fades from Marlow-o- -o- -o-Marlow droppd off and train service there was discontinued;with that gone and also the postoffice, Marlow became only a little agricultural hamlet.Among the older survivors ofthe Marlow family are Alva of Mt. Vernon and his brotherLloyd of Bluford, grandsons of James A. Marlow, and Rolla Marlow , grandson of AbramMarlow, and W. E. Marlow, , grandson of Henry Marlow, who still lives in the Marlowcommunity. »Alva is well known to many Mt. Vernon residents. After teaching in the rural schools for 10 years, he became a freight clerk at the L. N. depot here and was employed there for 37 years, retiring in 1956.AM Plans New,Smaller AutoAlthough Marlow was a very busy place in theold days, it probably never had a population of more than 40 in the village proper. When the highway between Mt. Vernon and Bluford was paved, business atDETROIT (AP) — American Motors will introduce a “totally new edition” to its line this fall, Board Chairman Roy D. Chapin Jr., announced Monday.Chapin said earlier the firm would introduce one “entirely new product every six months for the next three years” starting this fall.The car, to be called the Hornet, will be somewhat smaller than the company’s current small car, Chapin said. It is designed to compete in the compact and import car market.\* •V ‘I'-;t...'L'tI. .IPS'-h;-:-FOR FATHER-iT* *• ‘-Vi..’•v • ’m•tv-SHOES AREMARVELOUS GIFT IDEASNobil’s have over 200 styles here are just 3
Newspaper Details
Mt Vernon Register News
Mt Vernon, Illinois, US
Wed, Jun 11, 1969
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Ce B.
IL, USA 30 Jun 2023
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