WILLIAMSON COUNTY ILLINOIS

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Williamson County was established as an official county in 1839 and received it's name from the settlers who came from Williamson County, Tennessee. The area was known for its tall grass species that fed an abundance of game including elk, buffalo, bear, wolves, and upland game birds.

Williamson was once a part of Franklin County located to the North. After a vote by the people, the single county became two. Selecting a site as close to the center of this new county as possible, the town of Marion was built to serve as the county seat.

The history of Williamson County includes some of the most violent tales of murder and gangland activity. Reporters who descended on this Southern Illinois community to cover the "Herrin Massacre Trial", labeled it "Bloody Williamson". The first bomb dropped on United States soil was in Williamson County when members of the Shelton gang flew over the Charlie Berger roadhouse and tossed three dynamite "bombs" at the Shady Rest. The only one to explode did little damage.

The reason most residents call Williamson County home is the large number of small communities that foster friendship and high Christian values. The community has adopted the more "southern style" of living of both knowing and helping your neighbor. The mild winters make this an ideal retirement community.

A local radio station also gave the area the name "Big Lake County". A series of lakes, most of which are located in the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Preserve, makes Williamson County an ideal vacation spot for boating, camping, and fishing.

To lean more about the history of Williamson County and the Sheriff's Department, visit the Williamson County Area Museum at 105 South Van Buren Street in Marion. The museum is the former office and jail.

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