Piece of History: Marion upgrades its streets in 1914

This photo from The History Center collection shows workers repairing the brick pavement on Seventh Avenue in Marion in September 1914.

Cathcart Funeral Parlor & Furniture, at 1104-6 Seventh Ave., and the Daniels Hotel are seen in the background on the left side. The Commercial Bank building is seen in the background on the right.

The Marion City Council had voted to pave 10th and 12th streets between Fourth and Sixth avenues and to re-surface asphalt on other streets, for a total of 10 blocks.

The council also discussed adding additional boulevard lamps on Seventh Avenue between 11th and 13th streets and on 10th and 11th streets between Sixth and Seventh avenues. The council decided to have workers install electrical conduits beneath those streets before they were resurfaced.

Tara Templeman is curator at The History Center. Comments: curator@historycenter.org