WH Wileford brought the first printing press to the county about the year 1838, and upon the organization of the county, and for years thereafter, he did all the official printing. In 1850 he established and published the Literary Monitor, a few niles southeast of Marion. The Marion Intelligencer, a Democratic paper was established at Marion in 1854; the Democratic Organ in 1860 and the Marion Star in 1866. The first Republican paper, Our Flag, was published in 1866; the following year the Old Flag, a Democratic paper was published, and the next year (1868) The People's Friend, a Democratic paper, came out. Then in 1872 the Williamson County Progress, Republican, was published; in 1873 the Farmers' Advocate, Independent, came out; the following year it was merged into the Marion Democrat, and the next year (1875) into the Egyptian Press, which is still beging published, at present by the stanch Denocrat JF Connell. It is a large 32 coulmn newspaper, ably edited, and well sustained by the people of Wmson Co. The Marion Monitor, Republican, was published in 1874, and in Feb 1887, its name was changed to The Leader, which is now published by The Leader Printing Compnay, and edited by Rhea and Mitchell--the latter being deputy county clerkm and an officer in several socities above noticed. JP Copeland, an ex-Federal soldier and officer, is the foreman of the printing department. The Leader is a 48 column Republican newspaper, ably edited, and is well patronized by the people of the county. The Independent was published a few months during 1886 by TJ Helton. The Binder was established in Nov 1886 in the interest of the Farmers' Mutal Benefit Association. It is ably edited by AM Palmer.
Marion was first incorporated in 1851, and was reincorporated in 1856, and again in 1873, it was incorporated as a city under the general law of the State. The present officers are Brice Holland, mayor; Ed J Mitchell, clerk; Shannon Holland, treasurer; JV Grider, marshal; JF Connell, police magistrate; LD Hartwell, attorney; and Alderman R Borton, Ed Gallagher, Joseph Fozard, SS Ireland, JL Adams and DA Davis. Marion has not been infsted with saloons for several years last past, but arrangements are now being made to open them, and before this reaches the reader they will probably be in operation. Marion contains from 1200 to 1500 inhabitants.