MARION - The Southern Illinois Tourism Bureau's new director hopes to apply his knowledge of history in the region to tourism development.

Jon Musgrave moved to the SI bureau from the Williamson County Tourism Bureau in May. He recognizes the impact wineries have made on area tourism over the last five years and is confident there are other untapped sources that can fuel the tourism industry, bringing new dollars to the region.

"Every town here in Southern Illinois has tourism potential," Musgrave said. "It's just a matter of knowing that town's story and developing that story."

Knowledgeable of the region's vast and sometimes violent history, Musgrave said it's his goal to market that history and make it attractive to families both in the region and outside the region looking for a new place to visit, and ultimately, spend money.

"People like dramatic history," he said. "Look how popular Pirates of the Caribbean has been, for example. That's one of the reasons why Pirate Pete's (video game center and restaurant) will soon be opening at the Illinois Centre mall. And Cave-In-Rock State Park was a home to pirates.

"In fact, there were several points along the Ohio River where pirates could be found. For us to be successful, we need to identify sites associated with ancient colonies of horse thieves, counterfeiters, outlaws and even pirates. We need to tie our colorful past with the present."

The son of Olie and Betty Musgrave, Jon is a Marion native, although he did graduate high school in Mount Vernon in 1987. He went on to obtain his bachelor's degree in business administration at SIUC and his master's degree in telecommunications there.

Now 39, Musgrave was a driving force in having the state look into reopening the Old Slave House in Equality as a historic site. It has been closed to the public since 1996.

He is also a former full-time and freelance journalist with the Marion Daily Republican and Harrisburg Daily Register. Musgrave has also authored and co-authored publications relating to historical events. Moreover, he also had dabbled in writing a monthly tourism newsletter for several years.

"I like preserving history and have always been interested in tourism," Musgrave said. "I served five months on the Williamson County Tourism Board before the position of director came open a couple of years ago."

Musgrave said he can't take full credit for growing the number of bookings at the pavilion. He had good help around him.

"It was a good learning experience for me and I am proud of what we accomplished in a relatively short amount of time. We eventually surpassed the number of bookings (300 plus) made annually by the Marion Cultural and Civic Center, for example, and worked hard on booking larger events."

Southern Illinois Tourism Board Chair Mary Ellen Abell said Musgrave is the right choice to lead the bureau.

"Jon has studied the historical facts of Southern Illinois as well as anyone and has written articles on that history," Abell said. "He's also been around tourism for years and has numerous contacts in the field. I think he is a fantastic pick for us."

Abell said Musgrave's networking skills with area tourism bureaus will only strengthen Southern Illinois' position.

"Jon can provide us with the stability we need, working toward our best interests. All of the tourism bureaus in the region want the same thing - increased tourism - and all work extremely well together."

Musgrave must now focus on more than Williamson County. The SI bureau presides over 22 counties.

"We are the liaison between the state and local bureaus," he said. "But I want us to be much more than that. I want to help grow Southern Illinois tourism. I want to find ways to bring dollars to every town in our 22 counties through marketing and development. Sure, it helps to be located next to an interstate, but people will travel if there is a reason to travel."

john.homan@thesouthern.com

351-5805