Bloomington, Illinois

Wiki Article

Illinois' McLean County is home to Bloomington, a city and the county seat. Bloomington-Normal is the second-largest city in the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan region and is located next door to Normal. 135 miles southwest of Chicago and 162 miles northeast of St. Louis, Bloomington is the second-largest city in Illinois. The city's population was estimated at 78,680 people in the 2020 Census, making it Illinois' 13th most populous city and the state's fifth most populous city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area. Around 130,000 people live in the twin cities of Bloomington and Normal together. Illinois Wesleyan University and Illinois State University are located in the Bloomington region. State Farm Insurance and Country Financial both have their headquarters here, making it a convenient location for both.

Bloomington, a city in central Illinois, and the county seat of McLean County since 1830. It's roughly midway between Chicago and St. Louis, Missouri, and next to Normal, Illinois (to the north). For its wildflowers, the region was renamed Keg Grove in 1822 and then Blooming Grove. The town was called Bloomington when it was set out in 1831. A plaque commemorating Abraham Lincoln's famous "lost speech" against slavery, which he made in 1856 at Major's Hall in Bloomington during a conference to create the Republican Party in Illinois. An large part of the economy is focused on farming (especially maize) and livestock husbandry, as well as the manufacturing of farm seeds. The city is also a major producer of confectionery, including candies and vacuum cleaners.

During the early 1800s, the Kickapoo people lived in a large grove near the Bloomington area. Before the first European settlers came to the area, the Kickapoo people lived in the grove. On December 25, 1830, when McLean County was formed, Bloomington was chosen as the county seat. It came from the town of Keg Grove, which later became known as Blooming Grove.

McLean became a county when it was set up. The town of McLean became the county seat. Legislation, however, said that Bloomington would not be built until after the legislation was passed. James Allin, one of the people who wanted to start a new county, offered to give 60 acres (240,000 m2) of his land to the town. In the end, he agreed to the deal, and Bloomington was set up. A lot of it was sold at a noisy and well-attended auction on the 4th of July in 1831. At this time, there were few roads, but rich soils attracted new farmers who started farming in the new county. They did their business in the county.

Police found a fire in a laundry next to the old city hall and police station. There was a fire and he called the fire department. Most of the downtown was destroyed, especially the areas north and east of the courthouse, which were hit hard by the fire. George Miller and Paul O. Moratz, two architects in the area, quickly rebuilt the area that had been burned.

Bloomington's population increased steadily over the first two decades of the twentieth century. As Bloomington and its downtown area expanded, so did the agricultural industry, as well as the development of roads and railways and the expansion of the insurance industry (primarily State Farm Insurance). Trade from neighboring counties began to flow into the city's central business district. The power of labor unions increased.

Ray and Irene Denbesten established Denbesten Real Estate in 1977 in Bloomington, Illinois. Their daughter, Cathy Denbesten, is presently in charge of the business. You may reach them at (309) 6662-4228 if you need assistance with purchasing or selling a house.

The City of Bloomington and McLean County, Illinois, make up the fastest-growing metropolitan area in the state of Illinois. People in the area have grown 28% from 1990 to 2006. When the US Census Bureau did a special census of Bloomington in February 2006, it found that the city had grown by 15.7 percent in less than six years. This is where the fastest growth has been, though.

There were 34,339 homes in 2010, with 28.8% having children under the age of 18, 46.7 percent being married couples, 9.1 percent having a female householder without a husband, and 41.1 percent being non-families. Individuals made up 32.6 percent of all households, with 9.2 percent having someone 65 or older living alone. The average family size was 3.12 members, with a household size of 2.41 members.

The population of the city was diverse, with 27.3 percent under the age of 20, 9.0 percent between the ages of 18 and 24, 29.8 percent between the ages of 25 and 45, 23.8 percent between the ages of 45 and 64, and 10.2 percent above 65. The average age of the participants was 33. Males outnumbered females 95.4 to 100.

Families in the city made an average of $81,166, with a median family income of $58,662. The median income for men was $56,597, while the median income for women was $39,190. The city's average annual income was $32,672. 5.7 percent of households and 11.0 percent of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.6 percent of those under the age of 18 and 6.3 percent of those over the age of 65, respectively.

At the Bloomington Ice Center (formerly known as Pepsi Ice Center), the Bloomington Parks & Recreation Department operates an indoor public skating rink, which is 200 feet wide by 85 feet long. Recreational and competitive programs are available at the venue. Skate rental is also available as well as a snack stand.

When the Grossinger Motors Arena opened in 2006, it was called the U.S. Cellular Coliseum. It is now home to the Bloomington Edge of the Indoor Football League and used to be home to teams from the Central Hockey League. This rink has been home to the Central Illinois Flying Aces of the U.S. Hockey League since 2014. It also hosts some games for the club hockey team at Illinois State University and youth hockey programs in the area. In total, the Coliseum has more than 180,000 square feet (17,000 m2) of space. The Coliseum has a fixed seating capacity of 7,000, but it can hold more than 8,000 for special events. When the facility is used as a theater with a retractable curtain, it can be set up to seat 2,500-5,000 people in a more intimate way. As long as the Coliseum has been open, it has been used for a wide range of events, from concerts to family events and trade shows.

The Ladies' Library Association, which was founded in 1856, inaugurated the Bloomington Public Library in 1857. Book contributions and membership fees were the primary sources of funding for the modest library. The library moved to 105 West North Street in 1871. (which is now West Monroe Street.) The library reopened when local citizens contributed $1,100 to sustain it after it closed owing to a lack of money in 1880. On property provided by Mrs. Sarah B. Withers, the library moved into a new two-story facility at the intersection of East and Washington streets in 1888. The library was christened "Withers Library." in recognition of the contribution.

Citizens for a New Public Library forms a Friends of the Library organization in 1976 to lobby for bond approval to fund a new public library. The effort was successful, and the library reopened as "Bloomington Public Library." in 1977, at its present location at 205 East Olive Street. The library now provides a variety of public events, including a Bookmobile that distributes to local areas, which was initially introduced in 1926 as Library on Wheels.

Parks are open from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., alcoholic drinks and smoking are not permitted, and leashed dogs are permitted in all parks. Water spray parks, extensive playgrounds, miniature golf, baseball/softball diamonds, soccer fields, cricket grounds, and illuminated tennis courts are all common features of these establishments. Indoor tennis is available at the Evergreen Racket Club. O'Neil Park (west) and Holiday Park (east) include outdoor public swimming pools (east). Indoor pools are available at the YMCA, YWCA, and private fitness facilities.

Miller Park Zoo has a lot of different animals and zookeepers to meet. There are a Sumatran tiger, an Amur leopard, sun bears, reindeer, sea lions, red pandas, lemus, bald eagles, pallas cats and red wolves in the zoo. Wallaby WalkAbout and ZooLab are two of the many things you can see at the zoo. There is also a Children's Zoo, Animals of Asia, and the Katthoefer Animal Building. New to the Zoo is the Tropical America Rainforest, which is a new area.

East–west intersects north at Normal City Hall Annex and continues east to Towanda-Barnes Road. Beginning at Commerce Drive and ending at the Old Farm Lakes Subdivision, the Liberty Branch is Lincoln Street serves as the starting point of the Freedom Branch, which finishes at Route 9 West. There are many adjacent parking lots in the vicinity where you may park. Wheelchair and other non-motorized users are welcome on the path. The trail is available to walkers, runners and other non-motorized users. Skiers may use it if the snow isn't too deep and the weather cooperates throughout the winter months.

In 2007, as part of Illinois State University's 150th anniversary celebrations, the Genevieve Green Gardens at Ewing Cultural Center were dedicated. The late Bruce V. Green, an ardent gardener who pioneered the project with a generous $5.2 million contribution, was one of many architects and landscape designers that contributed to the arduous effort of developing the gardens. The gardens now include a new public entrance that leads to a formal plaza, the manor's entrance, a grass patio, a theater walk with enlarged walkways, and more plants.

The Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts is the focal point of the city's new Cultural District, which also contains the McLean County of Arts Center, a festival park in the works, and a creative center for arts education. Over two-dozen local performing arts groups call the facility home. The Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts hosts over 400 performances and community activities annually.

The famed theater architects Balaban & Katz, the original creators of the traditional cinema palace, built the initial 1,000-seat Castle Theatre in 1916. One of the area's most popular attractions for decades, the property has been demolished and replaced. A $1.5 million makeover has brought the Castle back to its former splendour. Live music, corporate, public, and private events may be found at the Castle nowadays.

An F-14 Tomcat, Bell Sea Cobra, and Huey helicopter are all on exhibit at the Prairie Aviation Museum.

The David Davis Mansion offers a glimpse into the life friend and mentor to Abraham Lincoln, David Davis, who served as a United States Supreme Court Justice and was a key component during Lincoln's bid for the 1860 presidential nomination. The Davis Mansion, completed in 1872, combines Italianate and Second Empire architectural features and is a model of mid-Victorian style and taste. His Bloomington home, which remained in the Davis family for three succeeding generations, contains the most modern conveniences of that era: a coal-burning stove, gas lighting and indoor plumbing. The David Davis Mansion is a historic landmark on the National Register of Historic Places.

More information

The house is a forerunner of today's contemporary residences and comfort systems, and it serves as a reminder of Illinois' historical significance during Abraham Lincoln's presidency. A customized Tea Ladies Inc. event at the estate may also be arranged.

An audio driving tour dubbed Lincoln's Bloomington and Normal, Illinois is offered by the McLean County Museum of History. Abraham Lincoln returns to the sites he previously visited on the CD-based audio tour to discuss their significance. Asahel Gridley, Lincoln's friend and a client in a defamation claim, was a friend and client in Lincoln's slander suit, as well as 14 other venues. The audio tour was written and performed by James Keeran and covers these locations:

Bloomington has two school districts. School District 87 serves the city's interior, with one high school (Bloomington High), one junior high (Bloomington Junior High), six elementary schools (Oakland Washington Bent Irving Sheridan Stevenson) and one pre-school (Sarah Raymond) (named for the first female superintendent for Bloomington).

A second district, McLean County Unit District No. 5, was created as a result of growth. Originally serving only suburban areas, including Normal, Unit Five now serves a majority of Bloomington-area students. Untiion Five runs two high schools, four junior highs, and many elementary schools. EJHS (George Evans Junior High School) was built in 2010 by Unit Five. On top of that, Unit 5 is planning to build two new elementary schools and a new high school in Bloomington by 2011.

The magnificent dome of the McLean County Museum of History serves as a landmark to identify the city's historic centre. The courthouse plaza is flanked by turn-of-the-century buildings, many of which have unique histories. Museums, banks, a legal and governmental center, residential living, a large artists' community, as well as a variety of specialty retail businesses and supportive services are all available to visitors. There are many restaurants to choose from, as well as a vibrant nightlife.