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Bloomington

A Community in Conflict

17 items

1855
Between 1850 and 1855, Bloomington’s population more than doubled from 1,600 to 5,000. Many of these new residents were Irish and German immigrants, who were traditionally hearty drinkers. Judgements regarding the morality of drinking were subjective, and highly dependent upon an individual’s cultural background. When disagreements occurred, the outcome could be violent.

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1862
By the time the Civil War began, views on slavery in McLean County had become predominantly anti-slavery. But there were still those who supported slavery.

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1870
Who had the power to vote? Many women in McLean County believed that they, like men, should be ...

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1871
In 1871, Martha and Henry Crow wanted their children to get as much education as possible.

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1874
In 1874, the temperance women of Bloomington worked hard to get an ordinance passed that would prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages.

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1880
Some women were determined to achieve success in the career of their choice. Those who succeeded still faced prejudice and discriminatory pay practices.

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1907
After securing local voting rights in 1891, area suffragettes worked to expand those rights—even as others continued their efforts to keep women from voting.

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1917
In 1917 Bloomington-Normal’s street railway workers were unhappy about their pay and the number of days they worked per week. They organized a union to consolidate their power, hopeful that change would happen.

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1919
During the late 1800s, Black people in McLean County were provided with equal access to public facilities and accommodations. But in the early 1900s, Jim Crow segregation dramatically increased in Central Illinois and Black people were increasingly treated as second-class citizens.

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1931
Many people lost their jobs during the Great Depression, making survival difficult. Local leaders established a relief office from which donations of cash, food, fuel, and other supplies were distributed to the unemployed and needy. But some demanded more.

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1964
Well into the 1980s, women were generally not considered qualified or physically capable of holding a police or firefighter job.

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1965
Low income residents faced challenges when it came to home ownership. Their treatment by government officials made it nearly impossible for them to improve their circumstances, and sometimes made their situations worse.

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1966
In 1965 the Bloomington-Normal NAACP decided it was time to challenge how the community viewed local businesses that discriminated.

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1969
Local residents held diverse views on whether American military forces should be involved in the Vietnam War. As the war progressed and it became more evident that victory would not be easily achieved, tensions rose.

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1970
Despite new civil rights laws, discrimination still existed in Bloomington schools.

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1984
Members of McLean County’s gay and lesbian community faced discrimination, hateful rhetoric, and physical harm long before the Town of Normal or the City of Bloomington began to consider adding sexual orientation to their discrimination ordinances.

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1994
On December 15, 1994 Diamond Star Motors (DSM) was slapped with a lawsuit charging the company with sexual and racial harassment and discrimination.

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Articles

95 items

illustration of a light skinned man with short wavy light colored hair and a long, thick mustache. A rifle is pictured along the bottom of the image along with the words

Adam Bogardus, world champion wing shot
In the fall of 1875, at a shooting tournament in Bloomington, champion marksman Adam H. Bogardu...

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The top image was taken from the Livingston office building at the corner of Main and Washington streets, so the view is looking north. The second image shows the Comet perched on the roof of C.W. Klemm’s, a locally owned department store once located on the north side of the courthouse square.

Airship pays visit to downtown Bloomington in 1910
For Bloomington, the age of aviation arrived on September 14, 1910. On that date, a one-man air...

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A light-skinned man stands in a dark plaid 3-piece suit, tie, and hat. He's outdoors, with grasses and trees in the background. He has both hands in his pocket. Superimposed on the photo is a booklet title

Area’s deadliest cholera outbreak in 1855
During the summer of 1855, cholera swept through Bloomington and outlying communities. It was o...

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Illinois State Normal University’s Cook Hall gymnasium, seen here in September 1946, provided temporary housing to newly enrolled World War II veterans awaiting the completion of off-campus federal housing units.

Back to school 1946 meant return to normalcy
The start of 1946-1947 school year, coming as it did a full year after the end of World War II,...

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Before railroads, stage lines crisscrossed the prairies
One of the more striking modern day conveniences we take for granted is the ease of long distan...

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a yellow paper and faded print shows a dog with his mouth open, tongue hanging out. He has dark fur that is wavy, thick all the way down to his furry paws. He has floppy ears. He has four legs in this image. Below the image of the dog it says

Beloved ‘Rags’ rode the rails to local fame
The story of “Rags” is proof that most everyone loves a shaggy dog story, especially those of t...

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shortstop Bing Cosbey attempting to beat out a second-inning grounder

Bloomers had some success against big league clubs
On Jun. 23, 1916, the minor league Bloomington Bloomers hosted the major league Chicago White S...

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16 light-skinned men gather for a photo. All of them are in baseball uniforms and ball caps, with exception one man who is in a button-up white shirt and tie, no hat. On the border of the image each man is identified. One younger looking man in the lower center was possibly the ball-boy and not a player, he has a different uniform.

Bloomers photo features bevy of big leaguers
A single photograph can open a door into a lost world. This Bloomington Bloomers team photo, fo...

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A yellowed image shows a large three-story school made of brick. it has multiple chimneys, and a fence around the perimeter of the grounds. Blurred human figures can be seen on the sidewalk, they are moving and come across as translucent in this image. A few branches of a tree can be see on the right, they are completely bare. A small amount of snow appears to be on the ground.

Bloomington schools integrated decade after Civil War
Although racially segregated schools are associated with the “Jim Crow” Deep South and the Civi...

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This engraving, “Observatory of the Canadian Eclipse Expedition, at Jefferson City, Iowa,” appeared in the Oct. 9, 1869, issue of The Illustrated London News. These Canadians traveled to Iowa in order to view the total solar eclipse of Aug. 7, 1869, which was visible over much of Central Illinois.

Bloomington witness to 1869 total solar eclipse
Illinois became the nation’s 21st state in 1818, meaning next year will be the Prairie State’s ...

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portrait of a man wearing a baseball uniform getting ready to catch a baseball. He has bare hands extended in front of him, and is leaning on his right leg, left leg bent in the air behind him.

Bloomington’s Cliff Carroll 19th century baseball standout
With Major League Baseball’s spring training well underway in the warmer, sunnier climes of Flo...

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Bloomington’s Fifer Bohrer first state Senator
As thoughts this month turn to newly elected leaders assuming office, it’s a fitting time to lo...

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Bloomington’s Oakland School a modernist architectural gem
The post-World War II era marked a dramatic evolution—if not revolution—in the design of school...

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Bloomington’s oldest park turns 165 this week
“How pleasant it is, immediately after the noontide hour of a hot summer’s day,” mused The Pant...

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BroMenn donation speaks to 125 years of community service
Carle BroMenn Medical Center has undergone one transformation after another since its modest be...

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Buck Mann Park hidden west side gem
Tucked away on Bloomington’s far west side, Buck Mann Park is one of the lovelier, out-of-the-w...

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Campaign to aid Britain comes to Bloomington
On Dec. 5, 1940, two of Bloomington’s favorite sons returned home to call upon Americans to sup...

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The Bloomington Bloomers pose for a team photograph at Fans Field during their 1919 pennant-winning Three-I League season.

Catcher’s mitt tells story of big leaguer ‘Butch’ Henline
The collections of the McLean County Museum of History include some 20,000 objects, and everyon...

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This undated photograph offers a fine view of Leonard “Baby” Bliss, Bloomington’s celebrity “fat man” of a century past.

Celebrity life of ‘Baby’ Bliss mired in tragedy
One of the more beloved local figures from Bloomington’s rich past is Baby Bliss, the city’s re...

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A man kneels, inserting an American flag next to a grave stone in a cemetery.

Central Illinois final resting place for once-enslaved persons
The stain of slavery pervades the American experience, dating well before the nation’s founding...

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Flying Wards in their East Emerson Street practice barn

Circus train wreck takes life of local aerialist Jennie Ward
This week marks the 100th anniversary of the horrific Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus train wreck, one...

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Community Christmas ‘sing’ once annual event
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the cancellation of countless holiday gatherings, school pagea...

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Community fund drive kept C&A Shops in Bloomington
Local and state governments often offer incentives to keep existing businesses or attract new o...

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Courts offered women few protections in cases of rape
Rape was the “least-reported, least-prosecuted, and least-punished” of crimes in the 19th centu...

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A light-skinned woman with blonde hair holds a young child. The woman has a big smile on her face and is looking straight at the camera. She is inside a home. The baby has a head full of hair and has his mouth open.

Cousin Emmy had deep ties to Bloomington
Cousin Emmy, a pioneering female country music artist affectionately known as “the first hillbi...

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This 1938 photo shows 22-year-old Cuban catcher Chico Hernandez, then the best player for the hometown minor league Bloomington Bloomers.

Cuban ‘Chico’ Hernandez star of 1938 Bloomers
Well before Jackie Robinson broke the Major League Baseball color line in 1947. Latin Americans...

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Charles Stephenson Jr., a Central Illinois Art Exposition committee member, eyes several canvasses being readied for hanging.

Depression-era art show one for the ages
In the spring of 1939, area residents flocked to the Bloomington Consistory to gaze upon painti...

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Donated Vrooman letter speaks to wartime loss
Faced with the enormity of the Second World War, it’s often difficult to put a human face on th...

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two light skinned women with short wavy hair stand next to each other looking at the camera. Amelia has a friendly closed-mouth smile and is wearing a long-sleeved black dress with large white collar. Next to her, Brenneman is wearing a dark dress with sheer sleeves.

Donation illuminates Earhart’s 1936 visit to Twin Cities
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the McLean County Museum of History to temporarily cl...

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Early African-American doctor faced segregated Twin Cities
African-American physician Eugene G. Covington came to Bloomington about 1900 to open a medical...

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A large group of people, mostly dressed in coats and hats, are inside the mall. In the middle of the crowd is a light-skinned man wearing a suit speaking into a microphone. There is a small gazebo-like structure behind him. To the left is Woolworth's, with a sign in the window that says

Eastland Mall transformed Twin Cities
“A shopping trip takes on all of the glamour and excitement of the space age when you visit the...

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Emancipation Day once Black community’s July 4th
In the years before the Civil War and for several decades afterward, Bloomington’s African-Amer...

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dozens of people are in this image, all standing looking towards the camera. Dirt is in the foreground, as well as a large steamroller. In the background is a two-story brick building, homes, trees, and utility poles. Many men are holding buckets and shovels.

First brick street in U.S. myth endures in Bloomington
At the southwest corner of the Courthouse Square, near the intersection of Center and Washingto...

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a dirt trail meets water, surrounded by trees and bushes

For pioneers, river crossings sometimes matter of life and death
Of all the hardships faced by pioneers, the danger of crossing swollen rivers and creeks is one...

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Four Burger brothers served in World War I
This past week marked the 100th anniversary of the American entry into World War I, though for ...

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Great Epizootic of 1872 ravaged the horse population
Bloomington’s streets were eerily quiet for several weeks in late November and early December 1...

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Harry Forbes, champion boxer, once made Bloomington home
Regarded as one of the greatest pound-for-pound boxers of his era, world bantamweight champion ...

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Harvey Hogg early martyr to Union cause
The Civil War was a brutal, decidedly unromantic slog. By its cruel end, as Ulysses S. Grant an...

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Highland Park Golf Course site of old German brewery
A Brief History of Meyer Brewing by Bill Kemp...

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two men stand next to a pail, with a salvation army sign

Holidays bring turbulent year of ’68 to a close
Fifty years ago this week, December 1968, fast-approaching Christmas and New Year’s afforded ma...

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Hollywood Legends Brought Local Author’s Novel to Silver Screen
Bloomington writer Harold Sinclair always looked a little out of place, whether it was standing...

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Located at the corner of Madison and Monroe streets in downtown Bloomington, this building served as the McLean County jail from 1882 to 1977.

Homemade Christmas dinner once a McLean County jail tradition
“Unfortunate souls who spend Christmas Day in the county jail will at least have a tasty dinner...

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lithograph of bee hive

Honeybees sweetened 19th century life in Central Illinois
In November 1887, a poor local honey harvest led The Pantagraph to predict scarce inventories a...

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ISU held racially segregated spring dances in the 1930s and ’40s
The racial climate throughout the United States deteriorated steadily in the first quarter of t...

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The two giant Santas looming over the entryway to local retailer Livingston’s can be seen in this circa late 1950s photograph.

In 1955, downtown Bloomington 'dressed in holiday style'
Back in 1955, Bloomington was less than half its current size, toys were still made in America,...

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Located at the corner of Roosevelt and Front streets, the Bloomington Coliseum was the Twin City's premier venue for indoor baseball. This fieldhouse-type building was torn down in 1961. The advertisement in the upper right appeared in the Feb. 7, 1908, Pantagraph.

Indoor baseball once popular winter pastime
Part of baseball’s attraction as the National Pastime is the sport’s inextricable connection to...

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Santa's

Intrepid Pantagrapher paid visit to Santa’s North Pole
In 1897, 8-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon famously wrote the New York Sun newspaper to ask if that ...

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Julia Vrooman brought jazz to WW I doughboys
“Julia Scott Vrooman has always been in the news,” noted The Pantagraph in early October 1976. ...

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“In appearance the grand master suggests the banker or the prosperous businessman,” it was said of Patrick H. Morrissey. “In height he is about 5 feet 10 inches, weighs perhaps 185 pounds, wears a mustache and hair that is reddish in hue, and possesses a pair of blue eyes that can see things and understand.”

Labor leader product of west side railroad shops
Born and raised on Bloomington’s west side, Patrick Henry Morrissey became a national labor lea...

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An active shot of a tackle being made on the football field. in the foreground is a man dressed in regular clothing, holding a stick.

Last local Corn Bowl held in 1953
Sixty-six years ago this week—Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, 1953—a disappointingly small crowd was...

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Lightning a menace, past and present
On May 20, 1897, a heavy afternoon shower accompanied by a “brilliant electrical display” passe...

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Local abolitionists faced rage, mob violence
Rev. Levi Spencer came to Bloomington in April 1844, and it’s no exaggeration to say that his n...

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Local tractor company never gained traction
“More from the soil, with less toil” was the promise of the Illinois Tractor Co., which for a f...

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color illustration of a very tall and narrow memorial, towering over trees and flowers in the park.

Long-gone Franklin Park monument dedicated 150 years ago
On June 17, 1869—150 years ago this week—area residents packed Bloomington’s Franklin Park to d...

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May Christian, forever her own woman
“I was always too independent,” Bloomington resident Annie May Christian confided in a remarkab...

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Memorial tablet honors ‘Great War’ dead
One hundred years ago today, November 11, 1918, the guns in Europe fell silent after more than ...

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Million-dollar cartoonist got start in Bloomington
Although nearly forgotten today, Bloomington-born artist Sid Smith was a towering figure in Ame...

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Oxen the original ‘work horses’ of the prairie
Before the introduction of draft horses and then steam and gasoline-powered tractors, oxen prov...

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Pantagraph reporter turns sci-fi writer
You might’ve missed it, but Thursday, Nov. 10, marked the 50th anniversary of the first airing ...

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Bloomington resident Florence Fifer Bohrer (1877-1960) was the first woman to serve in the Illinois State Senate. She was first elected in 1924, four years after passage of the 19th Amendment

Passage of 1920 suffrage amendment end of long struggle
On August 26, 1920, U.S. Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby signed into law the 19th Amendment...

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through the haze there is a crumbled brick building, some fascade still stands but most of the brick building is rubble on the ground.

Portable Elevator plant closed in 1987
In the spring of 2018, Canadian agricultural equipment manufacturer Brandt Industries began ass...

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President Johnson receives ‘stern rebuke’ from locals in 1866
There’s plenty of handwringing these days over the corrosive effects of political polarization....

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6 men are in this photograph, two standing at a contraption with hoses attached. The floor is wet.

Project to mark firefighter graves lesson in history
As part of a Memorial Day observance last month, active and retired Twin City firefighters plac...

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Although of poor quality, this is the only known photograph of the Pullman Strike of 1894 as it unfolded at the Union Depot on Bloomington’s west side. Note all the idle Pullman coaches and sleepers. Marooned passengers found various ways to while away the hours. Riders on a Pullman sleeper attached to a C&A limited spent much of July 3 — “all the afternoon and all the evening till midnight” — singing popular songs of the day, such as “Sweet Marie,” “John Brown’s Body” and “In Old Madrid.”

Pullman Strike left Twin Cities at standstill
On July 3, 1894, area residents flocked to the Chicago & Alton Railroad on Bloomington’s we...

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aerial view of the shops

Railroad shops center of deadly 1920 typhoid outbreak
For much of its first 100 years, Bloomington’s formerly unreliable water supply threatened to h...

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Railroaders’ library once west side hub
Many longtime Twin City residents will remember long-gone Withers Library, located at the corne...

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Regan stands in the middle of the photo surrounded by women

Reagan’s conservatism forged during years with GE
U.S. President Ronald Reagan was no stranger to Bloomington-Normal, though most of his visits o...

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This woodcut, appearing in an April 1869 advertisement, represents the only known interior image of Frederick Niergarth’s Academy of Music.

Short-lived performance hall once city’s finest
For a few years after the end of the Civil War, the Academy of Music was Bloomington’s most ele...

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This carte de visite portrait dates to 1864.

Sojourner Truth spoke in Bloomington
One hundred and forty years ago this week, on Sept. 18, 1879, the incomparable Sojourner Truth ...

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Solar superstorm awes locals in 1859
It was known as “the week the sun touched the earth.” In late August and early September 1859, ...

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a large crowd is seen in front of Ensenberger Furniture store and the W.B.READ & CO buildings.

Spirits high for Depression-era Christmas
During the 1936 Christmas season, Americans faced an Ebenezer Scrooge writ large — the hard tim...

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The Bloomington standpipe towered over the city between 1876 and 1912. For 36 years, it was the tallest structure in the Twin Cities.

Standpipe once towered over Twin Cities
For 36 years, from 1876 to 1912, the tallest structure in the Twin Cities wasn’t a downtown Blo...

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Stevenson faced anti-U.N. mob in 1963
On United Nations Day 1963, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Adlai E. Stevenson II didn’t come back ...

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The Stipp house as it looked sometime in the latter half of the 19th century. When it came down in 1904 or shortly thereafter, it was the oldest house in the Twin Cities — older even than Bloomington itself.

Stipp house was Bloomington’s oldest
For many years, a dilapidated wood frame residence on the east edge of downtown Bloomington off...

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TV’s early years included short-lived Bloomington station
Strange thought it may seem, in the early, golden days of commercial television there was an AB...

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14 light-skinned men stand and sit for a photograph. They all appear to be old, some elderly.

Taps for last Bloomington Civil War veteran in 1940
Today the median age of Korean War veterans is 88 years old, and as the ranks of these old sold...

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Thrilling World Series captivated nation back in 1926
Football, it’s been clear for several decades now, is the national pastime, having assumed the ...

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Turbulent times at 19th century Bloomington hotel
The Ashley House, Bloomington’s largest hotel from the Civil War until its fiery end in 1900, h...

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Turner Hall lost monument to German pride
More than a century ago, Turner Hall was the cultural hub of Bloomington’s large and influentia...

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Twin Cities once hosted own Chautauqua
“The most American thing in America.” That’s what Theodore Roosevelt said of the Chautauqua mov...

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Undertaker’s invoice window into Bloomington’s rich past
As a not-for-profit institution, the McLean County Museum of History depends on the generosity ...

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Virtual cemetery walk showcases amazing Florence Funk
The not-for-profit McLean County Museum of History celebrates local history in all its complexi...

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WW I home front featured French-Belgian relief
The War to End All Wars, as the First World War was once called, brought out the best and the w...

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13 children and young adults sit on a long bench at a table. The table has a white table cloth and place settings for each person. One man is at the head of the table, wearing a bow tie. A woman stands behind the table in a dress. They are all looking at the camera, many of the children are smiling. All of the people in the photograph are African American. The walls appear to be lightly-painted brick.

Washington Home couple worked ‘through the heart’
“Cooks and counselors, painters and referees, they are also mom and pop to up to twenty childre...

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Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad passenger train rumbling through Bloomington's west side.

West side Subway Club earned notoriety in late ’50s
Try as he might, Bloomington Mayor Robert McGraw could not close the Subway Club, an afterhours...

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This Susan B. Anthony portrait dates to 1870, the same year she participated in the women's suffrage debate in downtown Bloomington.

Women’s suffrage debate captivates Twin Cities in 1870
On August 26, 1920, U.S. Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby signed into law the 19th Amendment...

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1947 Halloween party at the Day Nursery, 1320 W. Mulberry St.

‘Angel of the West Side’ met daycare needs a century ago
Ah, the good old days when all fathers were breadwinners and all mothers were homemakers. Well,...

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During her second visit to the Twin Cities, April 6-7, 1936, famed aviator Amelia Earhart visited the Bloomington Municipal Airport (now the Central Illinois Regional Airport), where she flew on The Pantagraph’s very own airplane, dubbed “Scoop.” Seen here, left to right, are Louis B. Merwin, Earhart, and Louis’ sons, Loring and Davis. At the time, Loring Merwin was president of the newspaper.

‘Aviatrix’ Amelia Earhart twice visitor to Twin Cities
This July will mark the 80th anniversary of Amelia Earhart’s mysterious disappearance in the Ce...

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‘Black Devils’ earned fame in WW I
During World War I, several dozen Bloomington-Normal residents fought in an African-American re...

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A woman with light skin, curly hair pulled back, a lacy white collar, and white high-collared dark blouse

‘Dr. Mrs. Keck’ battled male-dominated medical establishment
Back in the 19th century when miracle pills, plasters, creams, powders and tonics promised to c...

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aerial view of BHS under construction

‘New’ Bloomington High opened in 1959
Although it may be hard to believe, the current Bloomington High School is nearly six decades o...

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‘Pop’ Horton organized campus circus fraternity in 1929
Today marks the 38th anniversary of the death of Dr. Clifford E. Horton, one of the titans of I...

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postcard showing model of Spanish style home exterior

‘Spanish craze’ of 1920s left imprint on area architecture
American residential architecture has long favored dominant English-inspired styles. When most ...

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‘Trolley Days’ raised funds for the underprivileged
“Let the slogan of the day be, ‘Ride for Charity,’” announced the Jul. 6, 1911 Pantagraph. “Lea...

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‘Welby and Pearl,’ minstrel act with local roots
For the better part of four decades, friends Jacob Welby Bucher and Charles Carroll Fell of Blo...

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Blog

169 items

200 Block W. Washington St. Downtown Bloomington, 1965
This photograph, taken from the roof of The Pantagraph building in March 1965, shows a row of f...

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300 Block North Main Street May 1937
This lovely Depression-era view of a bustling downtown Bloomington shows the east side of the 3...

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An Old Master returns home ‘Doc’ Bradshaw, July 19, 1962
Kenneth “Doc” Bradshaw, one of the more accomplished pianists to come out of the Twin Cities, r...

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And the rockets' red glare … Independence Day, Miller Park, 1957
Fourth of July fireworks at Bloomington’s Miller Park have been a local holiday tradition for s...

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Armistice Day, 1945 Courthouse Square, Bloomington
Veterans Day was first known as “Armistice Day,” which goes back to November 11, 1919, the firs...

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Artist and Author Visit Bloomington May 1948
Artist Bob Hooton (left) and writer Dan Wickenden, both fresh from an extended stay in the Cent...

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BHS Student Lounge May 1948
Bloomington High School students Wanda Rust (right) and Margaret Schlemmer work on murals in th...

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BPD’s Rogues Gallery August 1947
Bloomington Police Chief Clyde Hibbens (left) and Officer James Daley examine some of the 1,600...

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Backstage, Majestic Theatre Bloomington, undated
This undated photo shows Bill Dorothy (left) and James “Pop” Tucker working the backstage area ...

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Be of Good Cheer Livingston’s, Early 1950s
Seen here from the early 1950s is Livingston’s, the gone-but-not-forgotten local department sto...

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Better Babies Conference May 1929
The Pantagraph and Second Presbyterian Church, Bloomington, sponsored a three-day “Better Babie...

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Big 4 Valley Storm Sewer Project Mid-1930s, Bloomington
During the Great Depression an infusion of federal dollars through New Deal “alphabet” agencies...

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Bloomington Author Wilson Tucker Book Signing, October 1947
This late October 1947 photo shows Arthur Wilson “Bob” Tucker signing copies of his latest myst...

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Bloomington Boys Visit Wrigley Field September 13, 1947
Back on September 14 we showed another photo from this day when four Bloomington Junior Legion ...

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Bloomington Creamery 104 S. East St.
This undated view shows Bloomington Creamery on the 100 block of South East Street. We’re not s...

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Bloomington Fire Station No. 2 214 W. Washington St., c. 1883
The south side of the 200 block of West Washington Street is seen here about 1883. That’s the t...

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Bloomington High Aegis staff October 1954
Several weeks ago we ran a photograph from a set of 1954 negatives showing the staff of Aegis, ...

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Bloomington High from Above June 1963
“New” Bloomington High School, which opened four years earlier, is seen here in a June 1963 aer...

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Bloomington Municipal Airport Terminal, April 1964
The period from Wednesday through Sunday around Thanksgiving is usually the busiest travel time...

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Bloomington Municipal Airport June 20, 1941
This aerial view of Bloomington Municipal Airport (now Central Illinois Regional Airport, or CI...

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Bloomington’s Federal’s ‘electronic brain’ January 1963
Bloomington Federal Savings & Loan Association claimed to be the first financial institutio...

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Bloomington’s far west side Undated aerial
At the time of this photograph, Funk Bros. Seed Co. operated the grain silos and complex of bui...

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Book Lover in Seventh Heaven May 1968
Retired schoolteacher Elsa Schilling found a quiet corner of Withers Public Library hoping to f...

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Brown’s Business College, 1930 526-530 N. Main St., Bloomington
Brown’s Business College, a chain of schools established by G.W. Brown of Jacksonville, offered...

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Bzzzz! June 30, 1938
William Knuth, a laid off boilermaker and hobbyist beekeeper, was called to the Darling Poultry...

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Carrie Behrend Retires February 1, 1958
After 33 years with C.W. Klemm’s, a locally owned department store in downtown Bloomington, Car...

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Christmas 1953
On December 25, 1953, The Pantagraph ran a series of Christmas Day photographs such as this one...

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Christmas Seals, 1937
Richard Young, a Bloomington High School student, is seen here showing an enlarged reproduction...

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City Hoosegow September 1938
Old Bloomington City Hall, located at the corner of East and Monroe streets downtown, included ...

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Cotton’s Village Inn 401 N. Main St., Bloomington
Melton “Cotton” McNabney and his wife Millie took over management of this downtown eatery in 19...

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Country Club Place, Bloomington Berenz Home, September 1933
This aerial, taken by The Pantagraph’s very own news plane “Scoop,” shows the Henry C. and Carr...

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Courthouse Square, Bloomington East Side / Main Street, Late 1970s
This colorful view shows the 200 block of North Main Street in the late 1970s. All of these bui...

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December Sleigh Ride, 1963
These young women appear to be having the time of their lives. Unfortunately, we do not known t...

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Downtown Bloomington September 1938
This view of downtown Bloomington looks north. The foreground includes a good look at the old c...

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East Grove Street, Bloomington July 1956
Phillip Hogan (on bike) chats with Marty Weigman is this summer of 1956 scene along East Grove ...

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East Side Exodus, November 1966 Penney’s to Eastland Mall
On November 10, 1966, JCPenney moved into the still under-construction Eastland Shopping Center...

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East Washington Street 200 Block, Circa 1956
Seen here is the north side of the 200 block of East Washington Street about 1956. Partially vi...

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Easter Lily Sales March 1958
Here’s a group of Y-Teens from the Bloomington YWCA, March 29, 1958, selling Easter lilies in t...

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Emerson School, Bloomington March 1976
Built in the early 1900s, Emerson School was demolished in 1985. Designed by prominent Blooming...

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Esquire Theatre, circa 1944 Downtown Bloomington
There aren’t too many known photographs of the Esquire Theatre, 108 N. Madison St., Bloomington...

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Eureka Williams aerial June 1966
This summer 1966 view of the near southeast side of Bloomington, looking east, offers a wealth ...

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Excuse me, comin’ through May 1968
On May 22, 1968, workers removed a roof off a gas station being dismantled at the corner of Lee...

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Extra! Extra! Read All About it! BHS student newspaper, 1954
The Aegis is Bloomington High School’s longtime student newspaper. Here’s chief photographer Bo...

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FDR in Bloomington October 14, 1936
On October 14, 1936 President Franklin Delano Roosevelt campaigned in Bloomington. FDR’s whistl...

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Face-off! Angler’s Club, Bloomington January 1938
The hockey players are Davis Carson, Marvin Bower, Ray Smith, Laurie Rasmussen, Tom Walsh, and ...

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Fans Field, South Bloomington Aerial, 1938
This photo recalls the Bloomers, Bloomington’s professional minor league team that played in th...

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Fifth annual Corn Belt Coin Show July 14-15, 1962
The two-day Corn Belt Coin Show in July 1962 was held at the Illinois Hotel (now Illinois House...

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Flag Day, 1948
Local Girl Scouts hoist Old Glory at Forrest Park in south Bloomington in preparation for Flag ...

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Franklin Park’s new evergreens April 1958
In the spring of 1958, the Bloomington-Normal Garden Club planted a series of evergreens at Fra...

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Free range … no more! City Hall booking, March 30, 1958
Bloomington Police officer Robert Shepherd (left) books a startled hen on accessory charges. Th...

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Future Flying Farmers? Bloomington Municipal Airport, 1953
The McLean County chapter of Flying Farmers offered free airplane rides to some 70 moms and dad...

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Hawkins Studio & Camera Shop 100 N. Center St., Bloomington, undated
In the summer of 1965, Joseph G. Hawkins Studio & Camera Shop of Bloomington relocated from...

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Ho ho ho Livingston’s Santas, 1940s
From the 1940s to the mid-1970s, A. Livingston & Sons in downtown Bloomington hoisted two g...

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Holiday Shopping Downtown Bloomington, December 1953
Seen here are shoppers out and about downtown Bloomington in mid-December 1953. This location, ...

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Holiday Shopping 1932 Downtown Bloomington
Back in the 1930s downtown was the place to go for all your holiday shopping. This snowy Depres...

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Home Sweet Home Mission, 1923 1006 W. Washington St., Bloomington
Home Sweet Home City Rescue Mission (now known as Home Sweet Home Ministries) has provided “foo...

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Hot Times on in Downtown Bloomington June 19, 1949
This early summer scene shows a crowd gathered outside the Western Union office on the 200 bloc...

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I beg to differ … Waterloo v. Bloomers, July 6, 1938
From 1901 to 1939, Bloomington was home to the Bloomers of the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League. He...

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Illini Coach Ray Eliot, 1942 Young Men’s Club luncheon
On February 10, 1942, new University of Illinois head football coach Ray Eliot (that’s Eliot wi...

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Illinois Bicentennial flag raising kicks off year of programs
The State of Illinois will celebrate its 200th birthday on Dec. 3, 2018. To help kick off a yea...

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Inaugural Bloomington Flight Ozark Air Lines, Nov. 6, 1950
The holiday season often means hectic times for those traveling by air. Commercial air service ...

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Independence Day 1964 Miller Park, Bloomington
For well over a century, Miller Park on Bloomington’s west side has served as home to many the ...

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Irvin Theater, Bloomington Circa 1958
The Irvin was the Twin City’s premier movie house for much of the 20th century. Located on the ...

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Irvin Theatre, June 1938 202 E. Jefferson St., Bloomington
Opened in 1915 as the finest movie house in the Twin Cities, the Irvin (or at least its marquee...

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Labor Day in Bloomington Circa 1920
Bloomington’s first Labor Day parade was held on September 7, 1891, three years before the day ...

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Lea Kallish Fashionable Hats, 1959
On February 8, 1959, The Pantagraph featured photographs of local women wearing the latest in f...

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Local Guardsmen Head to Chicago June 1938
On June 20, 1938, about 40 members of Bloomington’s 2nd Battalion, 108th Quartermaster Regiment...

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Lost Bloomington South End of Downtown
This undated aerial photo shows the six blocks bounded by Front, East, Olive, and Madison stree...

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Lucy Orme Morgan Home Washington St. Party, Aug. 1949
On Aug. 29, 1947, a group of young girls from the Lucy Orme Morgan Home in Bloomington (formerl...

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Mackinaw River catch, July 1940 Boolman residence, Bloomington
Chester Boolman, 820 W. Washington St., shows his 21-month-old son Melvin a 15-pound catfish he...

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Majestic Theatre, Bloomington May 1937
First opened in 1910, the Majestic Theatre was located at the corner of East and Washington str...

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March of Dimes Coffee Day January 1953
UPDATE: The waitress' last name is actually McGath, and the restaurant pictured is the Tas...

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McLean County Fairgrounds Old East Side Location, Undated
This site, Illinois Route 9 just east of what would become Veterans Parkway, served as home for...

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McLean County Fairgrounds, 1956
Who remembers the old fairgrounds off Veterans Parkway? Back in 1955, the McLean County Farm Bu...

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Memorial Day 1936 Downtown Bloomington
The McLean County Legion Drum Corps, debuting their new uniforms, march south down Main Street ...

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Memorial Day 1964 Park Hill Cemetery, Bloomington
The Twin Cities and surrounding communities have honored their war dead since the first local D...

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Memorial Day tradition Poppy Sales, May 1938
The local Veterans of Foreign Wars John H. Kraus post prepares for its 17th annual poppy sale i...

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Men with Hats Passenger Service Inaugurated Old ‘Bloomington’ Airport, 1931
The first Bloomington Airport was actually located several miles north of Normal and featured a...

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Miller Park Beach July 1941
For decades Miller Park beach was the most popular spots in the Twin Cities to cool off during ...

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Miller Park Fishing Season Underway June 1938
Fishing at Miller Park on Bloomington’s west side has been a time-honored local tradition since...

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Miller Park and Bloomington’s West Side Undated Aerial
This undated view, looking north, shows Miller Park and much of Bloomington’s west side as seen...

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Mobile Home Living, Bloomington Catherine Heineman, January 1953
By 1953, there were at least 10 mobile home parks with a combined 165 “trailers” in the Twin Ci...

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Model-Paris, 1938 Downtown Bloomington
Back in 1938, Model-Paris Launderers & Cleaners had two location in the Twin Cities: 208-21...

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Municipal Workers on Strike May 1968
Bloomington’s public service employees responsible for garbage pickup and cleanup work staged a...

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Museum Launches Contest to Color Upcoming Mural of Lincoln's Lost Speech in Downtown Bloomington, Illinois

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Museum Saving Santa, Bringing Back a Beloved Central Illinois Christmas Tradition
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, two in fact, right here in McLean County. The 14-foot Sa...

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Museum Square Becomes First Site for International Artist EMEMEM's U.S. Debut
If you're walking along the east side of the Museum Square, you might see a glimmer of som...

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Mystery Snow Scene - Mystery Solved!
UPDATE: This scene looks north where Clinton St. approaches Oakland Ave, then jogs left to cont...

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National Air Mail Week May 1938
Art Carnahan (left), manager of the Bloomington Municipal Airport (now Central Illinois Regiona...

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National Bank of Bloomington Drive-In 400 block East Washington Street, c. 1970
Much of what’s seen here is long gone, lost forever to the wrecking ball. The view is the 400 b...

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Navajo Tap Room and Coffee Shop Illinois Hotel, Bloomington, circa 1943
The Illinois Hotel, located on the northwest corner of the Courthouse (now Museum) Square, surv...

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New Two-Way Radios Bloomington Fire Department, 1953
The BFD tried out its new two-way radio system in late August 1953. Seen here are Fireman Rober...

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On Your Mark . . . Street Sledding, December 31, 1946
Who says there aren’t hills in Central Illinois? These youngsters took advantage of the chilly,...

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Ozark Air Lines Touches Down Bloomington Municipal Airport, Nov. 6, 1950
An estimated 200 area residents were on hand at the Municipal Airport (now Central Illinois Reg...

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Pantagraph Expansion, Circa 1935 Madison and Washington streets Downtown Bloomington
By 1935, The Pantagraph had outgrown its 1887 home. Construction of new and expanded quarters b...

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Parking meters perplex motorists Downtown Bloomington, May 1941
Parking meters were first installed in downtown Bloomington in February 1940. By the following ...

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Patrol Boys Confab, January 1946 Franklin School, Bloomington
Some 140 patrol boys from nine Bloomington public schools gathered at Franklin School on Januar...

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Paving, 400 block North Main Street June 1938
Workmen with local contractor Berenz & Son lay asphalt down the 400 block of North Main Str...

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Penney’s Readies Eastland Store November 9, 1966
J.C. Penney opened in the new Eastland Shopping Center (now Eastland Mall) on November 10, 1966...

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Photo of the Week 19: New Deal Rally, September 1933
In September 1933, during the dark days of the Great Depression, Bloomington hosted a parade an...

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Photo of the Week, 103: Broadview Mansion Bell Tower, November 1939
For nearly 75 years the Broadview Mansion bell tower has served as a local landmark. Bloomingto...

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Photo of the Week, 10: “A Full House” at “The Wesleyan,” November 1924
Mostly everything in the Museum's collections have been donated by people who like to save...

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Photo of the Week, 116: We Shall Overcome, October 1965
On Sunday, October 24, 1965, demonstrators from Illinois State University marched along Main St...

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Photo of the Week, 120: Carl Loeseke’s Homing Pigeons, 1938
Seen here is Bloomington restaurateur Carl J. Loeseke tending to many of his homing pigeons at ...

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Photo of the Week, 125: Coachman Motel September 1962
The Coachman Motel opened on January 30, 1961, at 406 E. Washington St., on the eastern edge of...

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Photo of the Week, 126: ‘Fab Four’ in Bloomington, 1950
The Beatles didn’t arrive in the U.S. until February 1964, but some 14 years earlier Bloomingto...

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Photo of the Week, 128: Dog Days of Summer Miller Park, 1937
Oh where oh where did the summer go? That’s a common refrain heard around these parts as we ent...

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Photo of the Week, 14: Bent School Graduates, June 1938
Graduation season is upon us! Seen here are 1938 graduates of Horatio G. Bent School on Bloomin...

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Photo of the Week, 15: Play Ball!
Seen here is the Junior American League baseball team sponsored by J. Stern Furniture Co,. som...

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Photo of the Week, 20: Grocery Shopping in the Great Depression
Seen here is a 1935 photograph of the Nierstheimer Bros. grocery store at 428 North Main Street...

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Photo of the Week, 21: Kadgihn’s, downtown Bloomington, 1921
For about a decade, from the mid-1910s to the mid-1920s, Herman Kadgihn ran a newsstand and cig...

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Photo of the Week, 22: A Little Off the Top
Not much is known of this curious scene other than the fact that the chimpanzee is from the Mil...

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Photo of the Week, 23: World War II Drinking Fountain Flows Once More!
On October 19, 1948, the local Pearl Harbor chapter of the American War Mothers dedicated a dri...

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Photo of the Week, 25: Et tu, Brute? “Julius Caesar” at the Consistory, 1931
Long before the 1978 inaugural season of what would become the Illinois Shakespeare Festival (h...

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Photo of the Week, 26: On Your Mark, Get Set, Go!
Olympic Speedster Jesse Owens Visits Bloomington Famed Olympian Jesse Owens visited Bloomington...

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Photo of the Week, 27: Shhhhh!
Many a “seasoned" citizen well remembers Withers Library, which stood at the northeast cor...

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Photo of the Week, 28: Waaaaaa!
Newborn Nursery, St. Joseph's Hospital, Bloomington 1929. Seen here are Sisters M. Eligia ...

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Photo of the Week, 29: Blue Collar Bloomington
Hayes-Custer Stove Company, 1933. The Hayes-Custer Stove Co. was located at the northwest corne...

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Photo of the Week, 30: Gertrude Fifer and Grandson Joe Bohrer
Unitarian Church, Downtown Bloomington Easter Day 1932, Seen here are Gertrude Lewis Fifer and ...

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Photo of the Week, 3: C.U. Wiliams and Son Co., 1914
This photo of C.U. Williams and Son Co., 207 E. Washington St., Bloomington, dates to 1914. It ...

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Photo of the Week, 5: Beich Employees Packing Whiz Bars
This undated photograph shows Paul F. Beich Candy Co. employees packing Whiz Bars, a marshmallo...

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Photo of the Week, 69: Ready, Set, Go!
Bloomington High School baseball team, 1947The district champions charge off the bench for a wa...

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Photo of the Week, 70: A Real Animal House
Although both Illinois State and Illinois Wesleyan universities have their share of fraternitie...

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Photo of the Week, 77: That's a Hair-raising Experience!
In mid-September 1939, The Pantagraph ran a photo essay on the University School of Beauty Cult...

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Photo of the Week, 83: Swiped Bell Returned to Redbird Roost, September 20, 1967
Back in the 1960s when Illinois State University and Illinois Wesleyan University still played ...

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Photo of the Week, 8: Ike Sanders "Up, Up and Away"
This week's photo comes from the Museum's Bloomington-Normal Black History Project Co...

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Photo of the Week, 92: Thanksgiving in the Great Depression, 1938
On the evening of Wednesday, November 23, 1938, the day before Thanksgiving, the Young Men'...

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Photo of the Week: Dolls On Parade O’Neil Park, July 1939
The once-annual O’Neil Park doll parade on Bloomington’s west side prepares to get underway, Fr...

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Pillsbury House The Wrecking Ball Looms
This undated photograph was taken not too long before this historic house, a mix of Second Empi...

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Pony Giveaway Courthouse Square, August 1947
On Saturday, Aug. 23, 1947, Bloomington merchants staged a promotional drawing on the west step...

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Private Joe’ Fifer Laid to Rest August 8, 1938
Seen here are pallbearers bringing the casket of Joseph “Private Joe” Fifer into the old downto...

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Red, White, and Kaboom! Independence Day 1941
Nine-year-old Tommy Roberts of Bloomington stocks up on fireworks for the July 4, 1941 festivit...

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Remember the Fallen
McLean County has long honored its war dead. In 1869, local officials saw to the erection in th...

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Roller-Skating messengers State Farm Insurance, summer 1940
Fayne Hoobler (left, on skates) delivers mail to Dorothy Thompson on the sixth floor the State ...

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Santa No Replacement for Mama Downtown Bloomington, December 4, 1948
Santa arrived by train to Bloomington on December 4, 1948, and spent much of the day greeting c...

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Santa and His Six (?) Reindeer Bloomington Christmas Parade, 1929
The December 3, 1929 Christmas parade in Bloomington featured Santa Claus, six marching bands, ...

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Santa at the Courthouse Square Downtown Bloomington, 1948
On December 4, 1948, Santa Claus arrived in Bloomington via the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroa...

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Santa on Parade December 1948
On December 5, 1948, Santa arrived in Bloomington via the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad. Fro...

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Sinoark’s ‘Frontier Room’ Opens October 1959
Located at the junction of South Main Street and the Route 66 Beltline (now Veterans Parkway), ...

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Slitherin’ no more Mystery Pic, 1958
This fascinating photograph is a mystery to Museum staff. The only thing we’re sure about is th...

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Smell that Smoke! Cecil Cone’s Barbecue, May 1953
In early May 1953, former Bloomington Mayor Cecil Cone brought past and present city officials ...

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Snow-shrouded Bloomington, undated 200 Block E. Jefferson St., north side
None of these buildings are standing today. This is all surface parking for Second Presbyterian...

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Spooktacular 1957 Jefferson School, Bloomington
The Jefferson School PTA held an all-family Halloween party on October 28, 1957. Seen here are ...

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Spring Training Illinois Wesleyan, early March 1942
Spring training for Major League Baseball clubs began this week. In this early March 1942 scene...

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St. Joseph’s Hospital, Bloomington Under Construction, circa 1967
This circa 1967 aerial looks northwest. That’s under-construction St. Joseph’s Hospital in the ...

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That’s Why They Call It Six Points Outer Bloomington, Early October 1933
What was once the far southwestern edge of Bloomington is seen here in this 1933 aerial. The vi...

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The Iceman Cometh … but for how long? June 1957
Once a common sight in windows throughout the Twin Cities and beyond, ice carts were becoming a...

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The Local Road to ADA Accessibility

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The Tilbury Flash on display at Central Illinois Regional Airport
The McLean County Museum of History’s largest artifact, the Tilbury Flash racing plane, has off...

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Thompson’s Restaurant, Undated 208 N. Center St., Downtown Bloomington
A longtime fixture on the west side of the Courthouse Square, Thompson’s Restaurant welcomed lo...

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Unfinished Business Interstate 74 , October 1965
This aerial shows Interstate 74 under construction southeast of Bloomington in the fall of 1965...

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Unitarian Church of Bloomington 209 N. East St., undated
Bloomington has a rich Unitarian tradition. Seen here is the old Unitarian Church in downtown B...

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University School of Beauty Culture September 1939
Margarette Scott’s beauty school was located on the 400 block of North Main Street in downtown ...

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Valentine’s Day 1947 Raymond School, Bloomington
The Pantagraph ran this photograph on Valentine’s Day 1947—nearly 70 years ago. Seen here are R...

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Veterans Day, 1958 McLean County Courthouse Lawn
Veterans Day ceremonies have been held on the lawn of the old McLean County Courthouse (now the...

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Vroom, vroom
This undated photograph shows a Pantagraph motorcycle and sidecar at the corner of Madison and ...

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Waiting for the wrecking ball, 1971 200 block South Main Street
These buildings, located on the west side of the 200 South Main Street, were demolished in the ...

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We're Special! -- The MCMH Library
It's National Library Week, which means libraries across the country are celebrating the p...

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What a View!
The McLean County Museum of History occupies the old county courthouse in historic downtown Blo...

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What’s Your Favorite Flavor?
July 19, 2015 was National Ice Cream Day. For many years Bloomington-based Laesch Dairy provide...

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When Paperboys Were … Boys Pantagraph Carriers, May 1929
These lively lads were earning a life’s worth of lessons as Pantagraph paperboys back in the sp...

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Whites-only beach Miller Park, Bloomington, July 1940
From the 1910s into the 1950s, there were racially segregated beaches at Miller Park. The much ...

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Wilder Field, IWU July 1938
Illinois Wesleyan University's Wilder Field was built with Works Progress Administration (...

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Woops! Roller-skating messenger State Farm Insurance, summer 1940
More than a week ago we posted a photograph from this set. Here’s another one. At the time, Sta...

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‘Craig’s Wife,’ February 1947 Community Players, Bloomington
On February 6 and 7, 1947, Community Players Theatre staged the domestic drama “Craig’s Wife.” ...

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‘Fancy Pants’ Gets a Trim April 1946
This April 13, 1946, scene shows Bloomington veterinarian Dr. Fred H. Conover giving a warm wea...

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‘Modernistic’ Main Street July 1939
This Standard Oil Co. service station, 1507 South Main Street, Bloomington, opened on July 29, ...

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‘Old School’ Public Transportation Twin City Streetcars Date to 1867
The week of September 2, 2015 marked 148th anniversary of the first official run of the Bloomin...

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‘Private Joe’ Fifer Memorial Day 1934
The gentlemen in the center is Joseph “Private Joe” Fifer of Bloomington, who served as Illinoi...

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Farming in the Great Corn Belt

5 items

1853 to 1899: Diversified Farming
From 1850 to 1900, the typical McLean County farmer made a living as a diversified farmer, grow...

Digital Exhibit

1900 to 1945: Tenants and Labor
The purchase of mechanized tools, like tractors and harvesters, increased equipment costs for t...

Digital Exhibit

Frontier Resources
The rich prairie soil was not the frontier farmer's first choice — the dense root systems ...

Digital Exhibit

Marketing Crops and Livestock
The methods used to transport McLean County farmers’ crops and livestock, as well as the distan...

Digital Exhibit

Marketing Our Crops
Illinois farm leaders looked to Europe and other parts of the world after WWII in order to expa...

Digital Exhibit

Finding Aids

82 items

Bach, William
William R. Bach, son of William and Sophia (Koehler) Bach, was born December 10, 1871 in Bloomi...

Finding Aid

Beich Collection
Born in Wehlau, East Prussia in 1864, Paul Frank Beich received his early education at Culm whe...

Finding Aid

Bennett, James W.
James W. Bennett was born in 1942 and lived in Canton, Monticello, and Bloomington, Illinois as...

Finding Aid

Bloomington Cemetery Association
The Bloomington Cemetery Association (BCA) was a private stock corporation that operated the Bl...

Finding Aid

Bloomington Gold (Corvette Show)
In 1973, the first Bloomington Corvette Corral event took place.  By 1977, the Bloomington Corv...

Finding Aid

Bloomington High School
This collection contains ephemera, newspaper clippings, course guides, handbooks, and programs ...

Finding Aid

Bloomington High School Class Reunion
This collection contains reunion programs and alumni lists for classes of 1930, 1936, 1937, 193...

Finding Aid

Bloomington History Club
The History Club of Bloomington was founded in 1880 as a group of women who would meet monthly ...

Finding Aid

Bloomington Public Schools
The collection includes sorority histories, anniversary programs, bylaws, membership booklets, ...

Finding Aid

Bloomington Rotary Club
The Bloomington Rotary Club was organized in 1915.  From the beginning, the Rotary Club members...

Finding Aid

Bloomington School District 87
Bloomington School District began on February 17, 1857, with “An Act to Establish and Regulate ...

Finding Aid

Bloomington, Illinois Aviation 1920, 1930, 1940
Aviation buff Marion McClure donated these materials which he used in compiling a 1998 book ent...

Finding Aid

Bloomington-Normal Garden Club
The Bloomington-Normal Garden Club was formed in 1931, originally part of the Art Association. ...

Finding Aid

Bloomington-Normal Junior Women’s Club
Women’s Clubs began to form in 1890 when the General Federation of Women’s Clubs organized. Ill...

Finding Aid

Bracken Family
William Kerrick Bracken (1865-1947) was a Bloomington lawyer and Lincoln historian. At his deat...

Finding Aid

Carlock, W. B.
William B. Carlock was a prominent Bloomington attorney, member of the Free Masons and member o...

Finding Aid

Children and Elders Forest
Children and Elders Forest was formed in 2005 in Bloomington-Normal for charitable and educatio...

Finding Aid

Clarke, Marguerite E.
Marguerite E. (Dobson) Clarke (1916-2007) was a lifelong resident of Bloomington. She received ...

Finding Aid

Community Players
In 1923 a women's club met in Bloomington and discussed creating a group to perform some a...

Finding Aid

Corn Belt Bank
The Corn Belt Bank was organized December 2, 1891 by General John McNulta, J.T. Snell, and A. S...

Finding Aid

Corn on the Curb 2000
Corn-on-the-Curb, inspired by Chicago’s “Cows on Parade” in 1999, was conceived by Mayor Judy M...

Finding Aid

Custer, Milo
Milo Custer was born in 1879 to Samuel and Lucinda Parker Custer. Before settling in Bloomingto...

Finding Aid

David Davis Mansion
This collection includes the materials relating to the David Davis Mansion State Historic Site,...

Finding Aid

Davis Correspondence
This collection contains photocopies of correspondence from / to David and Sarah Davis from / t...

Finding Aid

Delphi — Bloomington Chapter
Founded in 1930 as a business woman’s civic group, the Bloomington Chapter of Delphi was part o...

Finding Aid

Dimmitts Grove Neighborhood Association
Dimmitt’s Grove is one of Bloomington’s oldest neighborhoods. The Neighborhood Association, for...

Finding Aid

Dunn, Betty Hinckle
Born in Peoria in 1909, Elizabeth “Betty” Hinckle grew up in Peoria and later in Bloomington. H...

Finding Aid

Ensenberger Building
G.A. Ensenberger and Sons had become a successful retail furniture store in Bloomington.  Altho...

Finding Aid

Ensenberger Furniture Store
The Ensenberger Furniture Store Collection sheds light on the activities of this Bloomington co...

Finding Aid

Espey (Pharmacy)
The small, brick building at the northeast corner of Main and Front streets is one of the earli...

Finding Aid

Evans, J. Harwood
John Harwood Evans (1899-1976) was born in McLean County and grew up in Bloomington.  Born of W...

Finding Aid

Family Circle (Pantagraph Employee Newsletter)
The collection includes both loose and bound copies of the Family Circle, a Pantagraph Employee...

Finding Aid

Fell Collection
The Fell Collection includes information about the lives of brothers Jesse W. Fell, Kersey Fell...

Finding Aid

Fell Family
Jesse W. Fell was a Bloomington, IL businessman and landowner. He is also known for founding of...

Finding Aid

Franklin Park
Franklin Park (also known as Franklin Square) was donated by David Davis, William F. Flagg and ...

Finding Aid

Frazier-McCulley
Ron Frazier and Tom McCulley were one of the early openly gay couples in Bloomington. Together ...

Finding Aid

General Electric
General Electric opened in Bloomington in 1955 at 1601 GE Road in then-rural east Bloomington. ...

Finding Aid

Hayden Murray
Born in 1906, Charlotte Murray wed Bloomington-born Thomas Hayden in 1933, after he had lost hi...

Finding Aid

Helm, Grover C. (National Bank of Bloomington)
This collection consists of a series of scrapbooks put together by Grover C. Helm, who wrote mo...

Finding Aid

Hubbard Family
The Hubbard family, consisting of Silas (father), Juliana (mother), Charles (son), and Hannah ...

Finding Aid

Illinois Tractor
The Illinois Tractor Company was in business in Bloomington for a brief period, likely between ...

Finding Aid

Independent order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) Cornerstones (1886 & 1900)
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows is a fraternal, service-based organization that had its be...

Finding Aid

International Tapetronics Corp
Formed in 1969 in Bloomington, Illinois the International Tapetronics Corporation (ITC) tasked ...

Finding Aid

Irvin, Clarence E.
Clarence Edgar Irvin owned and operated several Bloomington theaters.  He was the founder of Ir...

Finding Aid

Iseminger Ford
Floyd Iseminger (1879-1980) was born and lived his entire life in Bloomington. He quit high sch...

Finding Aid

Kingsley—McElroy Collection
Lorraine McElroy was born in September 1869 in Pennsylvania, the daughter of James and Emily Mc...

Finding Aid

Klemm’s Department Store
C. W. Klemm came to Bloomington in 1873 after having spent five years in Springfield, IL in the...

Finding Aid

Knife & Fork Club
Knife and Fork Club International is a social dinner club with chapters in cities across the Un...

Finding Aid

Lincoln School
This collection consists of a series of albums and notebooks relating to Abraham Lincoln Elemen...

Finding Aid

Martin Luther King Jr Awards Program — Human Relation Commissions
The Martin Luther King Jr Awards program is an annual event sponsored by the Bloomington Human ...

Finding Aid

Mau, McCoy, & Haskell
Helmuth and Augusta Mau came to the United States from Germany in the 1890s.  The Maus settled ...

Finding Aid

McLean County Courthouse 4 Preservation Collection
The McLean County Courthouse was built between 1900 and 1903 after the Great Fire of June 1900....

Finding Aid

McLean County Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument
The McLean County Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, dedicated in 1913, is located at Miller Park...

Finding Aid

McLean County Telephone Co.
The McLean County Telephone Co. was organized in spring 1898 with F.Y. Hamilton as its manager....

Finding Aid

Merwin
A Bloomington native, Loring C. Merwin served as publisher of the Pantagraph for over three dec...

Finding Aid

Miller Park
This collection contains various newspaper articles associated with Miller Park, programs from ...

Finding Aid

Miller, George
George H. Miller (1856 - 1927) was one of eight children born to German immigrants in Bloomingt...

Finding Aid

Murray & Carmody Funeral Home
Frederick E. Murray, undertaker, opened his funeral or memorial home at 914 N. Main Street, Blo...

Finding Aid

Pantagraph
The first newspaper in the area was the weekly Bloomington Observer and McLean County Advocate ...

Finding Aid

Pantagraph Printing
The Pantagraph Printing and Stationery Company originated as the printing department of the Dai...

Finding Aid

People’s Bank
The Peoples Bank was first incorporated in March 22, 1869, with George W. Parks as President an...

Finding Aid

Portable Elevator
The company was started in 1898, located at the corner of Grove and McClun streets in Bloomingt...

Finding Aid

Pratt, Awadagin
Awadagin Pratt was born in Pittsburgh in 1966.  He began studying piano at the age of six.  Whe...

Finding Aid

Reiner - Bennett
Bloomington-born William C. Reiner (1882-1945) worked as an upholsterer for the Alton Railroad ...

Finding Aid

Scharf, Emmett Electric Co.
Emmett – Scharf Electric Co. opened for business on April 20, 1922 with Fred Emmett as the elec...

Finding Aid

Selk, Mary
Born in Peoria, Mary Ellen Selk (1921-2023) graduated El Paso High in 1939, attended Illinois W...

Finding Aid

Steak N Shake
Steak n Shake was founded by Gus Belt in Normal in 1934.  He converted a gas station / chicken ...

Finding Aid

Stevenson, J.B. Letter Book
J.B. (James Bell) Stevenson (1838-1890) was the third of at least seven children of John Turner...

Finding Aid

Stickrod’s Drug Store
According to Bloomington-Normal city directory listings, Elmer H. Stickrod established a drug s...

Finding Aid

Tau Epsilon Delta
In January 1931, Louise Muxfeld organized a group of Bloomington High School girls into the Gam...

Finding Aid

Thoms and O’Neil Families
The collection contents indicate the Thoms family lived in the area as early as 1883, with Carl...

Finding Aid

Tick, Irving Bloomington Human Relations Commission
Irving Stanton Tick (1928-2011) was born in Bloomington, Illinois and was a 1951 graduate of th...

Finding Aid

Turners in Bloomington
William “Bill” Adams (1927-2013) grew up in a family which participated in the Turner organizat...

Finding Aid

Union Asbestos & Rubber Company (UNARCO)
In 1950, Chicago-based Union Asbestos & Rubber Company (UNARCO) established a manufacturing...

Finding Aid

Vietnam Moving Wall
Several organizations present a "Moving Wall" -- a scaled down replica of the Vietnam...

Finding Aid

Vrooman
Carl Schurz Vrooman, son of Hiram and Sarah Buffington Vrooman, was born in Macon, Missouri, Oc...

Finding Aid

Vrooman Mansion - Theora Stark
The collection includes an array of materials relating to Mansion and to the Vrooman family. It...

Finding Aid

Wilson, Harrold B. Collection
Harrold Braden Wilson was born June 13, 1904, in Weldon, Illinois, and died June 3, 1991, in Bl...

Finding Aid

Withers Home
When Sarah B. Withers died in 1897, she left her home at 305 West Locust Street in Bloomington,...

Finding Aid

Wood, Lois Postcard
This is a collection of over 250 postcards collected by Lois Wood over the years to show life i...

Finding Aid

Young Men’s Club
Materials in the collection include club introductory information, several versions of the cons...

Finding Aid

Young, Fred H.
Fred H. Young (1892-1980) was born September 21, 1892, in Normal, and graduated from Illinois W...

Finding Aid

Oral Histories

11 items

Beth Echeverria

Oral History

Caribel Washington
Caribel Washington lived most of her life in Bloomington.  She graduated from Bloomington High ...

Oral History

Ethel Murray
Ethel Murray was born in Lincoln. She remembers a childhood relatively free from racial prejudi...

Oral History

Howard and Elaine Bell
Early Bloomington family, WWII veteran, Depression era history, Elaine was active in community ...

Oral History

Irene Barnes

Oral History

Jesus Villaneuva

Oral History

Lucinda Posey
Pre-Civil war Bloomington family, Dir. of Medical Records (Brokaw Hospital), community & ci...

Oral History

Lucy Woosley

Oral History

Roy and Delores Shavers
Melody Gospel Choir, African-American business in Bloomington & Clinton, St. Mary's Ca...

Oral History

Sarita Mendiola

Oral History

Vincenta "Esperanza" Cornejo

Oral History

Publications

10 items

1867 Bloomington, Illinois (Bird's-eye view)
Library of Congress...

Publication

1917 City Directory
This directory contains addresses and names of businesses and residents in Bloomington and outl...

Publication

1919 City Directory
This directory contains addresses and names of businesses and residents in Bloomington and outl...

Publication

Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Bloomington, McLean County, Illinois 1886

Publication

Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Bloomington, McLean County, Illinois 1892

Publication

Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Bloomington, McLean County, Illinois 1896

Publication

Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Bloomington, McLean County, Illinois 1901

Publication

Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Bloomington, McLean County, Illinois 1907

Publication

Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Bloomington, McLean County, Illinois 1950

Publication

Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Bloomington, McLean County, Illinois 1953

Publication

Speakers Bureau

1 item

German Brewers in Bloomington, IL 1859-1920

Speakers Bureau

Websites

3 items

A History of Founders Grove in Maps
By Rochelle Gridley...

Website

Bloomington, Illinois 1838
by Rochelle Gridley...

Website

QR Code Smart Phone Tour of Downtown Bloomington
Learn about downtown Bloomington's rich history through its buildings. Look for the QR cod...

Website