Lexington

Resources are listed in alphabetical order. More information can always be found by using our website search bar, or contacting a member of our staff.

A Community in Conflict

Digital Exhibit

1 item

1921

During the early 1920s, McLean County experienced an intense period of Ku Klux Klan (KKK) recruiting, meetings, and public gatherings.

Digital Exhibit

Articles

Pages from our Past articles written by Bill Kemp

2 items

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...

Article

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...

Article

Biographies

4 items

Biggs, Llora Withers

Llora Withers Biggs is a McLean County girl who became a renowned soprano singer and theater st...

Biography

Carnahan, Nellie Jones

Nellie Jones Carnahan was one of the “movers and shakers” of her time in Lexington, Illinois. S...

Biography

Elder, Mary

Mary Elvira Elder was born in Bloomingburg, Fayette County, Ohio on September 18, 1835 accordin...

Biography

Rhymer, Paul

Paul Rhymer (1905-1964) a Bloomington High School graduate, was considered one of the great wri...

Biography

Blog

4 items

Lexington Art Show July 1962

Jack Statz and Jann Thompson Anderson served as judges for an art show held in conjunction with...

Blog Post

Lexington Dog Show July 31, 1940

Seen here are 5 of the 30 some entries for the children’s dog show, held July 31, 1940, in Lexi...

Blog Post

McHistory: Voices Of The Past Come Alive

Listen to the audio on WGLT's website hereMcHistory goes back in time to explore big momen...

Blog Post

Pony Giveaway Courthouse Square, August 1947

On Saturday, Aug. 23, 1947, Bloomington merchants staged a promotional drawing on the west step...

Blog Post

Farming in the Great Corn Belt

Digital Exhibit

4 items

1946 to 2000: Larger Farms

After World War II the number of farms and farmers in McLean County slowly decreased. At the sa...

Digital Exhibit

Erosion

Intensified farming and the use of tractors caused wind and water erosion, but area farmers did...

Digital Exhibit

Farm Improvements

Farm improvements, such as fences, barns, sheds, and grain storage were expensive additions. Bu...

Digital Exhibit

Frontier Resources

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

Digital Exhibit

Finding Aids

Archival collection finding aids (full contents of collections available on site)

5 items

Finley, Ada Collection

Ada was born in Hudson, Illinois, to George and Josie Lentz on July 19, 1898. She married Steph...

Finding Aid

Patton Cabin

The Patton Cabin was built by John Patton in 1829, making it the oldest extant building in McLe...

Finding Aid

Pierson, A.V.

Arthur Van Dyke (A. V.) Pierson was born in Ohio in 1849 and his family traveled by wagon to Mc...

Finding Aid

Rowlands Family

Howell Rowlands was born on April 15, 1847, in Llanbrynmair, North Wales, and immigrated to McL...

Finding Aid

Trimmer Family

John David Trimmer (1781-1826) and Elizabeth Lanterman Trimmer (1779-1847) and their children m...

Finding Aid

Publications

Digitized books and pamphlets. To see all books in our collection, search our library catalog.

6 items

Illustrated History of McLean County

In this volume of over 500 illustrations the story of this land, called McLean County, Illinois...

Publication

Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Lexington, McLean County, Illinois 1885

Publication

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

Publication

Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Lexington, McLean County, Illinois 1899

Publication

Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Lexington, McLean County, Illinois 1906

Publication

The Story of McLean County and its Schools

Publication

Working for a Living

Digital Exhibit

1 item

Powering Rural Communities

Bloomington residents began to electrify their homes in the late 1880s. But rural McLean County...

Digital Exhibit