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Online Object Database

The Museum is excited to launch our online database, which allows viewers to browse through over 800 object records that had previously been for internal use only. The object records list information such as the object’s name, description, period of creation, associated people, images, and more.

Finding Aids

Detailed inventories of archival collections housed in our onsite archives.

McLean County Museum of History Asian Indian History Project

The McLean County Asian Indian History Project was begun in the early 2000s to research and document the culture and experience of...

Gold Star Mothers

The Evergreen Chapter, National Gold Star Mothers, was incorporated on October 14, 1950, by the national organization.

This...

Grand Prairie Bird Alliance Collection

The first Audubon Society in McLean County was called the Cardinal Audubon Club, organized in 1962. The John Wesley Powell Audubon...

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Photos

Architecture of McLean County
Thousands of images of the built environment, from the earliest cabins to construction of homes in the 21st century.

Work in McLean County
Thousands of images showing hundreds of occupations that helped build McLean County, and the people who labored within them. 

Public Life in McLean County
Images in this collection include clubs, schools, parades, sports, service organizations, government, and medicine in McLean County.

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Publications

Links to dozens of publications about McLean County history, digitized by the Museum and other institutions

Black History
Publications include History of the Illinois Association of Club Women and Girls, 1901-1975, History of African Americans in McLean County, Wayman AME 175 Year Anniversary, and more!

City Directories
Thanks to a partnership with Bloomington Public Library and intern Noah Tang, local directories from 1855-1920 have been digitized, and are available on the Internet Archive.
34 items

General Reference
Good Old Times in McLean County, The Biographical Record of McLean County, Illustrated History of McLean County, and much more.
17 items

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Maps

Schoolhouses in McLean County

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

Map Of McLean County, Ill. 1886.
David Rumsey Map Collection

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Pages from our Past Articles

Articles on various topics, written by Museum Librarian Bill Kemp for the Pantagraph

‘Dr. Mrs. Keck’ battled male-dominated medical establishment

Back in the 19th century when miracle pills, plasters, creams, powders and tonics promised to cure all—from mild indigestion to...

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 the literal kind.

From 1907 to...

Bloomers photo features bevy of big leaguers

A single photograph can open a door into a lost world. This Bloomington Bloomers team photo, for instance, taken at Fans Field during...

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Featured Collections

Online Object Database
The Museum is excited to launch our online database, which allows viewers to browse through over 800 object records that had previously been for internal use only. The object records list information such as the object’s name, description, period of creation, associated people, images, and more.

Black History Project
The Bloomington-Normal Black History Project (BNBHP) was founded in 1982 and its collections span the 19th and 20th centuries. The collection contains photographs, portraits, booklets, articles, and photocopies related to club organizations and churches of the local Black community. In 1989, the Black History Project was affiliated with the McLean County Historical Society, which now serves as a repository for the project's collections.

Latino History Project
The McLean County Latino History Project is a cooperative endeavor between the McLean County Museum of History and the Illinois State University Latin American and Latino Studies Program. The project's purpose is to research and record the culture and experience of Latinos who have settled in McLean County and to identify and collect artifacts associated with their culture and lives. 

Onsite Resources

Stevenson-Ives Library
The Stevenson-Ives Library contains more than 16,000 books and periodicals with a focus on McLean County and Central Illinois history and genealogy.

Object Collection
Our object collection of more than 18,000 artifacts preserved at the Museum document the growth and development of McLean County from the prehistoric period through the present.

Archives
The Museum's Archive features a wide-range of primary and secondary source material relating to the history of McLean County, from the 1820s to the present.

Websites

Links to even more McLean County history online!

Social Justice Walking Tour
On this website, you will find stories of events and people in and around Downtown Bloomington, Illinois, that illustrate the evolution of our city over time.

Digital Exhibits
Read the rich histories featured in our Challenges, Choices, and Change as well as Abraham Lincoln in McLean County exhibits from anywhere!

Internet Archive
Browse hundreds of resources we have uploaded over the years

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Use Policies

Fees for Scans of Archival Images for Commercial Use If you want our staff to scan an image from our Archives for commercial use, see this document.

Fees for Personal Scans of Archival Images If you want our staff to scan an image from our Archives for personal use, see this document.

Digital Reproduction Policy Addresses use of digital cameras and personal scanners in Library/Archives.