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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...

Article

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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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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Blog

13 items

B-29 Bomber Visits Courthouse Square June 13, 1950
Back during the early years of the Cold War the fuselage of a U.S. Air Force B-29 Superfortress...

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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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Carlock from the Air Circa 1930
The Village of Carlock, established in 1888, is seen here in an undated but circa 1930 aerial. ...

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Chenoa Airport, 1948
The most recent Sunday Pantagraph “Page from Our Past” installment examined the fascinating his...

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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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Heyworth High and Environs January 1933
This wonderful aerial photograph of Heyworth High School dates to January 23, 1933. The view is...

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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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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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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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Randolph from On High Undated Aerial
Central Illinois is dotted with the tiniest of communities that owe their existence to the rail...

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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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‘Lucky Lindy’ Bails Out November 1926
On the evening of November 3, 1926, Charles Lindbergh jumped out of his U.S. airmail biplane so...

Blog Post

Finding Aids

7 items

Airline Timetable Collection

Finding Aid

Aviation Collection
The file contains various newspaper clippings, advertisements, personal accounts, and ephemera ...

Finding Aid

Bagosy, John Jr.
John Bagosy, Jr (1949-2016) was born in Bloomington, IL. He served from 1966 to 1972 in the U.S...

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

Hall, Robert S. Diary
Normal native and lifelong resident Robert S. “Bob” Hall (1915-1976) graduated University High ...

Finding Aid

Illinois Air Force Mothers
The Illinois Air Force Mothers Club began in 1970 to support Air Force personnel at bases and h...

Finding Aid

Tilbury Flash
The Tilbury Flash is a single-seat American racing monoplane designed and built in the 1930s by...

Finding Aid