Articles

A small selection of Pages from our Past articles written by Bill Kemp

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The fifth jail in McLean County’s history, seen here in this undated postcard, was located at the southwest corner of Madison and Monroe streets. It served as the county’s jail for 95 years — from 1882 to 1977. Today this site is a parking lot.

County jail too often destination for troubled souls

On Sept. 25, 1857, John Houseman, a German immigrant “deranged for some months,” committed suic...

Article

Biographies

15 items

Edwin Bakewell headstone

Bakewell, Edwin

Edwin Wells Bakewell was born in Wellsburg, Brooke County, Virginia (today located in West Virg...

Biography

Benjamin Reuben Moore

Benjamin, Reuben Moore

Reuben Moore Benjamin was born on June 29, 1833 in Chatham Center, Columbia County, New York (2...

Biography

TJ Bun portrait

Bunn, T.J.

Thomas Jefferson (T.J.) Bunn was born on August 29, 1832 in Xenia, Green County, Ohio. He was t...

Biography

Owen Lee Cheney

Cheney, Owen Lee

Owen Lee Cheney (1846-1911) was a quixotic man in his quest for fame, fortune, and new experien...

Biography

David Davis

Davis, Judge David

David Davis was born on March 9, 1815 at Mercer Plantation, Maryland to David and Anne Mercer D...

Biography

David Davis

Davis, Judge David

David Davis was born on March 9, 1815 at Mercer Plantation, Maryland to David and Anne Mercer D...

Biography

Louis FitzHenry

FitzHenry, Judge Louis

Louis FitzHenry was born in Bloomington on June 13, 1870. He was the oldest son born to Hiram a...

Biography

Asahel Gridley

Gridley, Asahel

A great deal of the information known about Asahel Gridley is based on reminiscences of his fri...

Biography

Harvey Hogg

Hogg, Harvey

The Bloomington lawyer and Civil War cavalry commander, Harvey Hogg (originally from Tennessee)...

Biography

John McClun

McClun, John Edward

John Edward McClun was born on February 19, 1812 in Frederick County, Virginia.  He was the you...

Biography

McNulta, John

John McNulta was born on November 9, 1837 in New York City, New York.  His father was Irish and...

Biography

Ezra Morton Prince

Prince, Ezra Morton

Ezra Morton Prince was born on May 27, 1831 in Turner, Maine.  His parents were Job Prince and ...

Biography

John Milton Scott

Scott, John Milton

John Milton Scott was born on August 1, 1823 in Belleville, St. Clair County, Illinois. His par...

Biography

Thomas Tipton

Tipton, Judge Thomas F.

Thomas Foster Tipton was born to Hiram and Deborah Ogden Tipton in Franklin County, Ohio, on Au...

Biography

Wright, Ebenezer

Ebenezer Wright was born in either 1830 or 1831 in Ludlow, Massachusetts to Rev. Ebenezer and H...

Biography

Finding Aids

1 item

Bach, William

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

Finding Aid

Research

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Post Amerikan

Held by the MCMH and digitized by Eastern Illinois University. The Post Amerikan began publicat...

Article

Speakers Bureau

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Videos

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Websites

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Looking for Lincoln in Bloomington-Normal

Bloomington-Normal is one of the richest communities for Abraham Lincoln-related sites—some of ...

Website