Immigration

A Community in Conflict

1 item

1918

When the U.S. entered World War I, anti-German sentiment began to grow across the nation. At the time German immigrants represented about three percent of McLean County’s population.

Digital Exhibit

Abraham Lincoln in McLean County

1 item

Lincoln's Lost Speech

On May 29, 1856, delegates from across Illinois gathered at Bloomington's Major's Hal...

Digital Exhibit

Articles

2 items

Virtual cemetery walk showcases amazing Florence Funk

The not-for-profit McLean County Museum of History celebrates local history in all its complexi...

Article

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,...

Article

Biographies

21 items

Bach, Maria Sophia

Maria Sophia (Koehler or Kahler) Bach was the wife of pressman and political dissident, William...

Biography

Becker, Augusta "Gussie"

Augusta Becker, known as “Gussie” to most, was born in Berlin, Germany on November 13, 1882, to...

Biography

Dietrich, Julius R.

Julius R. Dietrich was born in September of 1858 in Heinichen Saxony, Germany. He spent most o...

Biography

Hall, Helen Ross

Helen Ross was born on September 15, 1846 in the village of Kenagh, in County Longford, Ireland...

Biography

Hanner, Carl Gustav

Carl Gustav Hanner was born in Kungsholmen Parish, Stockholm, Sweden on August 8, 1840. His mot...

Biography

Klemm, C.W.

Carl Wilhelm (C.W.) Klemm was born on May 1, 1845 in Haynrode, Saxony, Germany. His grandfather...

Biography

Livingston, Hilda

Sigmund Livingston was born on December 27, 1872 in Giessen, Germany. He was one of eight child...

Biography

MacGillivray, Dr. Margaret

Dr. Margaret MacGillivray was born in Dunfermline, Scotland on October 21, 1845. She was a very...

Biography

Mandler, Christoph

Christoph Mandler was born on April 23, 1858 in Daubringen, County of Gressen in the Grand Duch...

Biography

McCormick, Henry

Henry McCormick was born on February 5, 1837 in Belmullet, County Mayo, Ireland. He spent his ...

Biography

Moratz, Paul

Paul O. Moratz had a passion for building and design that started at a young age. For 34 years ...

Biography

Muxfeld, Louise

Louise Muxfeld, known as “Lizzie” by all, was born as Johanna Louise Catherine Tobecksen on Jun...

Biography

Noble, Emily Vecchi

Emily (Vecchi) Noble was born on Church Street in London, England on February 4, 1886 to Enrico...

Biography

Rankin, Melinda

Melinda Rankin was born in Littleton, New Hampshire on March 21, 1811. She attended and taught ...

Biography

Riebsame, Christian

Captain Christian Riebsame (1839-1913) was a German-born citizen who came to the United States ...

Biography

Roeder, John Conrad

John C. Roeder was born in Nordeck, Germany in about 1836. He was the son of Conrad and Elizab...

Biography

Schroeder, Baroness Maria von Buchau

Much of what we know about Herman Schroeder comes from his own accounts. Some of this informat...

Biography

Schroeder, Dr. Herman

Much of what we know about Herman Schroeder comes from his own accounts. Some of this informat...

Biography

Seibert, Leonard

Leonard Seibert was born on August 18, 1831 in Koenig, a borough of Essen, Germany. He came to ...

Biography

Thompson, Jennie

Jane “Jennie” Lynd Thompson was born on October 28, 1860 in Bond Head, Canada—located in the pr...

Biography

Wickizer, Jennie MacDonald

Jennie MacDonald Wickizer was born on December 31, 1852 at Knightswood, Scotland, located just ...

Biography

Blog

2 items

New American citizen May 24, 1941

Twenty-six people became American citizens in a naturalization ceremony held May 24, 1941, in t...

Blog Post

Photo of the Week, 36: "Give us your poor, your tired, your huddled masses longing to be free..."

On Saturday, May 25, 1940 in Bloomington, a group of 20 immigrants became U.S. citizens after a...

Blog Post

Farming in the Great Corn Belt

2 items

1853 to 1899: Labor

The railroad arrived in 1853, bringing with it an influx of immigrants willing to provide labor...

Digital Exhibit

Draining the Prairie

With most savannah land claimed by 1836, some farmers chose to take a chance by trying to produ...

Digital Exhibit

Finding Aids

11 items

Biederman Correspondence

Originally from Altenberg, Saxony, Germany, (Christian) Philipp Biederman (18 Jan 1814- Apr 189...

Finding Aid

German Baptist Church

The German Baptist Church of Bloomington, Illinois, was located at the southwest corner of West...

Finding Aid

Irish Immigrants Collection

Irish immigrants first arrived in large numbers to McLean County in the early 1850s. Initially,...

Finding Aid

Jung Family

Jacob Phillip Jung was born in Nauvoo, Illinois, the son of Christian and Elizabeth Brandenburg...

Finding Aid

Latino History Project Collection

The McLean County Latino History Project seeks to research and record the culture and experienc...

Finding Aid

Livingston Family Collection

In 1927, a writer in the Pantagraph opined, “Probably no other family in Bloomington has played...

Finding Aid

Mau, McCoy, & Haskell

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

Finding Aid

McEwen Brothers Blacksmith Shop

According to an article in The Pantagraph of July 17, 1942, John and William McEwen established...

Finding Aid

Miller, George

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

Finding Aid

Packard Family Collection

The Packard family was from Bolton in Quebec, Canada. Brothers Charles (MD), Walter, Jesse, Fra...

Finding Aid

Stubblefield Family Collection

The Stubblefield family originated in England, with brothers Edward, William, and John emigrati...

Finding Aid

Making a Home

7 items

Larson Family

Many Swedish immigrants came to McLean County, some directly from Sweden, some from other parts...

Digital Exhibit

Livingston Family

In 1860 Hannah Eliel, age nine, boarded the sailing ship Clobus with her teenage sisters Betty ...

Digital Exhibit

Maria del Socorro Luna del Real

In 1975 Maria del Socorro Luna del Real piled into a station wagon with her seven younger sibli...

Digital Exhibit

Mau Family

The Mau family was lucky. Unlike many other German immigrants, they knew exactly where they wer...

Digital Exhibit

O'Neil Family

Mary Motherway O’Neil lost her husband from fever at the height of the Irish famine. Because sh...

Digital Exhibit

Vaughan Family

In 1857 Hugh Vaughan, together with several other families, left Wales seeking a better life. T...

Digital Exhibit

Zook Family

Yost and Susan Hoestetler Zook arrived in 1850 with sons Adam and Jacob, and daughters Catherin...

Digital Exhibit

Research

2 items

Latino History Project

The McLean County Latino History Project is a cooperative endeavor between the McLean County Mu...

Page

Post Amerikan

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

Article

Speakers Bureau

4 items

'Forty Acres:' Bloomington’s Irish Railroad Neighborhood

Speakers Bureau

Freedom, Land, and Community

Speakers Bureau

German Brewers in Bloomington, IL 1859-1920

Speakers Bureau

The Unconquerable: Kickapoo of Central Illinois

Speakers Bureau

Videos

5 items

Contested Civil Liberties in 19th Century McLean County, with Greg Koos

Video

Dreams & Life on the Prairie- Latinos in McLean County 1880 to Today

2012. Please note this is audio only....

Video

Recent Immigration to McLean County: A Panel Discussion Hosted in Collaboration with ISU

Video

The Greening of the Prairie, Irish Immigration into the upper Midwest with Greg Koos

Video

Whiskey vs Lager Beer – Bejabers: The Irish, the bete noir of Lincoln’s Republican Party

Video

Working for a Living

1 item

Powering the Community

Coal, used for generating electricity and for heating homes and businesses, was discovered bene...

Digital Exhibit