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2 items

Intrepid Pantagrapher paid visit to Santa’s North Pole

In 1897, 8-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon famously wrote the New York Sun newspaper to ask if that ...

Article

Turbulent times at 19th century Bloomington hotel

The Ashley House, Bloomington’s largest hotel from the Civil War until its fiery end in 1900, h...

Article

Blog

104 items

200 Block W. Washington St. Downtown Bloomington, 1965

This photograph, taken from the roof of The Pantagraph building in March 1965, shows a row of f...

Blog Post

300 Block North Main Street May 1937

This lovely Depression-era view of a bustling downtown Bloomington shows the east side of the 3...

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Anchor School Circa 1900

The small community of Anchor, located in the northeastern corner of McLean County, was once ho...

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Angelic Coeds, September 27, 1940 Dedication of the Van Leer Chime Tower

Bill Kemp's “Page from Our Past” column in the Pantagraph (linked below) detailed the hist...

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Another One Bites the Dust Mar-Len Hotel, June 1988

Ross Griffin of Stark Excavating keeps an eye on crane operator John Quiram as he makes short w...

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BHS Athletic Field Undated Aerial

This undated view of Bloomington High School’s Athletic Field is looking southeast. “A” signifi...

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Back to School Illinois Wesleyan, September 1938

Monday, August 29, 2016 marked the first day of classes for the 2016-2017 school year at Illino...

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Bloomington High School Under Construction, August 1958

This aerial shows the “new” Bloomington High School, corner of Towanda Avenue and Locust Street...

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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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Bloomington’s “Great West Side” July 1932

This aerial view, taken on July 20, 1932, shows the near west side of Bloomington. The view is ...

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Bohemian Bloomington Evans Building, December 1947

In the mid-1940s, the Evans Building earned the nickname “Little Greenwich Village” due to all ...

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Book Lover in Seventh Heaven May 1968

Retired schoolteacher Elsa Schilling found a quiet corner of Withers Public Library hoping to f...

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Booker T. Washington Home West Side of Bloomington, Undated

Impoverished, neglected, and unwanted children in the Twin Cities were once separated by race.E...

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Bright Lights in Time for Christmas Downtown Bloomington, December 1958

On Dec. 19, 1958, Bloomington Mayor Robert McGraw threw a ceremonial switch to light about half...

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C.W. Frey’s Showroom Downtown Bloomington, circa 1929-30

Clarence W. Frey & Sons was a longtime auto dealership and service center located at 300-31...

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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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Community Players Groundbreaking December 7, 1960

On December 7, 1960, Community Players Theatre broke ground for the playhouse on 201 Robinhood ...

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Davis Lodge, Under Construction Lake Bloomington, April 1932

Since its formal opening on June 29, 1932, the Davis Lodge has hosted innumerable wedding recep...

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Dedication of Holton Homes Bloomington’s West Side, July 1954

Several hundred folks sat in the shade of a box elder tree on Sunday, July 11, 1954, for the de...

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Downtown Bloomington Early 1920s

This aerial view is undated but several clues helped us assign an approximate date.Note the vac...

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Downtown Bloomington September 1938

This view of downtown Bloomington looks north. The foreground includes a good look at the old c...

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Downtown Bloomington, April 1948 East Side of Courthouse Square

This photograph showing the 200 block of North Main Street was snapped on April 4, 1948.Looking...

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Downtown Bloomington, circa 1927 100 Block of East Front Street

The view here is looking east down the 100 block of E. Front St. The streetcar is turning onto ...

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East Side Exodus, November 1966 Penney’s to Eastland Mall

On November 10, 1966, JCPenney moved into the still under-construction Eastland Shopping Center...

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East Washington Street 200 Block, Circa 1956

Seen here is the north side of the 200 block of East Washington Street about 1956. Partially vi...

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Emerson School, Bloomington March 1976

Built in the early 1900s, Emerson School was demolished in 1985. Designed by prominent Blooming...

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Ensenberger’s, 1925 West Side of Square, Bloomington

Back in the summer of 1925 iron workers were completing the steel frame for the new Ensenberger...

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Esquire Theatre, circa 1944 Downtown Bloomington

There aren’t too many known photographs of the Esquire Theatre, 108 N. Madison St., Bloomington...

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Eureka Williams aerial June 1966

This summer 1966 view of the near southeast side of Bloomington, looking east, offers a wealth ...

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Excuse me, comin’ through May 1968

On May 22, 1968, workers removed a roof off a gas station being dismantled at the corner of Lee...

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Franklin Park’s new evergreens April 1958

In the spring of 1958, the Bloomington-Normal Garden Club planted a series of evergreens at Fra...

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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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General Electric Plant Route 66 “Beltline,” 1968

Hey wait minute, where did Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano go? Clearly, back in 1968 there wasn’t ...

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Home Sweet Home Mission, 1923 1006 W. Washington St., Bloomington

Home Sweet Home City Rescue Mission (now known as Home Sweet Home Ministries) has provided “foo...

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Idle Youth Miller Park, July 1957

These unidentified boys are seen here a few days before Independence Day 1957, hanging out at M...

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Illinois Soldiers’ Orphans’ Home Home Band, 1930

The Sunday April 3, 2016 Pantagraph recounted the story of the Soldiers’ Orphans’ Home Band, or...

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Improvements Slated for Danvers, 1936

In June 1936, the Danvers Farmers Elevator Association announced plans to upgrade its facilitie...

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Independence Day 1964 Miller Park, Bloomington

For well over a century, Miller Park on Bloomington’s west side has served as home to many the ...

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Irvin Theater, Bloomington Circa 1958

The Irvin was the Twin City’s premier movie house for much of the 20th century. Located on the ...

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Irvin Theatre, June 1938 202 E. Jefferson St., Bloomington

Opened in 1915 as the finest movie house in the Twin Cities, the Irvin (or at least its marquee...

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Knights of Columbus’ New Home 1206 N. Main St., Bloomington December 1927

Corn Belt Bank executive J. Thornton Snell had this magnificent Queen Anne-style home built in ...

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Lakeside Country Club Aerial 1930

Established in 1923, Lakeside Country Club made use of a former clay brick and tile pit enjoyin...

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Lathrop's Barbershop, 1914

George Lathrop was a Bloomington barber for many years. This February 1914 photograph shows the...

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LeRoy Aerial East of Downtown, January 1933

The view here is looking south. Today, there’s a new high school and more residential in-fill, ...

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Lost Bloomington Grace Methodist Church

Grace Methodist Church, located on the northwest corner of East and Locust streets, was dedicat...

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Lost Bloomington South End of Downtown

This undated aerial photo shows the six blocks bounded by Front, East, Olive, and Madison stree...

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Lost Treasure of Bloomington First Church of Christ, Scientist

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McLean County Fair, 1951

On August 5, 2015 The McLean County Fair got underway at the fairgrounds west of the Route 9 / ...

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McLean County Fairgrounds Old East Side Location, Undated

This site, Illinois Route 9 just east of what would become Veterans Parkway, served as home for...

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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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Miller Park Beach July 1941

For decades Miller Park beach was the most popular spots in the Twin Cities to cool off during ...

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Miller Park and Bloomington’s West Side Undated Aerial

This undated view, looking north, shows Miller Park and much of Bloomington’s west side as seen...

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Mobile Home Living, Bloomington Catherine Heineman, January 1953

By 1953, there were at least 10 mobile home parks with a combined 165 “trailers” in the Twin Ci...

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Mount Hope Ladies Aid Moore’s Mill Marker, August 1968

The most famous gristmill in McLean County was the one operated by the Moore family of Mount Ho...

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Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church Bloomington, June 9, 1940

Founded in October 1865 as South Hill Baptist Church, Mt Pisgah Baptist Church has played an im...

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My Store, undated Downtown Bloomington

Oscar Mandel and brother-in-law Albert Schwarzman opened this five-story “trade palace,” locate...

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National Bank of Bloomington Main and Washington, 1930s

This view of downtown Bloomington, looking east and taken sometime in the 1930s, offers a lovel...

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New Corn Belt Bank, November 1961 East and Jefferson, Downtown Bloomington

Construction began on a new Corn Belt Bank home office on September 13, 1960. The Bloomington b...

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North Gate Subdivision Northeast Normal, July 1964

During the summer of 1964, ranch and split-level homes were popping up in the North Gate subdiv...

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North Side of Courthouse Square Downtown Bloomington, circa 1956

Here’s a wonderful view of the 100 block of West Jefferson Street, or the north side of the Cou...

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Old Main Comes Down September 9, 1958

On September 9, 1958, a one-ton wrecking ball made quick work of Illinois State University’s fi...

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Out with the Old . . . Keiser-Van Leer Expansion, 1936

Seen here is the northeast corner of East and Market streets in downtown Bloomington, late 1935...

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Paving, 400 block North Main Street June 1938

Workmen with local contractor Berenz & Son lay asphalt down the 400 block of North Main Str...

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Payless Drugs, July 1940 Downtown Bloomington

Payless Drugs, 317 N. Main St., opened on July 18, 1940. “It’s new! It’s different! It’s the la...

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Penney’s Readies Eastland Store November 9, 1966

J.C. Penney opened in the new Eastland Shopping Center (now Eastland Mall) on November 10, 1966...

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Photo of the Week, 114: Downtown Bloomington, 1931

Seen here is the 100 block of N. Madison St. in 1931. The crowd gathered outside the four-story...

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Photo of the Week, 115: Threatened Downtown Beauty

Seen here is the Peoples Bank building (now Commerce Bank), corner of Center and Washington str...

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Photo of the Week, 122: Watterson Towers, October 1967 -- Twenty-One Stories to Go!

Watterson Towers, a 28-story residence hall complex located on the Illinois State University ca...

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Photo of the Week, 124: ‘Swing Time’ at Victory Hall October 1935

Opened in 1919 and located at 904 Hovey Ave. in Normal, Victory Hall was a safe place for boys ...

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Photo of the Week, 16: Cropsey Railroad Station

This rare shot of the train depot in Cropsey likely dates to the 1880s. A hamlet in the northea...

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Photo of the Week, 17: Tracy Green & Co., circa 1928

Tracy Green & Co., circa 1928, located at the southwest corner of Washington and Gridley st...

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Photo of the Week, 20: Grocery Shopping in the Great Depression

Seen here is a 1935 photograph of the Nierstheimer Bros. grocery store at 428 North Main Street...

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Photo of the Week, 23: World War II Drinking Fountain Flows Once More!

On October 19, 1948, the local Pearl Harbor chapter of the American War Mothers dedicated a dri...

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Photo of the Week, 25: Et tu, Brute? “Julius Caesar” at the Consistory, 1931

Long before the 1978 inaugural season of what would become the Illinois Shakespeare Festival (h...

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Photo of the Week, 27: Shhhhh!

Many a “seasoned" citizen well remembers Withers Library, which stood at the northeast cor...

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Photo of the Week, 3: C.U. Wiliams and Son Co., 1914

This photo of C.U. Williams and Son Co., 207 E. Washington St., Bloomington, dates to 1914. It ...

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Photo of the Week, 55: McKnight & McKnight Building, August 1929

Located at the northeast corner of Center and Market streets, this downtown landmark dates to 1...

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Photo of the Week, 57: Dedication of the Normal Post Office, 1936

On March 1, 1936, several hundred area residents gathered for the dedication of the Normal Post...

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Photo of the Week, 67: Welcome to Normal, 1969

Remember Hall's Tog Shop? Did anyone you know have an account at Normal State Bank, or buy...

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Photo of the Week, 75: Amen and Let's Eat!

Established in 1864/1865, the Illinois' Soldiers' Orphans' Home (later renamed I...

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Photo of the Week, 7: Oasis Drive-In, Lexington, 1961

Who's ready for warm weather? Built by Elmo and Arline Winterland in 1960, the Oasis Drive...

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Photo of the Week, 96: The Most Popular Guy in the Room

On December 23, 1944, more than 600 grade school children attended the Town of Normal's th...

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Prairie Birds to the Rescue! Great Chicago Fire, October 8-9, 1871

As the Great Chicago Fire raged out of control the night and early morning of October 8-9, 1871...

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Ritter School, 1941 Martin Township

Before paved roads, school buses, and district consolidation, there were something like 250 one...

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Second Presbyterian Church block Pre-Parking Lot Mania

This undated aerial shows a section of the east side of downtown Bloomington prior to the loss ...

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Sinoark’s ‘Frontier Room’ Opens October 1959

Located at the junction of South Main Street and the Route 66 Beltline (now Veterans Parkway), ...

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St. Joseph’s Hospital, Bloomington Under Construction, circa 1967

This circa 1967 aerial looks northwest. That’s under-construction St. Joseph’s Hospital in the ...

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That’s Why They Call It Six Points Outer Bloomington, Early October 1933

What was once the far southwestern edge of Bloomington is seen here in this 1933 aerial. The vi...

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The Gem Saloon, c. 1880 West Side of Courthouse Square, Bloomington

Peter J. Neuerburg (note the name on the cornice) owned The Gem from the late 1870s into the ea...

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The Times They Have Changed! Town of Normal, 1966

This view of the Town of Normal and Illinois State University, taken in 1966 from either Hewett...

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Twilight of the Interurban Downtown Bloomington, 1950

This September 1950 scene shows an Illinois Terminal Railroad car trundling past the 200 block ...

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Union Bus Station, 1956 523 N. East Street, Bloomington

“A feeling of sadness that only bus stations have” Jack Kerouac mused in his 1957 novel “On the...

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Unitarian Church of Bloomington 209 N. East St., undated

Bloomington has a rich Unitarian tradition. Seen here is the old Unitarian Church in downtown B...

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Up and Over Downs May 1953

Even the small Village of Downs had a post-World War II housing boom (relatively speaking). Thi...

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Urban Renewal, Bloomington Future Site of Library, 1971

This view, looking north-northeast, shows the future site of Bloomington Public Library (opened...

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Veterans Parkway as the Route 66 ‘Beltline’ December 1960

This aerial, looking due north, shows the corner of Route 66 (“D”) and Route 9 / Empire Street ...

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Village of Colfax February 14, 1938

The view is looking east. “A” is Main Street; “B” Center Street; “C” the Illinois Central Railr...

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Village of Saybrook Center Street, 1941

Seen here is a section of downtown Saybrook in the spring of 1941. The view is from the interse...

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Waiting for the wrecking ball, 1971 200 block South Main Street

These buildings, located on the west side of the 200 South Main Street, were demolished in the ...

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Waterless Lake Bloomington Circa July 1929

This aerial, taken by The Pantagraph’s own news plane “Scoop,” shows the northern end of under-...

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What a View!

The McLean County Museum of History occupies the old county courthouse in historic downtown Blo...

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‘Union’ Depot, December 1979 Bloomington’s West Side

Opened in 1913, Union Depot (also known as Bloomington Depot) was located just south of West Wa...

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“A City Unto Itself” Chicago & Alton RR Shops

This undated aerial photograph, looking northwest, gives one a sense of the impressive size of ...

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Finding Aids

110 items

Angler’s Lake

The citizen effort to preserve Angler’s Lake, located in southeast Bloomington, began in 1979. ...

Finding Aid

Arthur Pillsbury Collection

Arthur L. Pillsbury designed schools, churches, businesses, and homes, in the early 20th centur...

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Baby Fold

Nancy and Allen Mason were pioneers in Normal– moving here just after the Civil War. Nancy Maso...

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Beich Collection

Born in Wehlau, East Prussia in 1864, Paul Frank Beich received his early education at Culm whe...

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Bloomingdale School (Randolph Township)

Bloomingdale School began in 1856 when a roughly built house was located at the southwest corne...

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Bloomington Cemetery Association

The Bloomington Cemetery Association (BCA) was a private stock corporation that operated the Bl...

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Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts (BCPA)

The Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts (BCPA) occupies a site built in 1921 to house Th...

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Bloomington Fire Collection

Just after midnight on June 19, 1900, a great fire began sweeping through much of the city'...

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Bloomington High School

This collection contains ephemera, newspaper clippings, course guides, handbooks, and programs ...

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Bloomington Public Library Time Capsule 1977

In August 1977, Withers / Bloomington Public Library staff sealed a time capsule at the new lib...

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Bloomington Public Schools

The collection includes sorority histories, anniversary programs, bylaws, membership booklets, ...

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Blue Mound School

What first began in 1858 as a class being held in a private residence, expanded into a school h...

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Booker T. Washington Home

The Booker T. Washington Home was founded in 1918 by Mr. and Mrs. Alex Barker. They housed six...

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Bridgestone Firestone

Firestone Tire and Rubber Company became Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire in 1995. Th...

Finding Aid

Brokaw Hospital Newsletter

The establishment of Brokaw Hospital in Normal, IL dates to 1896. In 1981, Brokaw Hospital merg...

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Brokaw/Mennonite/BroMenn Hospitals

This collection includes written materials concerning three interrelated Bloomington-Normal hos...

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Building a Home 505 Bowles

The house at 505 Bowles, Normal, IL was built from 1951 to 1953 by Raymond W. and Evelyn Paulin...

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Camelback Bridge

The Camelback Bridge is located in the northeast quarter of Section 33, Township 24 North, Rang...

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Capen Insurance / Capen Family

The Capen family emigrated from Dorchester, Dorset, England in 1630 and settled in New England....

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Carius, Larry

Washington, IL, native, Larry Carius worked for the McLean County Health Department (MCHD) for ...

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Carlock Public Library

Opening in 1979, the Carlock Public Library, formerly known as the Carey E. Burdette Memorial L...

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Carlock Schools

This collection of school records documents the activities of a rural school district. These re...

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Castle Theater

The Castle Theater opened on Nov. 21st, 1904 in Bloomington, Illinois. During its initial run, ...

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Cemeteries in McLean County Collection

The collection includes a listing of cemeteries in McLean County, as well as specific informati...

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Century of Progress Collection

A Century of Progress International Exposition, also known as The Chicago World's Fair, wa...

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Children and Elders Forest

Children and Elders Forest was formed in 2005 in Bloomington-Normal for charitable and educatio...

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Children’s Theater Association of Bloomington-Normal

The Children’s Theatre was the brainchild of Martha Mary Vybiral to promote children’s theatre ...

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Community Players

In 1923 a women's club met in Bloomington and discussed creating a group to perform some a...

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Constitution Trail

Constitution Trail is a “linear park” that provides more than 37 miles of trails for biking, hi...

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Corn Belt Bank

The Corn Belt Bank was organized December 2, 1891 by General John McNulta, J.T. Snell, and A. S...

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Corn Bowl

A true “Middle West” tradition: college football on Thanksgiving Day. The Corn Bowl was sponsor...

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David Davis Mansion

This collection includes the materials relating to the David Davis Mansion State Historic Site,...

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Dimmitts Grove Neighborhood Association

Dimmitt’s Grove is one of Bloomington’s oldest neighborhoods. The Neighborhood Association, for...

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Downtown Bloomington Historical Survey

In 1984 Greg Koos and William Walters began the work of obtaining National Historic standing fo...

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Downtown Bloomington Redevelopment Collection

The downtown Bloomington Redevelopment Collection contains various plans and miscellaneous info...

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Ensenberger Building

G.A. Ensenberger and Sons had become a successful retail furniture store in Bloomington. Altho...

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Ensenberger Furniture Store

The Ensenberger Furniture Store Collection sheds light on the activities of this Bloomington co...

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Espey (Pharmacy)

The small, brick building at the northeast corner of Main and Front streets is one of the earli...

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Eureka Williams Electrolux

Charles U. Williams came to Bloomington in the late nineteenth century. He was an itinerant pho...

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Evergreen Cemetery Walk – Miller

In the 1990s, Amy Miller was a member of the Bloomington-Normal Junior Women’s Club, a service ...

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Fairview Sanatorium

Tuberculosis, also known as “white death” or consumption, is a bacterial disease that mainly af...

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Franklin Park

Franklin Park (also known as Franklin Square) was donated by David Davis, William F. Flagg and ...

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Garst, Elmer Record Book

A grocer and amateur historian from Stanford, Elmer Garst compiled information about local birt...

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General Electric

General Electric opened in Bloomington in 1955 at 1601 GE Road in then-rural east Bloomington. ...

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German Evangelical Church

This collection includes newsletters, bulletins, anniversary booklets with church histories, ne...

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Grand Opera House

The Grand Opera House was built 1890-1891 and stood at 106-110 E. Market Street in Bloomington ...

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Gravestone Photographs

This photograph collection consists of four box books of gravestone photographs and associated ...

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Gridley Schools

The first school in the Village of Gridley was subscription-based, and it opened in 1859. The f...

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Helen Larkin Matchbook

Helen Joann Feger Larkin (1929-2011) graduated from Trinity High School in Bloomington and then...

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Helen Littleton Burns Postcard Collection

This remarkable collection is comprised of postcards sent to and collected by Helen Littleton B...

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Historical Markers

Historical markers such as plaques, cornerstones, and others have been used since at least the ...

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Holy Trinity Church and Schools

The first time the name "Holy Trinity" appears in the directories for Bloomington was...

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Home Sweet Home Mission

Billy Shelper founded the Home Sweet Home City Rescue Mission in 1917 after attending a Billy S...

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Houghton School

Houghton School received its name because it was situated on the Stephen Houghton farm. A fram...

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Illinois Central Railroad

The Illinois Central was a major carrier of passengers on its Chicago to New Orleans line and b...

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Illinois Soldiers' and Sailors' Children's School (ISSCS)

The Illinois Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Children’s School Collection is organized into six boxes co...

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Illinois Wesleyan University

Illinois Wesleyan University was founded in 1850, with its first building erected in its curren...

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Klemm’s Department Store

C. W. Klemm came to Bloomington in 1873 after having spent five years in Springfield, IL in the...

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Lake Bloomington Association

The Lake Bloomington Association formed to improve the Lake Bloomington Area and the surroundin...

Finding Aid

Lincoln School

This collection consists of a series of albums and notebooks relating to Abraham Lincoln Elemen...

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McLean County Bank Building

In 1853 the original McLean County Bank was founded as the first bank in Bloomington. It was ev...

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McLean County Courthouse Clock

A clock was installed in the courthouse tower in 1878, and that year it was decided that the be...

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McLean County Courthouses

Documents include general histories, newspaper articles, architects’ specifications, cornerston...

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McLean County Ethnographies

Illinois State University anthropology professor Dr. Rob Dirks collected essays from his studen...

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McLean County WWII Memorial

The WWII Memorial Committee was formed in the fall of 1994 after Normal Mayor Paul Harmon notic...

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Mennonite Hospital Newsletter

The establishment of Bloomington's Mennonite Hospital dates to 1919. By 1940, the hospital...

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Mennonite Hospital Nursing

The Mennonite School of Nursing was established as the Mennonite Sanitarium Training School in ...

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Miller Park

This collection contains various newspaper articles associated with Miller Park, programs from ...

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Money Creek Municipal

Money Creek Township included six square miles of land used for agriculture. The present-day Vi...

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Moraine View State Recreation Area

This collection includes newspaper clippings from 1941 through 1985, plus manuscript histories ...

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Moses Montefiore Temple

On May 14, 1882, a group of men of the Jewish faith met in Bloomington “for the purpose of form...

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Multiple Listing Service

Multiple listing service (MLS) is a set of services that real estate brokers use determine how ...

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Murray & Carmody Funeral Home

Frederick E. Murray, undertaker, opened his funeral or memorial home at 914 N. Main Street, Blo...

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Normal Avenue Neighborhood Club

The Normal Avenue Neighborhood Club was formed in the Spring of 1931 by Irene Buzzard and Elsie...

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Normal Community High School

This collection contains course catalogs, PTA booklets, school publications, programs from play...

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Normal Theater

The Normal Theater was built by Sylvan and Ruth Kupfer, who owned the 209 North Street lot wher...

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Old House Society

The Old House Society is a nonprofit organization in McLean County devoted to the preservation ...

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Old North Normal Historic District Association

Old North Normal is the oldest intact area of continuous residential development north of Illin...

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Old Settlers Association of Eastern McLean County

From 1885 to 1915, self-described “old settlers” of eastern McLean County held an annual picnic...

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Olde Towne Neighborhood Association

The Olde Towne Neighborhood Association was formed in 1997 as a non-profit organization. The ge...

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One O’Clock Schoolers Club

The One O’Clock Schoolers Club is a social club whose members reside in or resided in the 500-6...

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Patton Cabin

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

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People’s Bank

The Peoples Bank was first incorporated in March 22, 1869, with George W. Parks as President an...

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Phoenix Family and Nursery

Materials in the Phoenix collection cover the history of the Phoenix family and its nurseries i...

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Putman, Dale and Ruth of Pleasant Hill

Pleasant Hill was founded in the 1840s by Isaac Smalley. He held aspirations that Pleasant Hil...

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Restaurant Menu

This collection includes menus, placemats, and materials relating to the history of many curren...

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Rutledge School (Downs Township)

Rutledge School District was laid out in 1862, but not organized until 1867. The school was nam...

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Sister City Asahikawa

This collection contains correspondence, budgets, fundraiser information, newspaper clippings, ...

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St. John’s Lutheran Church

This collection contains biographical information, historical information, directories, bulleti...

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St. Joseph’s Hospital

In March 1880, members of the Sisters of the Order of St. Francis purchased the two-story Waddl...

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Stanford High School Alumni

Stanford High School, Stanford, IL, Allin Township, dates to 1890. In 1920, area voters establi...

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Stanford Schools

The Stanford school district was organized in 1869. Stanford High School dates to 1890. In 1920...

Finding Aid

State Farm Building

The State Farm Building in downtown Bloomington, the tallest building in the downtown area, has...

Finding Aid

Steak N Shake

Steak n Shake was founded by Gus Belt in Normal in 1934. He converted a gas station / chicken ...

Finding Aid

Stevenson Boyhood Home

Adlai E. Stevenson II (1900-1965) was Governor of Illinois 1949-1953, and the Democratic Party ...

Finding Aid

Stickrod’s Drug Store

According to Bloomington-Normal city directory listings, Elmer H. Stickrod established a drug s...

Finding Aid

Susie’s Cafe

The Susie in Susie’s Cafe was Elizabeth “Susie” Swearingen. The cafe was first located at 108 E...

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Uniquely Bloomington

In May 1999, the City of Bloomington created a semi-independent commission with city funding. T...

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University High School Reunions

Illinois State Normal University was established in 1857. In 1862 grade school and high school ...

Finding Aid

Village of McLean (Crain Research Project)

This collection includes a minimum of one page on each property in the Village of McLean. Infor...

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Vladimir/Canterbury Sister City Committee

Local citizen visits to the Soviet Union, the Portland-based Ground Zero Pairing Project and th...

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Vrooman

Carl Schurz Vrooman, son of Hiram and Sarah Buffington Vrooman, was born in Macon, Missouri, Oc...

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Vrooman Mansion - Theora Stark

The collection includes an array of materials relating to Mansion and to the Vrooman family. It...

Finding Aid

Wayman AME Church Archaeology

In the summer of 1992, an archeological excavation was conducted at the Wayman A.M.E. (African ...

Finding Aid

West Twin Grove Christian Church

The first meeting of what would eventually be West Twin Grove Christian Church was organized by...

Finding Aid

Western Avenue Community Center

Western Avenue Community Center (WACC) opened in 1926 when Reverend Frank Breen and a group of ...

Finding Aid

William B. Price—McLean County Courthouse

The Mclean County Courthouse, located in the main square (200 N. Main Street) of downtown Bloom...

Finding Aid

Withers Home

When Sarah B. Withers died in 1897, she left her home at 305 West Locust Street in Bloomington,...

Finding Aid

Wood, Lois Postcard

This is a collection of over 250 postcards collected by Lois Wood over the years to show life i...

Finding Aid

World's Columbian Exposition

The World's Columbian Exposition was a world's fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebr...

Finding Aid

Publications

5 items

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

Library of Congress...

Publication

History of Holy Trinity Parish, Bloomington, Illinois

Publication

Standing On The Corner: A Tour of the Architecture of Downtown Bloomington

The buildings profiled in this book offer a cross section of the architecture that was practice...

Publication

Wayman AME Church A 175 Year Jubilant Journey Book

We are on a “Jubilant Journey” that has covered 175 years of ministering in McLean County. We a...

Publication

Wayman AME Church: One Hundred Fifty Years Of History

History of Wayman AME Church, including past clergy and an archaeological dig of the Center St....

Publication

Speakers Bureau

2 items

Downtown Bloomington Architectural Tour

Speakers Bureau

Old McLean County Courthouse

Speakers Bureau

Videos

1 item

Lunch & Learn: A Fair to Remember - The History of McLean County Fairs

Video

Websites

1 item

QR Code Smart Phone Tour of Downtown Bloomington

Learn about downtown Bloomington's rich history through its buildings. Look for the QR cod...

Website