Bloomington is a city in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the seat of McLean County, which was formed in 1830, and is in the middle of the state. In the north, it's next to Normal. It's about a third of the way between Chicago and St. Louis, Missouri. For a while, the area was called Keg Grove because of its wildflowers. Later, it was called Blooming Grove because of the wildflowers. During the year 1831, the town was laid out and was changed to Bloomington. At Major's Hall in Bloomington, Illinois, in 1856, Abraham Lincoln gave his famous "lost speech" on slavery at the start of a convention to form the Republican Party in Illinois. A plaque commemorates the site. In this part of the country, there are a lot of corn and soybean fields. The city is also home to a lot of livestock, insurance, and the production of candy and vacuum cleaners.
During the early 1800s, the Kickapoo people lived in a large grove near the Bloomington area. Before the first European settlers came to the area, the Kickapoo lived there. On December 25, 1830, when McLean County was formed, Bloomington was chosen as the county seat. It came from the settlement of Keg Grove, which later became Blooming Grove.
All over the world, people came to trade and do business in the town's center, which is now called Downtown Bloomington. Abraham Lincoln, who was working as a lawyer in Springfield near the town, was one of them, too. A well-known Bloomington resident, Jesse W. Fell, came up with the idea for Lincoln-Douglas debates in 1854 and played a big role in getting Lincoln to run for President.
Bloomington grew steadily over the first two decades of the twentieth century. Agriculture, highway and railroad building, and the expansion of the insurance industry (primarily State Farm Insurance) all had an impact on Bloomington's growth and downtown area. The downtown area grew into a regional retail destination, drawing visitors from neighboring counties. The power of labor unions expanded.
Ray and Irene Denbesten founded Denbesten Real Estate in 1977. Cathy Denbesten, their daughter, now runs it. Call them at (309) 6662-4228 for assistance purchasing or selling a house.
A woman and Jewish person were the first to be mayor of New York City. Judy Markowitz was elected in 1997. As Mayor, Markowitz built an arena in downtown Bloomington and started to fix up the city's performing arts center during his two terms in the job. Bloomington would also pass a gay rights law in 2002. It was 2021 when Mboka Mwilambwe became the first black mayor of the city.
As of the 2010 census, there were 76,610 people living in the city. There were 30,454 homes in the city. 2,814.8 people lived in each square mile (1,099.5/km2). Average density was 1,261.5 units per square mile (492.8 units per km2). There were 34,339 housing units in the area. People in the city were 77.5 percent white, 10.2 percent African American, 0.3 percent Native American, 7.0 percent Asian, 1.42 percent from other races, and 2.9 percent from two or more races, according to a report. Hispanic or Latino people of any race made up 5.6 percent of the people in the country.
Bloomington and McLean County are the state's fastest expanding metro areas. From 1990 to 2006, the area's population grew 28%. Bloomington has had the most rapid expansion, with a population of 74,975 in February 2006, up 15.7% in less than six years.
Families in the city made an average of $81,166, with a median family income of $58,662. The median income for men was $56,597, while the median income for women was $39,190. The city's average annual income was $32,672. 5.7 percent of households and 11.0 percent of the population were living below the poverty line, including 12.6 percent of those under the age of 18 and 6.3 percent of those over 65.
The Bloomington Ice Center (Formerly Pepsi Ice Center) is an indoor public ice skating rink managed by the Bloomington Parks & Recreation Department, with a full-size ice sheet of 200' by 85'. Ice skating classes, public skating sessions, a complete hockey program, learn to curl and curling leagues, skate rental, and a snack stand are all available at the facility.
When the Grossinger Motors Arena opened in 2006, it was called the U.S. Cellular Coliseum. It is now home to the Bloomington Edge of the Indoor Football League and used to be home to teams from the Central Hockey League. This rink has been home to the Central Illinois Flying Aces of the U.S. Hockey League since 2014. It also hosts some games for the club hockey team at Illinois State University and youth hockey programs in the area. In total, the Coliseum has more than 180,000 square feet (17,000 m2) of space. The Coliseum has a fixed seating capacity of 7,000, but it can hold more than 8,000 for special events. When the facility is used as a theater with a retractable curtain, it can be set up to seat 2,500-5,000 people in a more intimate way. As long as the Coliseum has been open, it has been used for a wide range of events, from concerts to family events and trade shows.
Citizens for a New Public Library forms a Friends of the Library organization in 1976 to lobby for voter approval of bonds to fund a new public library. The effort was successful, and the library reopened as "Bloomington Public Library." in 1977, at 205 East Olive Street. Currently, the library provides a variety of public services, including a Bookmobile that distributes to local areas, which was initially established in 1926 as Library on Wheels.
This department is divided into four sections: Parks, Recreation, Golf and the Miller Park Zoo. Airport Park, Alton Depot Park, Angler's Lake Nature Preserve, Atwood Wayside, Bittner Park, Brookridge Park, Buck-Mann Park, Clearwater Park, Eagle Crest Park, Emerson Park, Evergreen Park, Ewing Park 1, 2, 3, Fell Avenue Park, Forrest Park, Franklin Park, Friendship Park, Highland Park Golf Course, Holiday Park, Lincoln Leisure Center
We love the zookeeper interaction at Miller Park Zoo. Sun bears, reindeer, sea lions, red pandas, lemus, bald eagles, pallas cats, and red wolves are among the zoo's residents. ZooLab, Children's Zoo, Animals of Asia and the Katthoefer Animal Building are among the zoo's attractions. It is located in the Tropical America Rainforest.
Normal City Hall Annex is where the east–west segment meets the north segment. It goes east to Towanda-Barnes Road. A branch called the Liberty Branch starts on Commerce Drive and ends at the Old Farm Lakes Subdivision, which is near there. The Freedom Branch starts at Lincoln Street and ends at Route 9 West. This is where the branch goes. Parking is available in nearby parking lots all over the area. Walkers and runners, as well as skateboarders and cyclists, are welcome on the trail. Wheelchair users, in-line skaters, skateboarders, and other people who don't use motorized vehicles are also welcome. Skiers can go there if the weather is good enough.
The Genevieve Green Gardens at Ewing Cultural Center were dedicated in 2007 as part of the Illinois State University's 150th anniversary celebration. Architects and landscape designers from all over the world worked together to make the gardens a reality, with help from the late Bruce V. Green, an avid gardener who gave $5.2 million to start the project. The gardens include a new public entry which directs visitors to a formal plaza, the entrance to the manor, grass patio, theater walk with a widened walkway and additional plantings.
It is the centerpiece of Bloomington's new Cultural District, which also includes the McLean County of the Arts Center, a festival park, and a center for the arts in education that will open in 2017. More than two dozen local performing arts groups call the facility their base of operations. The Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts hosts more than 400 performances and community activities every year.
Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts hosts the Illinois Symphony Orchestra's five Masterworks, two Pops, and three Chamber Orchestra performances each year.
An arts center in central Illinois has been around for more than 130 years. The McLean County Arts Center is one of the oldest arts groups in the Midwest. Each year there are 12 art shows, like the Holiday Treasurers exposition and sale and the annual Amateur Competition and Exhibition, which has been going on for more than 70 years. The Arts Center also helps out with a lot of community events, like the Sugar Creek Arts Festival in Uptown Normal and the Spring Bloom Arts Festival in Bloomington, which are both in the area.
The Illinois Wesleyan University School of Theatre Arts houses its talent within the Jerome Mirza Theatre at McPherson Hall. Four main stage plays are shown here each year, chosen from a playbill that includes everything from Shakespeare to musicals. McPherson Hall, which was finished in 1963, is named after IWU's 10th President, Harry W. McPherson. It has a 300-seat theater, a scene shop, classrooms, and other things.
Westbrook Auditorium serves around 200 music majors and several hundred IWU students annually. Each semester, many musical performances of different styles are performed, usually with public seating.
Pavilion at Miller Park
In 1977, the Miller Park Pavilion and War Memorial was repaired and reopened. It was reopened in May 1988. Among the red sidewalks are the names of Central Illinois residents who died or were missing in action in the Korean and Vietnam wars. The black granite memorial is surrounded by them.
Abraham Lincoln's friend and mentor David Davis was a Supreme Court Justice who was instrumental in his 1860 presidential campaign. A mid-Victorian style and taste model, the Davis Mansion was built in 1872. It has a coal stove, gas lighting, and indoor plumbing, and has been in the Davis family for three generations. The David Davis Mansion is a National Register Historic Landmark.
There are just a few examples of Moorish Revival architecture in Illinois, and the Montefiore synagogue is one of the oldest synagogues in the United States.
The house serves as a reminder of the pivotal role Illinois played in the nation's history during Abraham Lincoln's presidency, as well as a predecessor to contemporary dwellings and comfort systems. Special Tea Ladies Inc. events may also be arranged at the estate.
Lincoln's Bloomington and Normal, Illinois is a driving trip offered by the McLean County Museum of History. President Abraham Lincoln is shown in the CD-based audio tour as a returning guest who discusses his visits to various locations and the significance they have. With narration by James Keeran, the tour takes you to the law office of Jesse Fell, who first suggested that Lincoln run for president, the home of Asahel Gridley, a close friend and Lincoln's client when the latter was sued for slander, the Miller-Davis Building where Lincoln practiced law, and 14 other places of significance.
The Bloomington-Normal Area Convention and Visitors Bureau conducts monthly Twin City Tours. Tours start at the McLean County Museum.
Beer Nuts Brand Snacks are solely produced in Bloomington, Illinois. It is possible to take a video tour of the Beer Nuts Brand Snacks facility in Bloomington, as well as learn more about its history.
Two public school districts serve Bloomington. School District 87 serves the city's interior, with one high school (Bloomington High), one junior high (Bloomington Junior High), six elementary schools (Oakland Washington Bent Irving Sheridan Stevenson) and one pre-school (Sarah Raymond Preschool)... (named for the first female superintendent for Bloomington).
There are 2,100 students at Illinois Wesleyan University, which was established in 1850. The student/faculty ratio is 12 to 1. For a long time, it was a part of the United Methodist Church. The College of Liberal Arts has 17 academic departments; the College of Fine Arts has professional schools of art, music, and theatre; and the School of Nursing is part of the university. The College of Liberal Arts is divided into three divisions. The five-story Ames Library, the Center for Natural Science, and the Shirk Center for Athletics and Recreation have all been added at Illinois Wesleyan in the last decade. There have been more than 100 athletes from Illinois Wesleyan University elected to the Academic All-American team since 1970. Hairmasters Institute of Cosmetology offers classes in pivot point hair sculpture, hair design and long hair design, hair texture, hair color, people skills and salon management training.
The McLean County Museum of History, with its majestic dome, marks the city's historic centre. The courthouse plaza is surrounded by historic structures. An array of speciality retail companies and related services are available to visitors. There are several restaurants and a busy nightlife.
Downtown Bloomington, IL is home to City of Bloomington and McLean County government buildings, as well as a variety of specialized shops, pubs, restaurants, and art galleries.