A significant Kickapoo settlement was located just outside Bloomington before the first European-American immigrants arrived in the early 1820s. Originally known as Blooming Grove, the hamlet of Keg Grove became the county seat of newly formed McLean County on December 25, 1830.
An officer on patrol noticed a fire at a laundry across the street from the municipal hall and police station in 1900. A large portion of downtown was destroyed when an arsonist set fire to a building only blocks away. When it came to rebuilding the neighborhood that had been destroyed, local architects George Miller and Paul O. Moratz came to the rescue.
Ray and Irene Denbesten established Denbesten Real Estate in 1977 in Bloomington, Illinois. Their daughter, Cathy Denbesten, is presently in charge of the business. If you're interested in buying or selling a house, call (309) 6662-4228 now.
For the first time ever, Judy Markowitz was elected Mayor of New York City in 1997. Downtown Bloomington got a new arena, and the city's performing arts facility started being restored during Markowitz's two tenure as mayor. As far as I know, Bloomington would also pass a gay rights law in 2002. Mboka Mwilambwe became the city's first black mayor in 2021.
As the state's fastest-growing metropolitan region, Bloomington-McLean County is home to both cities. There has been a 28% increase in the area's population between 1990 and 2006. When the U.S. Census Bureau performed a special count of Bloomington in February 2006, it showed a population of 74,975, an increase of 15.7% in less than six years. This was the city with the fastest growth.
City: The median income for a household in the city was $58,662. For a family, the median income was $81,166. This is how it worked out: Males made $56,597 on average compared to $38,190 for women. The city had a per capita income of $32,672. Families: 5.7 percent of families and 11.0 percent of the population were living below the poverty line. This included 12.6 percent of people under 18 and 6.3 percent of people who were 65 and older.
At the Bloomington Ice Center (formerly known as Pepsi Ice Center), the Bloomington Parks & Recreation Department operates an indoor public skating rink, which is 200 feet wide by 85 feet long. Skate rentals and concessions are available, as are instruction and public skating sessions. There is also a hockey program and leagues for anyone interested in learning the sport of curling.
Until 2006, the U.S. Cellular Coliseum was called the Grossinger Motors Arena. It opened in 2006, and it is now home to the Bloomington Edge of the Indoor Football League. It was also home to the PrairieThunder hockey team and the Blaze hockey team. 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 for youth hockey programs in the area. Since it has more than 180,000 square feet (17,000 m2) of space, the Coliseum can hold about 7,00 people in its fixed seating area, but it can also hold more than 8,000 people for events. When the facility is used as a theater with a retractable curtain, it can seat 2,500 to 5,000 people. Since the Coliseum opened, it has been used for a wide range of events, including concerts, family shows, ice shows, motorsports, and trade shows.
A group called the Bloomington Parks & Recreation Department is made up of four parts: Parks, Recreation, Golf and the Miller Park Zoo. 44 parks and three golf courses make up the Department's 1,100 acres (4.5 km2) of land. They include: Airport Park, Atwood Wayside, Angler's Lake Nature Preserve, Bittner Park and Brookridge Park. They also include: Ewing Park 1, Ewing Park 2, EwingPark 3 and Fell AvenuePark. The Department also runs Lincoln Leisure Center and the Lincoln Recreation Center. The Department also runs the Lincoln Recreation Center and the Lincoln Recreation Center.
Tobacco use and alcohol use are forbidden in all parks. Pets on leashes are permitted in all parks. Water spray parks, complex playgrounds, miniature golf, baseball/softball diamonds, soccer fields, cricket grounds, and illuminated tennis courts are common features. Indoor tennis courts are available at Evergreen Racket. Park (west) and Holiday Park (east) include public swimming pools (east). Indoor pools are available in YMCAs and private fitness clubs.
The Bloomington-Normal Constitution Trail is a 24-mile-long (39-kilometer-long) running, walking, cycling, and rollerblading path that runs across most of the city on dedicated right-of-way. When the route crosses the major streets, bridges and tunnels are utilized to isolate it from traffic. From Kerrick Road in Normal to Grove Street in Bloomington, the north–south portion of the path follows the abandoned Illinois Central Gulf (ICG) railroad.
At Normal City Hall Annex, the east–west section crosses the north segment and continues east to Towanda–Barnes Road. From Commerce Drive to Old Farm Lakes Subdivision, the Liberty Branch runs. From Lincoln Street to Route 9 West, the Freedom Branch is located. Throughout the region, parking is accessible in nearby lots. Runners, walkers, in-line skaters, skateboarders, bicycles, wheelchair users, and other non-motorized modes of transportation are all welcome on the route. It is not cleaned of snow during the winter months, although skiers may use it if the weather permits.
Bloomington is home to Illinois Wesleyan University (1850) and a Heartland Community College campus (1990), whereas Normal is home to Illinois State University (1857). The American Passion Play is an annual spring event. Bloomington has museums dedicated to history and aviation, a zoo, and a summer Shakespeare festival, and the residence (1872) of Supreme Court associate judge David Davis is a state historic monument. Both Vice President Adlai E. Stevenson (1893–97) and his grandson, Illinois Governor Adlai E. Stevenson II, are buried at Evergreen Cemetery. In Shirley, southwest of the city, there is a gem and mineral museum. 1839 was the year of incorporation. (2000) 64,808 people; Bloomington-Normal Metro Area 150,433 people; (2010) 76,601 people; Bloomington-Normal Metro Area 169,572 people
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. Over twenty local performing arts groups call the facility home. The Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts hosts more than 400 performances and community activities each year.
In McPherson Hall's Jerome Mirza Theatre, the Illinois Wesleyan University School of Theatre Arts showcases its skills. Every year, four main stage plays are chosen from a playbill that includes anything from Shakespeare to musicals, and they are produced here. McPherson Hall, was opened in 1963 and is named after IWU's 10th President, Harry W. McPherson, has a 300-seat theater, a scene shop, classrooms, and other amenities.
Music majors and other IWU students use the Westbrook Auditorium every year. Most concerts are free and open to the public, and there are a lot of different types of musical performances that happen each semester.
In 2011, USA Ballet celebrated its 21st year as an international ballet company. USA Ballet offers children's seminars and outreach activities, and performs three times a year at Illinois Wesleyan University's McPherson Theatre.
Into its 92nd season, American Passion Play is America's longest running Passion Play. The Passion Play, set in Palestine, is presented each spring at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts in Bloomington, Indiana.
When it was completed in May of that year, the Miller Park Pavilion & War Memorial was re-dedicated after being repaired in 1977. Central Illinois people killed or missing in action in Korea and Vietnam are listed on red walkways around the black granite monument.
The David Davis Mansion gives visitors a look into the life of Abraham Lincoln's friend and mentor, David Davis, who served on the United States Supreme Court and was a crucial figure in Lincoln's 1860 presidential campaign. The Davis Mansion, built in 1872, is a model of mid-Victorian design and elegance, combining Italianate and Second Empire architectural aspects. His Bloomington house, which was passed down through three generations, had all of the contemporary amenities of the time: a coal-burning furnace, gas lights, and indoor plumbing. On the National Register of Historic Places, the David Davis Mansion is a historic landmark.
The house is a predecessor to contemporary residences and comfort systems, and a reminder of Illinois' significance in American history during Abraham Lincoln's presidency. A Tea Ladies Inc. presentation at the estate may also be arranged.
An audio driving tour named Lincoln's Bloomington and Normal, Illinois is available through the McLean County Museum of History. President Abraham Lincoln is portrayed as a returning guest on the CD-based audio tour, discussing the locations he visited and their significance. The audio tour covers Kersey Fell's Law Office, where Jesse Fell advised Lincoln run for president; the house of Asahel Gridley, Lincoln's friend and client in a defamation action; the Miller-Davis Building, where Lincoln practiced law; and 14 more places, all written and performed by James Keeran.
The Bloomington-Normal Area Convention and Visitors Bureau runs Twin City Tours of Bloomington and Normal every month. The McLean County Museum of History is where the tours start and end.
Eastland Mall is the main shopping center in Bloomington. This is where most people go to shop. It has a lot of stores, as well as a lot of fun things to do, like shopping and eating. Eastland Mall has a lot of stores, as well as a lot of fun things to do like going to the movies and playing games. As a result, the mall has been going downhill in the last few years. This is in line with the general decline of shopping malls in the United States.
The city's expansion has pushed it into a second district, McLean County Unit District No. 5. Despite the fact that Unit Five used to serve mostly suburban regions, including Normal, the bulk of its students now come from Bloomington. Unit Five is responsible for two high schools (Normal Community High School and Normal Community West High School), as well as four junior high schools and a number of elementary schools. Unit Five was in the process of building its fourth junior high school, George Evans Junior High School, or EJHS, as of 2010. In addition to the high school, Unit 5 built two new primary schools in Bloomington and anticipates the need for another high school.
Many private schools are located in Bloomington, including Central Catholic High School, Corpus Christi Catholic School Elm/Jr, Epiphany Elm/Jr, Trinity Lutheran School, and Cornerstone Christian Academy. Metcalf Elm./Jr. School and University High School, both situated on the campus of Illinois State University, are available to Bloomington students.