McLean County, Illinois - The whole text, 1879 (part 10 of 42)

"In 1836, Gen. Bartholomew laid out a little town and called it Clarksville, not far from Lexington ; but that town, like the one in Big Grove, was a failure. Mr. James Brown and myself laid out Lexington, sixteen miles north of Bloomington ; that was a good location and they have a fine town there.

The Bankruptcy Law

" The bankruptcy law of 1840 took effect in the spring of 1841, and cost a man about $25 to get through. Every person that had done any kind of business here was entirely used up.

" All the bankruptcy business was done at Springfield, in the court there ; and I had fifty-one cases in that court from this section of the country. Every man that had been engaged in business here took the benefit of the law.

" The assignee's labors were light as the assets were small, and sometimes they were nothing, as everybody was broken up, and book accounts were of no value whatever.

" In those days, when we run a mill by horse-power, the horses walked on a large round platform, and the horse kept on walking but never got any farther. Mr. Solomon Dodge got a notion into his head that by putting a wagon heavily loaded with stone in place of the horses, it would answer the same purpose. So he fixed up his mill, and on a certain day he gave notice that all would be ready to start. On that day, people flocked from far and wide to see the wonderful new motive power. Well, he got everything ready, and yelled out to his brother to cut the string which held the wagon-tongue to the side of the building, and to his utter amazement the mill stood as still as when the wagon was tied up. The adventure was a failure.

" Jesse W. Fell was the first lawyer, Welcome P. Brown was the second and Judge David Davis was the third. George S. Markley was the fourth, and then came Albert Dodd and myself. Albert Dodd was drowned in the Mackinaw while coming home from a political convention in 1840. The first Court House was a small frame building, and set in the middle of the square, in the same spot where our present magnificent Court House now stands. It was only a one-story structure, and was built at a cost of $300. The first Court was held in a part of Dr. Stipp's house. Judge Lockwood presided. The Court was not in session over five minutes - there was no business to be done.

" John H. Pugh, John T. Stuart and several others that have taken prominent parts in our history, were in attendance at that Court. The new brick Court House was built in 1836. Mr. Munsell, of Paris, Edgar County, was the contractor. Judge SD. Lockwood was the first Judge. Judge Treat succeeded him. Judge Logan was here for a short time, perhaps for two terms of Court. Judge David Davis succeeded him. The district comprised at that time about sixteen counties. After Judge Davis was appointed on the Supreme Bench by President Lincoln, Judge John M. Scott was elected in his place, and he was our Circuit Judge until he was elected to the Supreme Court of this State, and he was succeeded by Judge Thomas F. Tipton, and he was followed by Judge Otis T. Reeves, who is still our Judge for this district.

" Col. Baker practiced here, and was one of the most eloquent speakers I ever heard. Judge Davis practiced law, before his election to the Judgeship, in partnership with Wells Colton, who afterward moved to St. Louis and was killed there in the great fire of 1849. He had a great deal of ability, and had an excellent legal mind, and would have been a very prominent man in the legal profession if he had lived. Gen. Covel came to Bloomington in May, 1831. He was Postmaster for a time, and Clerk of the Circuit Court for many years. He went to Washington to take a position under Polk, in about 1845, and died while there. He was an upright and honest man.

" Col. E. D. Baker was the finest speaker there was at the bar. He was truly an eloquent man. While he was in partnership with me, he never examined any case or prepared any himself, and, in the financial part, he never looked at the books, but came to me and took it for granted that everything was all right. I remember one case that we were very much interested in (and one of his prominent traits was his great fondness for ladies' society), and we desired him to make a careful examination of the papers. In the evening, we had a gathering at our house. I put the papers in my pocket, and, during the evening, I had him come out in another room to look over the papers. He took them, put them in his pocket without examining them, and, to my surprise, he knew as much about them as though he had given them a careful and thorough examination ; but that was one of the peculiar characteristics of the man, and I never saw a man that could equal him in summing up a case.

Abraham Lincoln

" Abraham Lincoln was one of the first lawyers that practiced at this bar. When Mr. Lincoln had a good case, he was invincible ; when he had a poor case, or one in which he thought he had not justice on his side, I would rather be against him than any man I know. When he had an idea that he was in the wrong, he could not take practiced at this Court. He never amounted to much as a lawyer ; that is to say, he never took rank with Lincoln and Baker. Douglas was District Attorney for this District. When he came here he always stayed with me, and always, up to the time of his death, we were warm personal friends. As a man, he was honorable and just. As District Attorney he was not a success, and I don't believe he convicted one case out of ten that he was interested in.

" I was elected to the Legislature in 1840. Welcome P. Brown was my opponent. In that memorable campaign, we got up a monster procession and went from here to Peoria. We had a large canoe, hewn out of a tree, and put on wheels, and in it we had twelve of the soldiers of the war of 1812. The canoe was drawn by twelve horses. We stopped in all the towns on the way - Mackinaw, Tremont and others - and held meetings there, and they were good ones, too. Everybody turned out. I don't know of any of these soldiers now living. * * *

The Illinois Central Railroad

"At the time of fixing the location of the Illinois Central Railroad, in 1851, I was in the Senate. There I met Robert Rantoul, and, by an arrangement with him, I secured the location of the road within five miles of the line of Town 22, Range 2 east, which brought it to within two miles of Bloomington, and on the same line as Decatur and Clinton. They had to build fifty miles of the road within two years from the time they obtained the charter, and they built that fifty miles from La Salle to Bloomington. There was a great pressure brought to bear. They first contemplated building the road from Cairo up the Wabash, then to G-alena; then again, they were worked upon by another element to run the road by another line, taking in Peoria and Springfield ; the strong point in favor of the last proposed route was that they would have a paying trade much sooner than by any other line they could run. It was true they would not get so much land, but the increase in trade, at the outside, would more than pay for the difference in the amount of land. At the time the Illinois Central Railroad came into Bloomington, we had a population of 2,500 inhabitants. The Chicago & Alton Railroad was built from Springfield to Bloomington in 1854. The name of the road at that time was Chicago & Mississippi Railroad.

Banking

"I commenced banking in Bloomington in March, 1853. The charter for the McLean County Bank was obtained in March, 1853, and was to run twenty-five years. My partners at the time were J. Young Scammon and J. A. Burch, but, before the end of two years, I owned the entire stock. My deposits for the first five years were about $200,000. The next thing in that line was a kind of broker's office, started by John R. Smith & Co., and their place of business was where Phoenix Block now stands. But the next regular bank that was established here was the La Fayette Bank, southwest corner of Center and Jefferson streets, in the year 1857. In the first place, I had Missouri State bonds, but they commenced to decline and I exchanged them for Illinois bonds and lost $12,000. John R. Smith held on to his and lost by it. If he had exchanged them when I did, it would have been better for him. The amount of bank capital invested here in Bloomington now is about $800,000. After the State Bank broke, we had wild-cat banks, and plenty of them. We had some gold and silver, but coin did not circulate very much at that time. Out of one hundred banks, ninety of them were wild-cat. All that many of these banks had to depend on to keep them running was their deposits. They would take their bank-bills and place them in the hands of brokers to pay out, and they would leave their bonds as security ; so, in reality, they got nothing, and the brokers made all the money there was made. There was a man by the name of Jones who owned twelve different wild-cat banks.

Jesse W. Fell

" He came to Bloomington a year later than I did, in the year 1832. He gave his attention to the practice of the law about two years after he came here, after which time he engaged largely in land operations, becoming interested in lands in the county of McLean, and also in the county of Cook, in the immediate neighborhood of Chicago. If he had continued in the legal profession and used the same energy that he did in his other public enterprises, he would have made his mark among the legal talent of the State and country. A man of indomitable will, thorough business qualifications, fine intellect, worthy of any trust, and whom I have known now forty years and known him intimately, and he stands without a blemish or blot on his character as a citizen and friend. ASHAEL GRIDLEY."

From the time when Blooming Grove was a part of Fayette County, till some time after the laying-out of the town of Bloomington, the local government was in the hands of County Commissioners, aided slightly by what were called precinct organizations. The voting was done by precincts, and a Justice of the Peace and a Constable voted for in each, after the year 1827 - and these, with some other little affairs, were attended to at the elections - but the main business was done at the county seat by the Commissioners. The first precincts were formed in Fayette County in 1826. In 1831, in McLean County, Blooming Grove Precinct was almost one-quarter as large as the county is now. It then contained over six townships, but it was afterward made smaller. Voting was always done in Bloomington, after 1829, even after the organization of the village. Then when the city was formed it was the same - all State and county elections being held under the precinct government. Under the township organization, in 1858, and ever since, it has continued in the same manner down to the present time.

In 1857, township organization was adopted in McLean County, and the new town governments were set in motion April 6, 1858. The new system was inaugurated by the election of the following Board, many of whom are historic characters, whose names often occur in our annals : Supervisor, John E. McClun ; Assistant Supervisor, David Simons ; Collector, John L. Routt, recently Governor of Colorado ; Assessor, W. H. Hodge. Mr. John N. Larrimore was Town Clerk, and filled the office more than twelve years. The Justices were Z. Lawrence, S. B. Brown, M. H. Hawks, S. Johnson and Henry S. Herr. The Constables were John W. Allin, John W. Haggard, Alexander Steele, James Taffee and Norvel Dixon. This system of town government has continued with very little change, down to the present time. The township of Bloomington now elects six members of the County Board of Supervisors. For the year 1879, these are Peter Whitmer, Supervisor ; Assistants, George P. Davis, Duncan M. Funk, W. T. M. Miller, A. Brokaw and Isaac Lash. In 1850, the total population of Bloomington Township was 1,554 ; in 1860, it was 6,930 ; in 1870, it was 14,590, of whom 3,898,

The township is six miles square, and includes nearly every acre of what was formerly Blooming Grove. The city of Bloomington includes only about four square miles of Bloomington Township, and it takes in also about one square mile from the township of Normal - hence, we find the name Bloomington applies to a large tract of land - about thirty-seven square miles in all, but has a different meaning when used as a city, from what it has when the township is intended to be understood ; a fact that causes considerable trouble at our different elections.

The valuation of Bloomington Township, as equalized by the County Board in July, 1878, is $3,920,498. This is probably one-half of the actual value, assessments being now made in about that proportion. This valuation includes only the city and township as found lying within the six-miles-square territorial township.

The County School Superintendent's report for 1878, shows a total of 361 children enrolled in the public schools of this township outside of the city. Of children of school age, under twenty-one years old, there are 761 . The total expenditures for the schools for the same period were $4,406. The township school fund amounts to $6,264. There are nine district schools, and the schoolhouses are valued at $10,000. Thomas J. Bunn is Township School Treasurer. Taxes are very light in the township, but very heavy in all that portion which lies within the city corporation ; and, from all we can learn, we believe those living outside of the city limits are very well contented with township organization, which, while it includes also the city, allows the city Board of Education to manage the schools, and the city government to control the police and other matters.

Town Or Village Organization

It has been impossible to learn the history of the first organization of the corpora tion of Bloomington. The original town site, bounded by North, East, West and Front streets, was enlarged in 1831 by an addition platted by James Allin ; and other additions, to the number of over fifty, have been made from time to time.

As early as 1838, there was a town, or, more properly; a village organization of all the territory included in the original town and its additions, with a Board of Trusteesr President and a Clerk. Seth Baker was President in 1838. There was an act of the Legislature passed in 1838, relating to the government of the "town of Bloomington," and this act was afterward amended, with a proviso that it should be voted upon by the people of Bloomington. This was done, and a Board of Trustees elected, who took their offices on the 1st day of July, 1843. A full record of their proceedings was kept by Merritt L. Covell, who was the Clerk, and from this date we find complete records at our City Clerk's office. Bailey H. Coffey, M. H. Hawks, John Magoun, James T. Walton and William Gillespie were the Trustees ; Matthew H. Hawks was chosen President ; Wells Colton was made Attorney, Joshua H. Harlan, Treasurer, and William McCullough, Constable. It appears that a " grocery license " was placed at $25 per year, and that during the year 1843 there was only one " grocery " licensed. This would indicate that our " city fathers " did not know how to run a town on temperance principles much better than their successors.

We find there was no City Hall in those days, as, November 20, 1844, the Trustees met at the stofe of A. J. Merriman ; December 24, another meeting convened at the store of M. H. Hawks, while, May 14 of the next year, the meetings were held at the County Court House. In the year 1845, the total amount of taxes to be collected for the year was only $82.

In 1847, the Western Whiff was the official organ. In 1848, we find the Trustees were John Foster, John N. Ewing, W. G. Thompson, George W. Minier and C. P. Merriman. The latter gentleman was chosen President, and A. J. Merriman, Clerk and Treasurer. Mr. G-eorge W. Minier, then teacher of a seminary or select school, now living at Minier, Tazewell Co., 111., was village President in 1848, and John M. Scott, now Justice of the Supreme Court of this State, was the Clerk. An election was held March 5, 1850, "for or against" incorporation as a city. There were 164 votes for the city charter, and 26 votes against. This might be taken as indicating a small population, not over one thousand, but there must have been a light vote, as we learn that at a census taken in 1850, by William McCullough, the total number of inhabitants was 1,611.

City Organization

After the varying experience of precinct and town or village governments, the rapid growth of Bloomington required for its proper development a full and complete city government with all its powers and capabilities, and in 1850 the change occurred. Rev. David I. Perry was the first Mayor, and the first Aldermen were Jay N. Ward, Bailey H. Coffey, William Gillespie and E. Thomas. John M. Scott was City Clerk and Attorney. The succession of Mayor and Aldermen has continued without interruption from that day to the present. Improvements were made gradually at first, consisting of sidewalks and better streets, followed soon by fire-engines, street-lamps, police and the numerous conveniences of a city life. The city of Bloomington pursued at first a very conservative, economical course. Until after 1866, there was no debt. All improvements were paid for out of current taxation. Its present debt of $120,000 is mainly in 8-per-cent bonds, two-thirds of it being the cost of the Water Works. The school debt is managed by the government called the Board of Education, which is independent of the City Council.

From what we can learn of the history of our city government, it appears to have been constantly growing in the confidence and respect of the public, and its offices were generally filled with honorable gentlemen.

The present members of the City Council are: First Ward - Nelson C. Sweeney, term expires 1881 ; Josiah Richardson, term expires 1880. Second Ward - William Condon, term expires 1881 ; L. Seibert, term expires 1880. Third Ward - William W. Stevenson, term expires 1881 ; Enoch J. Moore, term expires 1880. Fourth Ward - Peter Rockwell, term expires 1881 ; William Maddux, term expires 1880. Fifth Ward - Daniel Hegarty, term expires 1881 ; Patrick Keating, 1880. Sixth Ward - John W. Evans, term expires 1881 ; Frank White, term expires 1880. The following are the present " appointed " officers of the city : Peter Rockwell, Acting Mayor ; B. D. Lucas, Attorney ; Samuel W. Waddle, Clerk ; Charles W. Robinson, Treasurer ; Ira Merchant, Engineer and Commissioner of Sidewalks ; Uri O. Andrus, Street Commissioner ; Marion X. Chuse, Chief Engineer Fire Department and Superintendent WaterWorks; John Dawson, Health Commissioner; Matt. C. Smith, Oil Inspector; William Clarke, City Weigher ; William Riebe, City Sexton ; Adam Guthrie, James B. Sargent, Assessors ; Sebastian Hohman, J. B. Chipman, Collectors ; James Stone, Special Collector ; Elliott S. Miller, Marshal ; J. P. Butler, Captain of Night Police ; J., E. Bentley, Sergeant of Police.

The city records have been kept with great care and accuracy from the time when His Honor John M. Scott, was Clerk, in 1850, to the present, when Mr. Samuel W. Waddle takes care of the books. As our work is more to preserve that portion of our history which is not to be found readily accessible, we shall leave future historians most of the mine of information that is in the city records, untouched and intact. We might refer to the perfect organization of our City Government, every part of which, like a portion of some machine, is adjusted accurately to its neighbor, so that its operations are performed with scarcely ajar. The annual election brings into notice a little racket and noise, which is all the citizens generally ever hear of their municipal government. And yet, the doings of our city police and magistrates are of themselves of immense importance, while the fire department, the engineering service, and the annual expenditures on pavements, sewers, water works and streets, taken together, are of vastly more consequence than a large majority of the matters recorded in this history ; but, as above stated, the records of these are so perfectly preserved and so easy of access that we have thought best to confine our labors mainly to tracing up and recording incidents that might otherwise be forever lost.

A sketch of the history of the schools of Bloomington is incomplete unless it makes a reference to the great work of the past through the voluntary channels of private schools and seminaries.

It seems that when there were but three or four families in Blooming Grove, a school was started in 1823, by John W. Dawson in his own house, taught for two terms by Miss Delilah Mullen - the first teacher in McLean County. This private school was followed by a larger one, taught by W. H. Hodge in a schoolhouse built by subscription in the Orendorff neighborhood, and for many years the greater part, in most cases the whole, of the teacher's wages in this State was paid by subscription. W. H. Hodge taught at the Grove several winters, and there were also at different times other teachers at the same place. He opened a school in Bloomington village in 1831 : taught two weeks, and his term was finished by A. C. Washburne. For years after this, there was a combination of " free schools " and " pay schools." The public money formed the basis, and it was used under certain conditions, either in a wholly free school, or in one where those who were able and willing paid a subscription to help the good cause along.

These free schools were compai'atively unimportant, however, until a later date, the best schooling being obtained for many years from subscription schools. Mr. A. C. Washburne's school was kept up until 1834, when Mr. L. Foster's school became the leading institution, sometimes called " High School," often " The Seminary." Mr. Foster built a schoolhouse of his own, and is entitled to a high position among our early educators. Foster's Seminary is still standing in this city. It was built on Taylor street, second door west of Dr. Hill's residence. Rev. George W. Minier followed Mr. F. in 1847, and he was succeeded by Dr. Finley, of Jacksonville. Prof. D. Wilkins was here in 1852, organized a Board of Trustees, and gave the institution a high-sounding name - " The Central Illinois Female Seminary." For several years the school was quite well attended, young ladies being here from various towns and cities in the State. Prof. Wilkins purchased the Seminary, and was teaching there as late as 1857.

Miss Parsons kept a good school about this time, for the training of young ladies -T and there were at various dates other good private institutions of learning.

Rev. R. Conover's Bloomington Female Seminary, a Presbyterian institution, was for a long time a power in Central Illinois. It was started on Grove street (where the building now stands as a residence) in 1856, and continued in existence sixteen years. It often contained as high as ninety pupils, and during its life gave instruction to over one thousand young ladies. It was an institution of quite a high order, and would probably have been sustained permanently, but for the greater efficiency of the modern public schools as compared with those of the past.

In 1856, William T. Major built a fine building in the north part of town, which was used for several years as a Female Seminary of the Christian denomination, and was a flourishing institution. With praiseworthy liberality this noble man afterward presented the whole building and its ample grounds to the Christian denomination, on the sole condition of its being managed as a college. The attempt was made ; but from some cause, probably because of the rapid increase of such institutions, the college was not a success, and it reverted to Mr. Major or his heirs. It would be impossible to mention all the worthy schools and seminaries that have done good work in Bloomington, but we must give all of them much credit for what they have accomplished. At present, there are several small private schools. The largest one, the Academy of St. Joseph, taught by the Sisters of St. Dominic, under the charge of the Catholic Church, is on a permanent basis, as are also the several schools maintained by our German citizens.

For several years previous to 1857, the public schools had grown to be of considerable importance, but they were still in their infancy. They formed five different school districts within the city limits, containing about three hundred pupils, and the schools might be classed as " bad and indifferent," hardly rising to the grade of " good." On the 8th day of April, 1857, these districts were all consolidated, and placed in charge of the new Board of Education, and from that day the progress of our public schools has been rapid and permanent.

The first charter to establish and regulate a system of public schools in the city of Bloomington was granted by the Legislature of the State, February 22, 1857. This charter called for a biennial election in the city, by the qualified electors, of a Board of Education to consist of seven members. The charter provided for such an election to be held on the first Monday in April, A. D. 1857.

As the result of the election, the following-named gentlemen were declared by the City Council to constitute the first Board of the city : C. P. Merriman, R. 0. Warriner, 0. T. Reeves, E. R. Roe, Eliel Barber, Samuel Gallagher and Henry Richardson. The need of new schoolhouses was from the very first a matter of consideration by the Board, and at their meeting held April 11, 1857, it was voted " to build four new schoolhouses in different parts of the city, for the accommodation of schools, so soon as funds sufficient can be obtained."

The first estimate of the Board to the City Council called for $10,000, with which to erect a new school-building, and $2,000 in addition to the general school fund to defray the expenses of maintaining the schools of the city. As a result of the request for this estimate, the following communication was sent to the Board by the Council :

Whereas, The Board of Education having made a report to this Council, demanding a levy of a five-mill tax for school purposes, and it beiDg the opinion of this Council that said levy would be a burdensome and oppressive tax upon the people at the present time ; therefore, Resolved, That it is our bounden duty to respectfully decline an order for said levy.

As a result of this, the Board of Education employed Abraham Lincoln to take the necessary steps to procure from the Circuit Court a writ of mandamus to compel the Council to levy the tax as required of them by Section 8 of the School Law. The whole matter seems to have been amicably settled, however, by the Board presenting a memorial to the Council requesting them to reconsider the action.

In the year 1858, the first permanent school-building was completed, called for several years the High School Building. It is in the Fourth Ward, and its cost was a little over 86,000. It was thought to be a fine structure for the times, though enlarged considerably in 1870. The high school started in 1857, was taught for the first year in Wilkins Seminary, by J. A. Johnson, and it opened in the new building in 1858, taught by E. P. Clark. The next year, it was under the charge of H. M. Kellogg, who met his death in 1864 in one of the Vicksburg battles, at which time he was Captain of a company in the Thirty-third Regiment Illinois Volunteers. The progress of the high school has ever been onward and upward until the present time. It is now in a fine building erected in 1868, at a cost of over $30,000. The first graduating class consisted of two members in 1864, while that of 1877 contained over thirty. An act of the Legislature, accepted by vote of the people in 1865, and another act passed in 1866, greatly strengthened the Board of Education, and increased the public interest.

The total enrollment of pupils in the public school in the year 1878 was 3,395. The number of children ascertained to be in the whole city in the year 1879, under the age of twenty-one years, was 7,187. Number of teachers in the public school, 63. Total disbursement for schools for the year ending April 1, 1879, was $65,314. The cost of the school-buildings, apparatus, furniture and grounds has been over $228,000, worth now, probably, a little more than the present outstanding school debt, which is in the neighborhood of $100,000. The present Board of Education consists of Jacob Jacoby, A. E. Stevenson, F. M. Funk, E. H. Rood, T. J. Bunn, J. H. Rowell and Miss Georgiana Trotter. Miss Sarah E. Raymond is Superintendent. The first Superintendent was D. Wilkins, 1857 to 1859; in 1859, Gilbert Thayer; in 1860, Ira J. Bloomfield ; 1861, no superintendent; 1862, C. P. Merriman ; 1863, J. H. Burnham ; 1864, John Monroe; 1865 to 1867, John F. Gowdy; 1867 and 1868, A. H. Thompson; 1868 to 1872, S. M. Etter ; 1872 to 1874, S. D. Gaylord ; 1874 to the present time, Miss Sarah E. Raymond.

Besides the large school edifices called respectively, First, Third, Fourth, Fifth Ward and the High School buildings, there are several of less value in different places, making in all provision for most of the children who need schooling. Bloomington expends a very large sum of money for public education, and it behooves her citizens to look well to the management of the ample fund annuallv disbursed. The city stands upon record as being one of the first in this State to admit a lady as a member of its Board of Education, Miss Georgiana Trotter having been elected four years ago. Miss Raymond, the efficient Superintendent of our city schools, was one of the first ladies in Illinois to fill such a position. Our churches, our public schools and our higher institutions of learning are all well worthy of the pride of our citizens.

Churches That Have Dissolved

There have been almost innumerable attempts made in Bloomington to establish churches and religious societies by the different sects represented in the United States. People have arrived here from all the regions under the sun, apparently, and, on their arrival, have commenced looking around for the religious denomination to which they were most attached. It would be, indeed, interesting could we furnish a lull list of the different churches that have attempted to obtain a foot-hold. Even the Mormons have been represented, and at one time published a weekly newspaper here, printed at the Pantagraph office, edited by Mr. Haldeman, who has since moved to the State of Missouri. This journal was an organ of the Latter-Day Saints, or sect opposed to the Salt Lake Mormons. It is impossible to obtain a full history, even of those churches now in existence here, and we do not pretend to anything more than a mere outline or sketch, and shall be well satisfied if we have made a few footsteps that shall lead in the direction we should like to travel. We will take a little space for mention of churches that have been formed and afterward given up their organizations, as these have had a share in the great work of Christianizing our community.

While the Presbyterian Church is the home of the large element known as the Orthodox Congregationalists, there was a time when a flourishing church of that denomination was in existence. As early as 1842, the Congregationalists had built a church at the northwest corner of Washington and Madison streets, and from that time to 1860, were quite powerful in the city. In 1858, they built a new church at the northeast corner West and Washington, which, under the pastoral care of Rev. L. Taylor, was very flourishing. In the hard times following, they were unable to pay a mortgage on their property, and lost their house of worship, which was purchased in 1885 by the Episcopalians.

For several years, the Reformed Presbyterians owned a church on Front street, where is now the residence of Mr. I. R. Krum ; but, owing to the removal from the city of quite a large portion of their membership, and for other reasons, their organization disappeared over ten years ago.

The Universalists had a church-building on Front street, and kept up their society for several years, during which quite a number of our most prominent citizens were members of the organization. Rev. F. J. Rriggs was the minister in charge for some time, and is still living in Bloomington. Many of its members went into the Free Congregational Church, and others have become connected with different churches or moved from the city.

For several years, the Methodists kept up an organized church called the West Charge. They had a pleasant house of worship at the southeast corner of Washington and West streets. After several years' trial, during a part of which time the Church was very flourishing, it was discovered that the interests of the denomination were best subserved by only one organization, and the building was sold, to be taken down and moved to New Rutland, on the Illinois Central Railroad.

In the year 1868, there was a church society that worshiped in Phoenix Hall, urder the charge of Rev. Dr. Reed, a very excellent minister of the Southern Methodist Church ; but the project of erecting a building was abandoned.

The first Christian Church was erected on East street, in the rear of Major's Hall, and for a time after the present church was erected, there were two Christian Churches in the city, both of which appeared quite powerful. About the year 1863, however, the two became merged in the present church, and the old one was sold to the German Lutherans, and now stands at the corner of Madison and Olive streets.

Our sketch merely hints at a few of the attempts that have been made to organize different churches in Bloomington. In fact, we have no doubt these sectarian efforts could be numbered by scores, and, if all were hunted up and catalogued, a very interesting chapter would be the result. We have referred to a few in order to bring prominently before our readers the fact that strenuous efforts have been made to cultivate the religious field. Of the good seed planted in the past, we are proud to record the evidences of the proper maturing of a fair proportion.

It is impossible to give even a tolerably correct sketch of the different churches of this city. In many cases the history of these institutions has not been preserved, and in others there have been such changes, suspensions, consolidations, divisions and removals that we despair of doing justice to the great subject. We give merely a few fragments, beseeching the charity and good-will of all who have ever attempted work of this character. The founders of Bloomington left no effort untried to affect favorably the morals and religion of this community. From their little means, needed so much for daily wants and improvements, they freely gave liberally toward building and supporting churches. They were inspired with zeal in the cause of the Master, were aided by the most active and self-denying ministry, and could see a promise of better days when the town should become more fully peopled with families of wealth and culture. Each denomination made great efforts for supremacy. All were equally active, and at this time we see the good results of the hard labors of the early Christians.

The pioneer of Christianity in this locality, was, of course, the Methodist Church. Mr. John Hendrix, who came to Blooming Grove in 1822, was a consistent, devoted Methodist, and for a long time his house was the preaching-place of the neighborhood. It appears he invited Rev. James Stringfield, who was visiting at Randolph Grove, from Kentucky, and this gentleman preached the first sermon in the limits of the town of Bloomington, in 1823, at Mr. Hendrix's cabin. Some think that Rev. Jesse Walker, the regular supply of the Peoria Circuit, should be entitled to the honor of preaching the first sermon, he having preached at Mr. Hendrix's house in 1824. Blooming Grove was made a preaching-place, in Peoria Mission, as early as 1824, during which year, at the house of John Hendrix, the first Methodist class was formed, which contained about ten members. This class was the Methodist Church of Blooming Grove, for several years. In 1831, preaching was commenced in the then new village of Bloomington, at the schoolhouse at the corner of Olive and Main streets, where the marble-shop now stands. Rev. William Crissey preached here in November, having previously delivered at least one sermon in the limits of Bloomington, which was on the 9th of October, 1831. There appears to have been a class organized here in Bloomington about the close of 1831, and until the year 1837, Bloomington and Blooming orrove were two distinct charges, when, under Rev. S. W. D. Chase, they were united. The two charges united in building a church at the southeast corner of Olive and Main streets, in 1836, when a plain building, 32x44 feet was built, under the charge of Rev. Zadoc Hall. Methodism grew and prospered at this location, until the year 1851, when the brick church, corner of Washington and East streets, was finished. This was a very large church for the times. Thomas Williams was contractor. This was occupied by the denomination from that date until 1875. About 1870, it bee ime apparent that this building was altogether inadequate for the accommodation of the rapidly-increasing congregation, and plans were made for the construction of the present church-building. On September 29, 1873, the corner-stone was laid with imposing ceremonies, under the direction of Bishop Wiley, of St. Louis. In October, 1875, the basement auditorium was completed, and appropriate dedication exercises were conducted by prominent ministers from this and other States, in the presence of an immense congregation. As an example of Methodist liberality, $9,000 were raised by subscription in less than two hours, at these exercises. This magnificent church-edifice, as it now stands, completed, is one of the beauties of Bloomington ; it is a model of architectural symmetry and beauty. The main auditorium is a spacious room, easy of access, with seating capacity for 1,250. It is handsomely decorated with appropriate designs. The basement auditorium is conveniently arranged, neatly finished and has seating capacity for 700. In addition to these, there are classrooms and various other apartments for the accommodation of the communicants. The society has recently purchased and placed in position an immense organ. It is the largest in the State, outside of Chicago. The total valuation of the church building and lot was estimated, three years ago, at $55,000. The total membership is something over 800. Its present Pastor is Rev. Mr. McElroy.

The University Methodist Church was organized October 7, 1867. It worships in the chapel of the University - a fine room, with capacity for 800, or with the gallery, which can be used if needed, an audience of 1,500 can be accommodated. There are about 250 church-members. Rev. J. A. Kumler is the Pastor in charge. This Church is a great convenience to the lay population in the north part of the city, especially to the students of the college.

The German Methodist Church is well established; is situated on Center street, between North and Market. It was organized in 1854, by Dr. J. Schmidt, of Quincy, 111. It is one of the earliest of any of the German organizations of Bloomington. Rev. J. H. Thomas is Pastor, and there are 110 members.

The African Methodist Church is on North Center street. It was organized in 1847, by Rev. P. H. Ward, and contains 100 members. Its first church-edifice was built in 1848, and, in 1859, it was removed to the side of the lot and has since been used as a parsonage. A new church was built in that year, which was considerably enlarged in 1871. Its cost was about $3,000. Rev. C. S. Jacobs is the Pastor in charge.

The First Presbyterian Church was organized January 26, 1833, by the Rev. Calvin W. Babbett. Its house of worship was not erected until about 1840, when the division between the Old and New Schools occurred. This Church was attached to the Old School, though it was not until 1855 that a New-School Church was formally organized.

The First Church has been the parent of Orthodox Congregationalism and Presbyterianism in Bloomington. At least three different churches have sprung from this organization, though only one has become permanent. During the pastorate of the Rev. H. R. Price, an addition was made to the old building, and its seating capacity increased to about five hundred. When the Old and New Schools were united, a few years ago, the First Church took the title to which it was entitled by seniority. For many years, it was known as the Old-School Presbyterian Church of Bloomington, and was a pioneer in deed and in truth. The Rev. J. B. Thayer is the present Pastor of the First Church.

The First Church, as originally built, was quite small. In 1855, the rapid growth of the city made an opening for more churches, and on the 11th of January, 1855, the New-School or Second Presbyterian Church was organized, in Major's Hall, corner of Front and East streets. This hall was at that time in the third story, since removed, and was very large and pleasant. Rev. Alfred Eddy was the Pastor. Here, the congregation worshiped until about the time the building was used by the State Normal University, in the fall of 1857. In 1856, the Church commenced their new house of worship, which was finished in 1857. Its total cost has been over $20,000, including the recent addition, which has increased its seating capacity to 650. This Church has been very fortunate in its Pastors, having had but four different ministers in the course of the twenty -four years of its life. Originally of the New School, it has now become the Second Presbyterian. This Church possesses a very fair proportion of the education, talent and wealth of the city and may be called established. Its present Pastor is the Rev. J. W. Dinsmore.

The Third Presbyterian, generally called the North Church, was organized April 26, 1875. Their house of worship is on East Locust street, near Main, and is a very comfortable and tasteful building. The value of church property, including buildings and grounds, is nearly $10,000. The membership is between seventy and one hundred. The Baptist is one of the pioneer churches, having been organized in 1837. About this time, their first church-building was erected upon two lots donated by James Allin, at the northeast corner of North and West streets ; afterward, moved to Madison between Front and Grove, where the church used it several years. In 1857, the large building at the corner of Madison and Jefferson, now occupied by the society, was commenced, and so far completed as to be used in part in the year 1858. The old church on South Madison was sold to the German Turners, who now use it as a hall. The present membership of the Baptist Church is about 550, and during its existence, over 1,600 persons have been members. The pastors of this church have taken a leading place in the history of Bloomington, and one of them, Rev. H. J. Eddy, was Chaplain of the Thirtythird Regiment Illinois Volunteers. The membership has always been among our best inhabitants, and their zeal and devotion to the cause of their Master have been remarkable. At one time this Church maintained two mission Sabbath schools, one of which, the West Mission, has now developed into a German Baptist Church, with a settled pastor. It is located at 1,302 West Locust street. Rev. Henry Wernicke is the Pastor; it contains thirty-three members. The South Mission is on Boone street, between Hardin and Fremont, and is sustained by the Baptist Church. The present Pastor of the Baptist Church is Rev. O. B. Stone. This Church assisted in the organization of Mount Pisgah Baptist Church (colored), which was started in 1866. Its first Pastor was the Rev. Thomas Reasoner. Its place of worship is on South Lee street, where it possesses a comfortable church, erected in 1869. Rev. Mr. Harrison is its present Pastor, and there are between ninety and one hundred members.

The Christian Church, comprising the followers of Alexander Campbell, with others of similar views, is also a pioneer, having been organized in 1839'; and, like its predecessors, the Baptist and Presbyterian, was organized in the old Foster Seminary on East Olive street. Its first house of worship was built in the hard times of 1841, on East street, in the rear of Major's Block. William T. Major was its first Pastor. About the year 1856, the present Christian Church building, at the corner of West and Jefferson, was erected ; and, for a time, there were two vigorous Christian Churches existing in this city. Before the year 1864, the two churches were united; the old church was sold to the Lutherans ; removed by them to the corner of Olive and Madison ; and the united Christian Church has become one of the most powerful in the city. It is one of the leading churches of this denomination in the West. It is now under charge of Dr. A. I. Hobbs. Olive Mission, corner of South Grove and Vine streets, is in charge of this Church. Outside of the city there are two churches of this denomination. Grassy Ridge Christian Church, organized 1854, is near the south line of the township, under the charge of Rev. Mr. Berry, who also has the care of the church at Shirley. The Grassy Ridge Church has about seventy members. Blooming Grove Christian Church has a neat building, erected in 1873, at a cost of about 81,300. It is in the Cox and Orendorff neighborhood, the true historic center of Bloomington. at the east side of Blooming Grove. Its members number about one hundred.

The Free Congregational Church was organized August 14, 1859. Among its first members we find the names of Jesse W. Fell, K. H. Fell, C. Wakefield, E. Barber, Robert Thompson, W. Perry, F. K. Phoenix, H. N. Pearse, Jesse Bishop, E.

M. Prince, C. P. Merriman, John L. Routt, M. Pike, 0. Barnard, Francis Barnard, William Rowley and others. These gentlemen were willing to unite in a declaration of views which committed the new society to the platform of Liberal Christianity. Though not strictly a Unitarian Church, it comes, perhaps, nearer to that denomination than any other. The church-building is owned by stockholders in rather a different manner from the method which is most common. Rev. Charles Gr. Ames, of Minneapolis, Minn., was the first minister. He was a man of great force and power. He has been succeeded generally by able men. Probably about four hundred people attend this Church. The church-edifice was erected about the year 1866 ; it will seat nearlyfive hundred persons. Its present Pastor is the Rev. J. S. Thompson. St. Matthew's Episcopal Church was organized July 31, 1853. In 1857, a lot was purchased at the southeast corner of Prairie and Jefferson streets, and plans were adopted for a church, but the financial crisis of that year was the reason for abandoning the enterprise and the lot was sold. After worshiping in different halls, the parish purchased in 1865, the old Congregational Church, corner of West and Washington. In July, 1874, the Vestry purchased the lot at the northwest corner of Jefferson and Prairie streets, where, in the year 1876, the present fine structure was erected. The building will cost when completed, about $20,000. There are about one hundred and sixty communicants of the Church, and the congregation will number about four hundred. The church is large enough to seat about six hundred persons.

The German Lutheran (Trinity) Church is at the corner of Olive and Madison. About one hundred and twenty-five families - all of them among the most worthy and industrious of our citizens - attend upon the ministrations of the Pastor, Rev. E. Riedel. A day school has been connected with this Church much of the time since its organization in 1858.

The Swedish Lutheran Church is newly established, having erected its house of worship at 804 West Olive street, in the summer of 1877. Its Pastor is the Rev. P. J. Brodine. The regular membership is about eighty. The Church was organized December 8, 1872. with thirty-eight members. It joined the Augustan Synod in 1873.

The Roman Catholic Church was organized in 1855 by Father Bernard O'Hara It was called Holy Trinity - now the Church of the Immaculate Conception. At first it purchased and used the old M. E. Church, corner Olive and Main streets, but it very rapidly outgrew its accommodations.

In 1869, a new building was being erected at the site of the present cathedral, when a gust of wind, nearly equal to a tornado, leveled the structure to the earth. Its walls were up and the roof on, and the damage was over $20,000. Undaunted, the congregation persevered with the work on a much more expensive plan, and now have the satisfaction of worshiping in an elegant building, which, when finished, with its 208-feet-high spire and everything as designed by the architect, it will be one of the most beautiful ornaments of which Bloomington can boast.

The new cathedral is a magnificent piece of architecture, in the Romanesque style. Its dimensions are 213 feet in length and 80 feet in width. The estimated cost, when fully completed, is about $150,000. It will be one of the finest cathedrals in all Illinois. For several years back, the society has occupied the basement auditorium as a temporary place of worship, but, within the past year, the outer walls have been completed and the roof placed in position, thus inclosing the main audience- room. This is a spacious apartment, 213 feet in length, 80 feet in width, and 52 from the floor to the ceiling. It is provided with a large octagonal chancel and two large galleries. It will have ample seating accommodation for 2,500 persons. Father McDermott is in charge of the Church. The total number of members of this Church, with their families, is not far from six thousand.

The German Catholic Church was built about the year 1871. It is situated on North Water street, which is in the southwest part of the city. W. J. Revis is. in charge. This is a growing Church. It is known as St. Mary's German Catholic Church.

Bloomington Sabbath Schools

At the time Bloomington was first settled, Sabbath schools were a new thing all over the couDtry. Like the temperance movement, it was not quite clear whether they were to be an educational improvement mainly, or to partake of a moral as well as of a religious character. The conservatism of the community naturally arrayed itself against Sabbath schools, as against everything that was new and novel, and the labors of the originators of these institutions were, at times, severe as well as unappreciated. We have requested a statement on this subject, which was kindly furnished by that veteran in the good cause, Mr. A. C. Washburne:

" April 8, 1832, I went to the schoolhouse (a log cabin) to attend Sabbath school, agreeable to an appointment made by Mr. Latta, a local preacher of the Methodist order. But few were present. A question arose as to the manner of conducting the school. Previous to this, for a short time, a gentleman of intelligence, but not a professor of religion, had met a few children on the Sabbath, and instructed them in reading and singing. Some desired a school of a more decided, religious character, while others preferred the present arrangement. A meeting was appointed for Monday night to settle this question.

" April 9. Meeting was held, agreeable to notice, and, as a result, I was appointed Superintendent, and the entire management of the school placed in my hands.

" April 15. Commenced a Sabbath school upon strictly religious, but not sectarian, principles. For some months I had no assistance, and the attendance of pupils was from twenty to thirty. At length, I obtained the assistance of two young ladies, Misses Durley and Kimler, who did efficient work in the school. To show the state of society at that time, permit me to say that the employment of these ladies in the school caused considerable low gossip in town, although they belonged to respectable families, and were of irreproachable character.

u I continued this school until the spring of 1833, when, about to visit the East, I left it in charge of Mr. McGeoh, a Presbyterian clergyman, who had recently located in Bloomington. I returned in the fall of the same year and found the school broken up, Mr. McGeoh having died in my absence. Very soon I made arrangements to revive the school, and have it meet at our residence, as the most convenient place for the winter. With the assistance of my wife, we had what was, to me, a very interesting school.

*- When I returned from the East, I brought out a second-hand library, and the books were read with avidity. One bright-eyed little girl took a book, and, on returning it, was asked if she had read it through. She replied, ' 0 yes ; I read it through a heap of times.'

" In the spring of 1834-, the Rev. L. Foster and wife located in Bloomington, and I gave the school into their hands. During the summers of 1834 and 1835, 1 was away most of the time. In the spring of 1836, I was again chosen Superintendent, and had charge of the school for two years. During this time, the first colored family having children of suitable age to attend school, settled in town. I invited them into the school, which caused quite a little excitement. I could get no one to teach them, therefore I did it myself, giving all the time to them I could spare from other duties Prejudice against them was so high that some left the school, but I do not think it sustained any great loss.

"In the spring of 1838, a Mr. Barbour was chosen Superintendent. In 1839, the Methodists organized a denominational school, which drew large numbers from the other, which had up to this time been called a union school, although managed mostly by Presbyterians. From this time forward, the old organization took on a denominational character, and, with slight interruptions, has been continued to the present time - 1879 - so that the Sabbath school of the old First Presbyterian Church may rightfully claim direct lineal descent from the first Sabbath school organized in Bloomington. Thus, from a very small beginning it has grown, I trust, to a healthful, yet ever increasing, institution for the promotion of religious knowledge.

From and after this time, or from 1839, all the churches began to establish their own Sabbath schools, and the history of each individual church may be assumed to include the history of its own Sabbath school without doing much violence to history ; hence we shall not pursue the subject.

We have stated elsewhere that the first cemetery laid out in the township of Bloomington, is the one in the Orendorff neighborhood, started in the year 1825. This is oldest cemetery in the county.

Shortly after the town, now city, of Bloomington, was established, a cemetery waa opened on the north side of the ample grounds now known as the Bloomington Cemetery. Here we find that the first burial was that of Mrs. Remington, about the year 1 832. This tract is included within the same inclosure with the Bloomington Cemetery, and contains some land owned by the city and used as a public burying-ground. As the town grew and it became evident it would be a place of considerable size, efforts were made in 1856 to establish a cemetery on a larger and more appropriate scale, and the result proves the good taste, wisdom and judgment of those interested.

The Bloomington Cemetery Association was organized April 1, 1857. David Brier, Esq., was elected President, and L. Graves, Secretary and Treasurer, which position the latter gentleman has ably filled and is filling to the entire satisfaction of all ; while the former gentleman held the presidency until he removed from the city, when Judge 0. T. Reeves was elect to that position. The Cemetery grounds are located at the east end of Fremont street, and contain forty acres, and are sufficiently remote from the business center and every-day life as to render the place a fitting abode of the dead. The site chosen is a beautiful one. Its rolling ground is pleasing and is interspersed with a natural growth of trees and shrubs, making its landscape beauty unsurpassed for the purpose designed. It is a beautiful, secluded retreat, well adapted as a sacred spot for the reception of the dead, where monuments to their memory are preserved and cherished as a solace to the living. Many monuments and other valuable improvements are being made, which add beauty to and adorn the grounds, making it really a city of the dead.

The Catholic Cemetery is under the care of the Church. It is situated on West Washington street, near the city limits. This Cemetery, like the other, is fast filling up with tasteful monuments, which indicate a degree of civilization and culture greatly to be commended.

The Jewish Cemetery was laid out in 1874. It contains one acre of gronnd, near city limits, on the Springfield road. The President of the Association is M. Heilbrun, who first proposed the idea of a cemetery.

Franklin Park

Bloomington has reason to be proud of the beautiful square called Franklin Park, which is in the northern part of the city. It was donated in 1856, by David Davis, W. T. Flagg and William H. Allin, who were owners of the land included in the Durley Addition. They presented it to the city to be perpetually used as a public park. At that time, there were no residences in its vicinity, and the idea of the public ever obtaining any benefit from a park in that desolate region was the theme of much ridicule on the part of the wits of the time. The rapid growth of the city in its northern portion has proved the wisdom and far-sightedness of the donors of Franklin Park. In the spring of 1858, the City Council appropriated money for planting trees, and the work was mostly superintended by Milo Chatfield, then Alderman. The trees were mere poles, and their wretched appearance again started the flood-gates of ridicule. These trees have now become a beautiful forest, and the place begins to be prized by our citizens, and will, no doubt, soon be improved with walks, drives, seats, iron fences, statues and fountains.

It can already boast of one of the noblest ornaments of McLean County, the Soldiers' Monument, which was erected by vote of the people of the entire county. The vote was taken in 1866, and the monument was dedicated June 17, 1869. In some parts of the county, votes were cast against the proposition, on the ground that it was supposed the monument was to be placed in the Bloomington Cemetery, but there never was any intention of such a location.

The monument was designed and built by J. S. Haldeman, of this city. The following is a detailed sketch of its size and general appearance : The lower base is built of Lemont limestone, thirteen feet in diameter ; the marble base on the top of this is finished with a heavy carved molding, on which stand four octagonal disks, in the shape of a cross. On these disks are the names of about seven hundred soldiers that died in the service. On the top of these disks is an elaborately molded cap, with the inscription, " McLean County's Honored Sons ; Fallen, But Not Forgotten," engraved in large letters. On this cap, and directly over each of the four disks, stands a statue of a soldier, representing first, Infantry, second, Cavalry, third, Zouave, fourth, Marine. These statues surround a large octagonal disk, with heavy relief covering. On the four corners there are flags, accoutrements, etc. Above this disk is a second disk surrounded with a finely-carved festoon of laurel. From this disk starts the main shaft, which is eighteen feet high, tapering gradually to the top, and surmounted with a cap and a life-size figure of a colonel resting on his sword, holding in his right hand a field-glass, and facing the south. The whole height of the monument is forty-nine feet from the ground to the top of the colonel's head. It cost $15,000.

RAILROADS. We have already alluded to the fact, that Bloomington was a center of the projected railroad system of the Internal Improvement scheme of 1836. The Illinois Central, as then proposed, might pass a good way to the east, or a long distance to the west of our city, but men like A. Gridley, Jesse W. Fell, David Davis, J. E. McClun, and others were watching the project, determined that the line should touch Bloomington, if they could have influence. Circumstances favored Gen Gridley, who was in the State Senate in 1851, and he secured the line where Bloomington most wished it to be located. Our citizens began to feel, in 1850, when legislation and the progress of railroading made it probable the road might be built in a few years, that it was vitally important to obtain the line. The Senatorial contest in this district, in the fall of 1850, was hotly contested between A. Gridley and John W. Ewing - the former a Whig, and the latter a Democrat. Both men were in favor of Bloomington's becoming a point on the road, though the respective political parties affected to doubt the soundness of each other's candidates. Mr. Gridley was elected from the counties of McLean, Tazewell, Logan, Macon and DeWitt, by 249 majority. During the session of the Legislature of 1850 and 1851, the Illinois Central charter was passed. The only points located in the charter are the termini, and a point not far from the southeast corner of Bloomington Township. After a severe contest with rival routes, Mr. Gridley secured the insertion of this one intermediate point, which gave Decatur, Clinton and Bloomington the road with little further trouble.

The Senate, this moment, by a vote of 23 to 2, has passed the Central Railroad bill. The only point made on the Central road, between the southern terminus of the canal and Cairo is, that the road shall be constructed within five miles of the northeast corner of Township 21 north, Range 2 east of the Third Principal Meridian. This provision secures the road to Bloomington, Clinton and Decatur beyond all question, and secures the construction of the great Central road through the three counties of McLean, DeWitt and Macon. The great, difficulty has been in determining the points to which the road should be constructed ; and inasmuch as there has been but one point fixed in the whole State (except the termini as fixed by the act of Congress), I think the citizens of said counties are fortunate that by the provisions of this bill this great road is secured to them.

By reference to the map, as the road will not go east of the northeast corner of Town 21, Range 2 east, you will see that Bloomington is in a direct line from four miles west of said northeast corner to La Salle, or the termination of the canal, which secures the road to Bloomington.

The Legislature will adjourn on Monday, the 17th. I am also of opinion that the bill (which some days since passed the Senate) extending the charter of the Alton & Sangamon Railroad Company to Bloomington, will pass the House and become a law ; in which event I am assured by the agent of the Company, that the road will be constructed and completed in two years. I take this earliest opportunity to advise you, and through you to advise my fellow-citizens of McLean and other counties of the Eleventh Senatorial District, of the progress of the Legislature upon the subject of railroads, well knowing their deep and abiding anxiety therein. Trusting that my feeble efforts in their behalf may meet their approbation, I am,

When the engineers came to locate the line of the Illinois Central, a public meeting was held, offering the right of way to the company providing a certain line was adopted, it being almost the exact route which was afterward followed. There was a plan to take the road about three miles east of Bloomington, but it was defeated. The line was located as it was built and its building commenced in 1851. During the year 1852, work was going on along in this portion of the State, and, it being the first railroad ever built here, it of course attracted a great deal of attention. At one time, there was a scheme for locating the railroad-shops here, but for the reason that the company itself did not own land enough at this point to reap a harvest from the sale of town lots, it preferred to build a town of its own at Wapella. The cars ran from La Salle to Bloomington May 23, 1853. It is stated by those who were living at the time, that no event has ever created such profound excitement as did the arrival of the first railroad train from La Salle on the Illinois Central Railroad. Bloomington and the surrounding country turned out en masse, waiting at the depot for the new-fangled machine that dispensed with the aid of horses. There were large numbers present who had never seen an engine before, and to all, even those to whom it was no novelty, the event was one of the deepest significance. Bloomington, after nearly twenty years of watching, working and waiting, had now a railroad, and was about to enter upon an active career. To the minds of all who were present on that occasion, it was the dawning of a new era of prosperity for our city, and the result of twenty-six years of railroad advantages is sufficient proof that the spectators of that event were correct in their anticipations.

About this time - 1850 to 1853 - several other railroad projects were before our people. One was the " Peoria, Bloomington & La Fayette " and another the " Bloomington & Wabash Valley." The former really became the Peoria & Logansport through El Paso and Chenoa, after Bloomington people had been rather tricked out of the line by the actions of Peoria. The names of the gentlemen who were mentioned in the act of incorporation of the " Bloomington & Wabash Valley " road are given below, and we insert as a remark of our own, that the most of these same men have been found aiding every road that Bloomington possesses to-day : David Davis, John Moore, Isaac Funk, John E. McClun, James Miller, Jesse W. Fell, A. Gridley, K. H. Fell, E. H. Didlake, J. H. Robinson, R. 0. Warriner, A. Withers, John W. Ewing, W. F. Flagg, W. H. Temple, W. H. Holmes and VV. T. Major.

These two roads mentioned, however, have substantially been secured by the Indianapolis and La Fayette routes, which have lately been built on nearly the same lines as were projected in these early times. These years - 1850 to 1853 - were fruitful in "projects" for railroads, and, in fact, fruitful in results. October 15, 1853, by a vote of 340 to 5, the city of Bloomington voted to take stock to the amount of $50,000 in the "Bloomington & Wabash" road, but for some reason the project failed at that time, to be revived again under another charter at a later date. Its line has since been occupied substantially, by the present Indianapolis & Bloomington road, whose later history is given below.

The "Alton & Sangamon," or -- Chicago & Mississippi" Railroad, alluded to by Gen. Gridley above, succeeded in getting its charter extended to Bloomington, and very soon our citizens began to hear of the location of the Springfield & Bloomington Railroad. Surveys were made, the line put under contract, and in due course of time

- October 16, 1853 - the cars were running from Springfield to Bloomington. For several months, trains connected with the Illinois Central at the Junction which is now Normal, and passengers from Springfield could reach Chicago via Bloomington and La Salle. At that time, the line which is now the Chicago & Alton, advertised in a Bloomington paper to take passengers to New York in " only sixty hours."

This new road came quietly, compared with the Illinois Central ; the latter had been talked of ever since 1836, and the former was comparatively unknown to the general public until its contractors were at work all along the line. When it arrived, ii almost took the town by surprise. As the road reached Bloomington late in the fall, it was not able to finish its northern end until the following summer ; and the Joliet & Bloomington Extension - as it was called - was readv for use during the summer of 1854. The portion nearest Bloomington was built first, and was so far along that an excursiontrain ran to Lexington on the 4th of July, 1854. The Joliet & Chicago Railroad had been built previously, and we believe the Chicago & Alton Railroad, from Chicago to East St. Louis, has been built under at least five different charters, each authorizing only a portion of the present line.

When the Illinois Central depot was located at the eastern side of town, the idea of locating the other at or outside of the western edge was advocated by Jesse Fell and others, and though not popular at first, it was soon thought that if the two depots were thus situated, the town would be spread out wide and in the end might be benefited.

By donations of land and assistance in other ways, these gentlemen also secured the building of the railroad machine-shops in 1852 and 1853, which, in the end, have become so highly important to the prosperity of Bloomington, which owes a debt of gratitude to these far-seeing gentlemen. The location of the shops made Bloomington a convenient point for the starting of the Jacksonville branch in 1867, and then the building of this branch made it comparatively easy for Bloomington to obtain the rebuilding of the machine-shops after the fire in 1867, when, but for the fact of the junction here, we should have been compelled to pay much more than $55,000 in competition with Chicago, Lincoln, Springfield and Joliet. When the Jacksonville branch was built in 1867, Bloomington was obliged to vote $75,000 in aid, which was given, half by the city and the balance by the township of Bloomington. Nearly three hundred votes were cast against this proposition, but the majority in its favor was several hundred, our voters seeing so plainly the advantages of the road that they did not dare risk its loss by an adverse vote. It is almost certain that the line would have run directly north from Delavan to Washington, had Bloomington and the towns intervening voted the project down.

It had now become the ambition of Bloomington to be a great railroad center, and it needed no argument to convince the public in 1867, that our interests would be subserved by building any road that might be projected. The plan for a railroad from Pekin through Bloomington, Le Roy, Urbana and Danville, had been proposed as early as 1836, and at about that time twelve miles were graded east from Pekin. This was a failure, owing to the crash that involved all these enterprises before 1840, and the project was nearly dormant until 1866, though it was revived in 1854, and again in 1856, a meeting having been held January 24, 1856, at Mackinaw, to aid the matter, and another a little later, on the east end of the line, which was then called the Danville &

Bloomington Railroad. A charter in aid of the east and west line was obtained February 11, 1857, and during the year, meetings were held at various places between Pekin and Danville. A proposition to grant $100,000 from the proceeds of alternate sections of McLean County's swamp-land, was voted down in this county November 5, 1857, the vote standing 1,570 opposed and 1,166 in favor. The crisis of 1857, no doubt affected the whole project unfavorably, as we find nothing definite was accomplished until after the beginning of 1866. During that year, a meeting was held at Urbana, another, a little later, in Bloomington, and others at Le Roy, where, August 27, 1866, an organization was effected, and the work was pushed ahead, though Bloomington did not voce in aid of the plan until the spring of 1867, when, at a special election, a vote was taken on the question of giving $100,000 in township bonds to this line and as much to the La Fayette, Bloomington & Mississippi Railroad. Both propositions were carried with less than a dozen votes opposed. There never was any opposition to this road, or to the other. Every one saw plainly the value of both lines ; but while it was doubtful which line might be first voted upon, there was a little danger that the jealousy existing between the special friends of each might endanger both. Dr. E. Conkling is entitled to a good deal of credit for assisting this enterprise, aided by such men as Judge McClun, J. W. Fell, A. Gridley and others, who have always favored ever}- railroad. The vote .to issue bonds to the amount of $100,000 in aid of the La Fayette, Bloomington & Mississippi Railroad, and an equal amount to the Indianapolis, Bloomington & Western, then called the Danville, Urbana, Pekin & Bloomington Railroad, was taken at a special town meeting, June 3, 1867, and resulted in a vote of 904 for and 6 against the former road, and 913 for and 6 against the last-named route.

The unanimity of this vote is sufficient proof of the state of public sentiment at that time ; though now we are paying the cost of these improvements, some feel as if they are too expensive. Still, were the vote taken over again to-day, there is no doubt a good majority would favor the same projects that were voted on June 3, 1867.

The La Fayette, Bloomington & Mississippi Railroad, running directly east is a favorite line. It was built between 1869 and 1872, and is the result of the energy and " push" of A. Gridley, A. B. Ives, J. H. Cheney, J. E. McClun, O. T. Reeves, Charles M. Holder, and a few others. These gentlemen labored incessantly to secure the road, and at one time its success was so doubtful that probably had either one of them ceased his efforts, the road would not have been finished. It runs from Bloomington to La Fayette, Ind., where it connects with the La Fayette, Muncie & Bloomington Railroad, and affords the shortest line from Bloomington to Buffalo and Eastern points. Its grades are easy, and it is rarely obstructed by snow. The original company is now dissolved, and the line is operated by a Receiver. Its Treasurer is Mr. J. H. Cheney, of this city, who represents Bloomington's interests in this line, or, rather, is the only official of the road who is a Bloomingtonian.

The Indianapolis & Bloomington road was finished May 1, 1870, and the La Fayette road in 1872 ; giving our city railroad routes diverging in eight different directions, like the spokes of a wheel from the hub, and enabling our merchants to ship goods at as favorable rates as competing cities. A retrospective story of what has been accomplished since just after the "deep snow " in 1831 - the Commissioners located a county seat at " the north end of the Blooming Grove" - would read like a fable, did we not have the evidence of men still living who have seen all these wonderful changes as they have occurred from year to year. Blooming Grove - from having been a desolate wilderness in 1821, unknown save to bands of predatory Indians, whose trails crossed each other at this point, has become an educational, a moral and religious, a commercial and a great railroad center. In the natural course of events, more schools and colleges will center here ; more commercial and manufacturing enterprises will have their headquarters at this city, and other railroads will center here or connect with our present roads in such a manner as to become practically Bloomington roads. During the year 1878, the Chicago & Alton Railroad has built an extension from Mexico, Mo., 162 miles, to Kansas City, which will add immensely to the business of the line, of which Bloomington will reap many solid advantages through its machine-shops, whose capacity will thereby be still further developed.

In the near future, Bloomington may see a railroad running northeast, to intercept the Illinois Central's new line at Chatsworth, a northwestern line to connect Washington and Peoria with Bloomington, and a line to the southeast to connect with the Rantoul narrow-gauge road. Other roads now unprotected will yet center here. May our citizens, in the future as in the past, lend a helping hand to whatever, when well considered by our ablest citizens, promises to advance our best interests.

Our Telegraphs

In Angust, 1853, Hon. John D. Caton, the pioneer of the Western Union Telegraph Lines, came to this city. He told Gen. Gridley that if Bloomington would take -$1,000 of stock his company would give our city a telegraph office on the line then building from Chicago to Springfield. It does not appear to have occurred to our citizens that the telegraph business of the place would of itself justify the company in keeping an office open, and so they took hold with their usual energy and subscribed the amount. As a part of the history of the telegraph, we give the list of subscribers :

The poles were soon here, the wire was in place, and on the 24th of January, 1854, an office was opened in Bloomington. The files of the Pantagraph show that paper's first message, which was from the Illinois Journal office at Springfield, as follows :

Springfield, January 28, 1854. C. P. Merriman : May the new communication by telegraph, so auspiciously opened, continue for ages. S. Francis.

Matthew L. Steele was the first telegraph operator at the Bloomington office, which was opened, in 1854, in what was known as Major's Block, on Front Street. He was followed in 1866, by Arthur T. McElhiney, who is the present manager of the Bloomington office, thus making a quarter of a century with only two different officials in charge of what is a very important office. The Pantagraph and Coal Company possess a local-line from Bloomington to Normal, to the coal-shaft, and to various points, making nine miles of wire, upon which there are, at least, thirty private instruments and a number of telephones.

There are important offices at the headquarters of the C. & A. R. R. Company, at its shops in Bloomington, where a large force of operators constantly direct the running of trains, while the other railroads have one or more telegraphers constantly on duty ;. so that, in all, twenty operators are employed in this city, on regular salaries, not to mention those who use the wire as an incident of their daily business, as is the case with the patrons of the Pantagraph and Coal Company's line, as well as several of the other patrons of the different lines, who have instruments of their own.

The Bloomington Observer (weekly) was the first newspaper published in Bloomington or in the county, and was established January 14, 1837, by Messrs. James Allin, Jesse W. Fell and A. Gridley, and was edited by William Hill, afterward, for a short time, by Mr. Fell. In 1838, the Observer espoused the side of the Whig party in politics. The name was changed, not long afterward, to the Western Whiff, and it was conducted by Charles P. Merriman. In 1852, the name was again changed to the Bloomington Intelligencer, the paper again passing under the management of Mr. Jesse- Fell, who sold out in a year or two after, co Mr. Charles P. Merriman, and the sheet was baptized anew as the Pantagraph. The Daily Pantagraph was started June 19r 1854. It was sold, in 1856, by him to William E. Foote, who published it until 1861, E. J. Lewis being the editor. It is now owned and published by William 0. Davis.

This paper has become well established, being one of the best known in the West. The peculiarity of its name has attracted much attention, many critics and scholars appearing to confound it with the word " pentagraph," which is thus defined by Webster : " Pentagraph, see pantagraph." Under head of " pantagraph," he says, " a mathematical instrument for copying; written, also, pantograph, and, less correctly, pentadgraph." Mr. Charles P. Merriman, a fine Greek scholar, gives the following as the meaning of the word ; and as his explanation is satisfactory to the best classical students, we insert it here, in hope it will thus go into permanent history, and set the question at rest. Mr. Merriman was the originator of the word, as well as the founder of the Pantagraph:

" ' Panta ' is the neuter accusative plural of the Greek adjunct pas, and ' graph r is from the Greek verb grapho, here used in the imperative mode ; the name ' Pantagraph ' - write all things - is a perpetual injunction upon its editors to dip their pens fearlessly into all matters of human interest."

Other journals have been established at various times and flourished for a brief period, to give place, in turn, to others ; but none of them have survived any length of time. Among them may be mentioned the Evening Argus, National Flag, afterward the Illinois Statesman, Illinois Central Democrat, Bloomington Times, Anti- Monopolist, McLean County Democrat, Bloomington Republican, Illinois Schoolmaster, the Advance, and others of less repute.

The fire of editorial controversy, it may be assumed, waxed high at times, as we find in an old number of the Intelligencer a brief item, to the effect that an article had appeared in the Flag containing a long array of abusive epithets against the editor of the former sheet, of which " dastardly whelp," " scoundrel," etc., were a great deal the mildest. " This, of course, brought on a personal encounter," continues the " responsible ' '

The history of the ups and downs of newspaper life received an addition in the sudden demise of the Bloomington Times, which came to an untimely end at the hands of the Ninety-fourth Regiment Illinois Volunteers, a McLean County regiment. The paper had become obnoxious to so many of the citizens, by reason of its Southern proclivities and expressions of sympathy for the States in rebellion, and the excitement became so great as to lead the soldiers, abetted by prominent citizens, to destroy the office and press, since when the paper has not been revived.

There are now two daily papers, the Morning Pantagraph and the Evening Leader. The Weekly Leader was started by Scibird & Waters, November 15, 1868, and the Daily, February 22, 1870, and is now owned by M. S. Leland, publisher. Beside these, the city can boast several weekly papers - the Democratic News, Sunday Eye and the Banner of Holiness. The Bloomington Journal (German) was founded by F. A. Schmidt ; present proprietor, H. Meyer. It is a paper of much influence, as is also the McLean County Deutsche Presse, of which John Koester is editor and proprietor.

The Bloomington Library

The institution now known as the Bloomington Library Association is one of the most deserving in the city. It has become endeared to the public by the great work it has accomplished, by its valuable collection of books, and by its promise of future benefit to posterity. Its early history is of much interest. The first trace discovered is a well-written communication in the Pantagraph of May 21, 1854, signed G. L. K., urging the formation of a library and reading-room. Bloomington's halcyon days were in 1854. At that time, it boasted 4,000 inhabitants, 12 churches, and seats in them for nearly the total population. Possibly, this was more of a boast than a reality, but as our city has grown, our church accommodations have not kept pace, though in the matter of seat-room in the public schools, we have reversed the situation compared with twenty-five years ago. But we merely wished to remark that those who were at the helm in 1854 to 1858 planned largely for the public good. They built churches, they reformed our public schools, they endowed or founded colleges, and they did not forget the need of a public library. We are reaping the harvest from the good seed then sown, and in no one department were the early laborers more faithful than in that now under consideration. The need of a library, and the condition of public opinion in relation thereto, stimulated the ladies of our city to make an effort, which has resulted in the foundation of our Bloomington Library. Among those particularly worthy of mention are Miss Rebecca A. Rogers, now Mrs. G. W. Parke, and Miss Hannah M. Snow. The ladies obtained quite a number of subscriptions from persons who were willing to assist, and, on the 2d of October, 1856, a public meeting was called at Major's Hall, for the purpose of organizing the " Ladies Library." At this meeting, which was well attended, the ladies reported subscriptions to the amount of $417. A committee was appointed to draft a constitution and by-laws, to report at a future meeting. This committee was Rev. F. N. Ewing, Dr. W. C. Hobbs, David Davis, W. H. Allin and John E. McClun. After one or two preliminary meetings, the permanent organization of the " Ladies' Library Association, of the City of Bloomington," was effected at the First Presbyterian Church November 13, 1856.

The ladies alone were eligible to office during the first six or eight years. The first officers were : President, Mrs. S. B. Brown ; Vice President, Miss A. Warriner ; Secretary, Miss Caldwell ; Corresponding Secretary, Miss H. Parsons ; Treasurer, Miss Rebecca A. Rogers ; Librarian, Miss Hannah M. Snow. The first Board of Managers was composed of the following ladies : Mrs. D. Davis, Mrs. F. N. Ewing, Mrs. T. Pardee, Mrs. H. Spencer and Mrs. W. H. Allin.

On the 28th of February, 1857, the Library was opened in a room on Center street. At the next meeting, Judge Davis offered a room on Main street free of rent, which offer was very thankfully accepted. The Library remained in this room for six or seven years, rent free, and, during all this time, it was taken care of and fostered by the ladies with a zeal and enthusiasm that gained it a high position among the worthy institutions of Bloomington. Its growth was gradual but sure. The catalogue from the beginning has always exhibited a large selection of valuable books, and it has been one of the educational institutions of our city.

In the year 1867, it was thought best to organize under an act of the Legislature, which was obtained February 23, 1867. The Library changed its name to the " Bloomington Library Association," and gentlemen were made eligible to office, but its main features were unchanged. By the act of incorporation, the Association is able to own real estate, manage an endowment fund, to go onward and forward in the good cause, and take such rank and position as the public or its wealthy members may in the future see fit to award. Probably the time will come when this Association will possess a permanent building of its own, and an endowment fund which will render it self-sustaining. The first officers under the new organization were elected March 2, 1867. David Davis was President ; E. M. Prince, Vice President ; Sarah D. Robinson, Recording Secretary: W. H. Stennett, Corresponding Secretary, and W. M. Hatch, Treasurer. The Board of Managers were composed of ladies and gentlemen as follows : Mrs. Maria Everly, B. F. Hoopes, I. J. Bloomfield and Mrs. J. A. Jackman. The Trustees were John Magoun, George W. Parke and John M. Scott.

The last report of the Librarian, presented at the annual meeting on the 1st day of March, 1879, shows that there are in the Library 7,464 volumes. During the year, books were used equal to taking out 26,000 different volumes. The Reading-room has been well patronized, giving the public access to about 150 periodicals. This evidences the great value of the Library and Reading-room, and its managers should go forward in the good work, trusting to the future for further additions and the permanent endowment so earnestly desired. The present officers are : Dr. C. R. Parke, President ; Dr. H. Conkling, Vice President; B. F. Hoopes, Treasurer; Charles L. Capen, Corresponding Secretary; Lewis E. Ijams, Recording Secretary; Mrs. H. R. Gralliner, Librarian. The Board of Managers consists of Mrs. Charles Shackleford, Miss Sarah E. Raymond, Messrs. Peter Folsom, S. R. Brodix and J. H. Burnham.

Wesleyan University

In the year 1850, a number of the leading citizens of Bloomington began to agitate the question of founding a university complete in all its departments. Illinois was plainly growing in importance and no portion advancing more rapidly in all the elements of strength, nor developing more steadily its material resources, than the central part of the State ; hence the citizens of this city were anxious and determined that here, educational advantages should be of the first order. To accomplish this end, the first Board of Trustees effected an organization under the general laws of the State on the 2d of December, A. D. 1850.

It was decided that the University should be placed under the management of the Methodist Church. This was not done for the purpose of making it a sectarian institution, since science can never be rendered sectarian, but it was felt that the University should be placed in careful hands and under good management, and since the Methodist Church was then, as now, noted for its earnestness in the advancement of all the interests of education as well as for careful management and influence, to its care the new University was confided. It was intended that its influence should be of a Christian character, but that students of all denominations should find a home within its halls. This idea has been faithfully carried out. In the winter of 1850 and 1851, the school was organized under the superintendency of Rev. R. Andrus, A. M., in the basement of the Methodist Church.

Immediate measures were taken for the erection of a suitable building, which, after many discouragements, was completed and school opened in it in 1857. In July, 1851, at the annual meeting of the Board of Trustees, Rev. John Dempster. D.D., of Concord, N. H., was elected President, The first Annual Commencement was held on the 7th of July, 1853, and the first class graduated.

Rev. John Dempster having removed to Evanston, Rev. C. W. Sears, a former professor in the institution, was chosen President and a part of the new building occupied; but, shortly afterward, owing to the uncertain condition of State finances and the stringency of the times, the institution was for a time closed. Its friends, however, did not despair, and, after securing the services of Rev. Charles W. C. Munsell as financial agent, at once set about raising the necessary funds to complete the building, liquidate the debt and re-open the school.

The institution was re-opened by the Trustees, who elected Rev. 0. S. Munsell, A. M., as President. In the year 1866, the Methodist Church in America celebrated its first centennial anniversary, and including the amount of $10,000 given by the family of Isaac Funk as the first installment for the endowment of the Isaac Funk Professorship of Agriculture, the friends of the University subscribed over $70,000 for endowment. The steady increase of students now made a second building necessary, and the Trustees proceeded at once to obtain subscriptions and erect an appropriate building, and, as a result of these labors, a fine building was erected, which is capable of accommodating 500 students.

This structure was so far completed, that graduating exercises were held here in June, 1872, though it was not occupied by the classes for daily recitation till the spring of 1873. The upper portion of this building is not yet fully finished, nor has the entire cost of the University building been met, there being a debt upon the same which the Board of Trustees will doubtless soon attempt to liquidate.