Bloomington City Township (part 5 of 5)

He believes that capitalists are always sharp enough to see where it will pay to invest their money and are ready to build railroads which will return a fair profit to the investors. He thinks that the voting of aid by towns and counties and making land-grants result in many cases in building roads which will not pay running expenses, and in others of putting roads in the hands of unprincipled managers who care nothing whatever for the people who have helped them and the towns that have voted them aid. Under these circumstances, he has always been very conservative and cool about assisting railroads, and some fault has been found with him for so doing, but many of those who have blamed him in times past, are now very much of his way of thinking. Bloomington and Normal have been very much benefited by their State institutions - the Normal School and the Soldiers' Orphans' Home. The location of these institutions here was due in a great measure to Judge Davis, who donated forty acres of land to the Normal School and sixty acres to the Orphans' Home. The former donation was worth at the time when given, |4,000 and the latter $12,000. It will be remembered that great exertions were made to have these institutions taken elsewhere, and Judge Davis' example and influence did very much to prevent their transfer. So far as matters of charity are concerned it is not usually safe to speak definitely of any one. People who have the greatest reputation for charity usually only deserve part of the credit they receive, as a suspicion is sometimes aroused that their charities are performed to be seen of men. Judge Davis does not indulge in ostentatious charity, but his friends assert that very few can be found anywhere so liberal, even when judged by the proper standard - ability to give.

Judge Davis was, at one time, enabled to do some service to the city of Bloomington by saving to it the machine-shops of the Chicago & Alton Railroad. These shops secure a monthly disbursement of $50,000, and the matter is of the greatest importance to Bloomington. When they were burned down. Judge Davis was holding court in Chicago ; he there learned that it was the intention of various parties to make an effort to transfer the machine-shops to another point. He immediately gave notice to the citizens of Bloomington, who took active measures to save them.

There was more danger of the shops going to Chicago than the pubUc in Bloomington generally imagined, but Judge Davis understood the real state of affairs better than any one else, and Bloomington is deeply indebted to him for his services on this occasion.

For the benefit of future historians, we will explain Judge Davis' connection with the famous Cincinnati Convention of May 2, 1872. There were in the Republican party a large number of men who were very much opposed to the renomination of President Grant. Some of these were disappointed office-seekers, but the majority of those who were in the foreground of the movement were men who were of the purest motives, looking for ^' civil-service reform." It was thought that if a Republican could be agreed upon at Cincinnati who was likely to carry a large number of votes from his own party, he would be nominated by the regular Democratic Convention and elected President ; while it was seen that the nomination of a regular Democrat, with no supporters except from his own party, would insure his defeat. From Judge Davis' independent position, he having been known for years as a Republican, having been one of Abraham Lincoln's warmest friends, being the executor of Mr. L.'s estate, being well known all over the country for his high standing as a Judge in the Supreme Court of the United States, there is little doubt that, had he been nominated at Cincinnati, he might have proved much stronger than Horace Greeley, who was the choice of that Convention, and was accepted by the Democrats at their National Convention soon after. When it was seen that a strong effort would be made at Cincinnati to secure the nomination for Judge Davis, his personal friends in Bloomington rallied with wonderful enthueiasm. A special train of eight passenger- coaches left this city for Cincinnati, carrying nearly three hundred Bloomingtonians, who were full of zeal for their candidate. Probably Bloomington never experienced such a peculiar excitement as during the few days that preceded this excursion, and the time that elapsed till May 3, when the result at Cincinnati became known. Judge Davis' friends were fully persuaded that he would be nominated, and that, in that event, he would be the next President. His life-long friends were rejoiced at the prospect of such good-fortune, while the citizens generally, whether personally or politically friendly or not, were pleased at the prominence that would be given to Bloomington in case of his success.

The Bloomingtonians at Cincinnati, strengthened by the other delegations from Illinois, infused great enthusiasm into the movement, and, on the fii-st ballot. Judge Davis carried a large vote in the Convention. He was not regarded as sufficiently known all over the Union, and Horace Greeley was the fortunate, or. as the event proved, unfortunate, nominee.

But this event was n(»t needed to prove the strong hold Judge Davis has upon the affections of his neighbors, who well know the many instances in which he has assisted the home of his ad()j)tion in nearly all plans that have been inaugurated for the public good. During his whole career in this place, he has been one of the foremost in nearly every public enterprise, so that particular enumeration here is entirely unnecessary.

In the winter of 1877 and 1878, at the Senatorial election, when the Legislature was called upon to choose a successor to Gen. John A. Logan, there was a long contest before a choice was effected. The Republican party in the Legislature lacked several of a majority. The balance of power between the Democrats and Republicans was held by five or six Senators and Representatives who were called Independents, though sympathizing more with the Democrats than with the supporters of Gen. Logan, who had been voted for by the Republicans for several days in succession. The Republicans balloted for other persons - Judge C. B. Lawrence among others. Finally, the Independents proposed Judge David Davis, whose {lolitical sentiments were almost unknown, though he was supposed to lean slightly to the Democratic side, and to be very much in sympathy with the Independents. After a few ballots, the whole strength of the Democratic party, with one or two exceptions, added to the votes of the Independents, elected David Davis to the United States Senate for the six years commen- <;ing with the 4th day of March, 1878.

His high standing as a Judge of the Supreme Court of the United States taken in connection with his well-balanced judgment, which is seldom at fault on political questions, gave him an enviable position in the Senate, where he wields an influence of which his constituents may well be proud. He has continued impartially to fill the political position he was expected to occupy - that of an Independent, with a decided inclination to the side of the Democracy. Bloomington, as well as the whole State of Illinois, may well feel honored in being represented in the United States Senate by David Davis.

Political History

Our city has always claimed that the great Republican party of the nation had its "birth at Major's Hall in 1856. At the risk of being attacked for our audacity, we will undertake to declare this a spurious claim. In the fall of 1854, the opposition to the Nebraska bill all over the country fought its battles under different names, generally as Free-Soilers, Anti-Nebraska Democrats, the Whig or American party; though in Massa- -chusetts the Free-Soilers and Anti-Nebraska Democrats had declared theoaselves to be Republicans. The election of Speaker in Congress in the winter of 1855 and 1856 resulted in the choice of N. P. Banks, who had been elected as a Republican and American, in 1854. It is, however, a fact that a convention called as the -' Anti- Nebraska State Convention " assembled in Major's Hall, in Bloomington, May 29, 1856, which nominated William H. Bissell for (Governor, which was a most enthusiastic convention, was addressed by Abraham Lincoln, and was practically the first Republican State Convention ever held in the State of Illinois.

Let us examine a letter signed "Anti-Nebraska," published August 9, 1854 in the Bloomington Pantagraph : " I am in favor of issuing a call for a State Convention, signed by Whigs, Democrats, and persons of all other political faiths. Let all opposed to this Nebraska outrage come together upon equal footing, and when together, let them organize and devise plans by which to carry the State. As to the name under -which we might organize and fight, I should care but little. The one adopted in Massachusetts, viz., ' Republicans,' is, perhaps, as unobjectionable as any other.

There was a meeting at Potter County, Penn., July 4, 1854, when the Hon- Joshua R. Giddings and others organized those present into the " Republican " party of that county. The proceedings of this meeting were recorded in the Potter County Journal, as we are informed by William Perry, Esq., of this city, who was present at the meeting, and well remembers that Mr. Giddings spoke of the organization of the Republican party as a " new movement " being inaugurated all over the country. These references to what was being done in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania are sufficient proof that the RepubUcan party did not " originate " solely in Bloomington ; and we might also mention that one of the first Republican meetings in this State was held in Aurora, Kane Co., in the month of August, 1854.

It is on record that during this month a County Convention in La Salle County, Til., adopted the same name. Furthermore, Hon. Washington Bushnell, of Ottawa, 111., sent to Mr. A. B. Ives, of this city, printed notices for calling a Republican County Convention here on the 9th of September, 1854. These notices were posted by Mr. Ives. The idea of such a convention was derided by our leading politicians, who regarded this movement as a sort of disguised abolitionism. This convention was held at our old Court House, its proceedings attracting very little attention. The Pantagraph, then a Whig paper, contained an able editorial arguing against the formation of a new party, which is almost the only evidence we find in its files that any movement was in contemplation. It did not even deign to give a regular editorial report of the County Convention, which is thus reported in the Weekly Pantagraph of September 13, 1854:

Republican

At a meeting of the voters of McLean County, held pursuant to notice, at the Court House in Bloomington, on Saturday, the 9th day of September, for the purpose of appointing delegates to the District Convention to be held at Springfield, on motion, Dr. J. R. Freese was called to the chair, and A. B. Ives was appointed Secretary. On motion, the following delegates were chosen, to wit : Dr. R. 0. Warinner, Dr. J. R. Freese, Oliver Graves, A. B. Ives, Bloomington ; N. N. Jones, Hudson ; W. F. M. Arny, North Bloomington.

The State Convention to which these delegates were appointed, met at Springfield, October 5, 1854. It was attended by only twenty-six delegates, who were mostly Abolitionists, Owen Lovejoy, Ichabod Codding and Erastus Wright having been the moving spirits. On the 5th of October, it nominated John E. McClun, of McLean, as a candidate for State Treasurer. In a short time, the name of James Miller, of Bloomington, was substituted for that of Judge McClun, but the latter gentleman is entitled to the honor of having been the first Republican nominee in Illinois for a State oflice. This Convention is not generally considered as the first Republican State Convention, its numbers having been insignificant and its organization imperfect, but it is historically the earliest on record.

This is the same State Convention recommended in the Pantograph's communication of the date of August 9, 1854, and we have now plainly shown the chain of title from its beginning to its ending, proving that Bloomington assisted the general movement for a new party, but that our city originated very little that was new in this direction.

Very few of the delegates appointed at the Republican meeting at the Court House September 9, 1854, attended the State Convention of which we have spoken, but they were present at the Congressional Convention held at Major's Hall September 12. This district, at that time, was made up of Bureau, La Salle, Will, Kendall, Kankakee, Iroquois, Putnam, Woodford, McLean, Livingston, Champaign and Vermilion Counties. Among the delegates were some of the class known as Republicans, or Abolitionists, while others were '"Anti-Nebraska" Whigs and Democrats. The Convention was regarded by the people of Bloomington as a sort of Abolition aiFair, as in this region the Whig party was supposed to be good enough for all purposes. In the organization of the Convention, the " Republican " element (then considered about the same as Abolitionists) obtained the organization, and the Committee reported and the Convention adopted a full set of Republican resolutions, which were thought to be too strong to please the Whigs, and which were intended to be too radical for the support of Jesse 0. Norton, who was the Anti-Nebraska and also Old-Line Whig candidate for a renomination. To the surprise of all, Mr. Norton planted himself squarely upon the Republican platform.

The supporters of the opposing candidate, Mr. C. CoflSn, who was also a Whig, withdrew from Major's Hall and assembled at the Pike House. There was great excitement in Bloomington ; committees conferred between the two wings of the Convention, and, at 11 o'clock at night, the seceders returned from the Pike House, participated in the meeting, and the Hon. Jesse 0. Norton, of Joliet, was nominated as a Republican. This Convention was large and enthusiastic, and was the real parent of the Republican party in McLean County, although many of the Whigs of that day would not acknowledge themselves as members of the new party.

The platform of this Convention was strongly " Anti-Nebraska," of course, was quite satisfactory to the Abolitionists, and, though not as radical as was then demanded by the latter class, it was agreeable to the " Anti-Nebraska" Whigs and Democrats; and by a union of these three parties the Republican party was formed. In the platform, the " new party," referred to in the Court House meeting of September 9, was named the Republican party. This was probably the first convention of any note of this new party held anywhere in the West, though, as we have mentioned above, N. P. Banks and others were chosen to Congress as Republicans from Massachusetts at the same election. The fact seems to be that all over the country, wherever the radical "Anti-Nebraska" men were powerful, there attempts were made, during the fall of 1854, to organize a new party ; and the meeting held in Bloomington was not held in advance of others in diflPerent States.

The resolutions of this Convention were not printed in the Weekly Pantagraph^ then a Whig paper, which is the only file of newspapers of that date to which we have access. Its report of the Convention is as follows :

Republican Convention

" The Convention in session in this place yesterday, after rather a stirring time,, and passing through several phases indicative of the elements of which it was composed, closed its labors at a late hour last night by nominating Hon. Jesse 0. Norton. Of course, as sensible men, honest in their anti-Nebraska sentiments, they were obliged to nominate the man who could be elected. Mr. Norton is now what he has ever been - a Whig - and, as such, he may well expect to be re-elected by a large majority."

The Whigs voted for Mr. Norton as a Whig. The Republicans, referring to their Major's Hall resolutions, which he had indorsed, voted for him as a Republican, and he was elected to Congress in November.

At the same election, James H. Wood worth, of Chicago, was elected to Congress as a Republican, as we see by a dispatch from the Chicago Tribune^ dated November 8, 1854, which gives the figures: "J. H. Woodworth, Republican, 2,143 ; Turner

{^Nebraska Democrat), 695 ; Mayo (^Anti-Nebraska Democrat), 70 ; Blackwell ( Whig)," 249." In the summary of Congressmen elected, we find Norton classed as a Whig, WiKidworth as a Republican, while in one district an Anti-Nebraska Democrat was chosen. All this in 1854 proves that there was a Republican party at that time. The Republican party carried the State of Massachusetts at the election in 1855. When N. P. Banks reached Washington, in the fall of 1855, he and others were willing to be called Republicans, and when the long contest over his election as Speaker ended, in January, 1856, he was known all over the Union as a Republican. In the light ot these facts, it is ridiculous for Bloomington to claim that the Republican party had its origin and birthplace here. If there is any historical honor connected with the matter, it attaches itself to the meeting held in our Court House September 9, 1854, whose proceedings we have given above. However, the Republican State Convention held at Major's Hall, May 29, 1856, was of the greatest historical importance, as we shall see.

This Convention w;is largely attended by delegates from all the principal counties, a: d was a most remarkable gathering. John M. Palmer presided, and Abraham Lincoln made his celebrated speech. The "Anti-Nebraska" Whigs and Democrats, with the Abolitionists, and those who, in 1854, were willing to be called Republicans, who in this State were not numerous, with a large number of the Americans, coalesced willingly into one party and took upon themselves boldly the name of -' Republican," which had now since the election of Speaker Banks, became a name of national importance. The enthusiasm of the convention was most tremendous, and here was started the movement which resulted in the perfect organization of the Republican party of Illinois. The nominees of this Convention were elected. Hon. William H. Bissell was elected Governor, and James Miller, of Bloomington, State Treasurer, while the speech of Mr. Lincoln resulted in his election to the Presidency.

Ward H. Lamon, a resident of Bloomington from 1857 to 1861 when he became Marshal of the District of Columbia, in his life of Abraham Lincoln, says: "Mr. Herndun drew up a paper to be signed by men of his class ir> politics, calling a County Convention to elect delegates to the State Convention at Bloomington. ' Mr. Lincoln was then backward,' says Mr. Herndon, ' dodgey,' so and so. I was determined to make him take a stand, if he would not do it willingly, which he might have done, as he was naturally inclined Abolition ward. Lincoln was absent when the call w;»s signed and circulated here. I signed Mr. Lincoln's name without authority - had it published in the Journal. John T. Stuiirt was keeping his eye on Lincoln, with the view of keeping him on his side, the totally dead conservative side. Mr. Stuart saw the published call, and grew mad ; rushed into my ofiice, seemed mad, horrified, and said to me, ' Sir, did Mr. Lincoln sign that abolition call which is published this morning? " I answered,' Mr. Lincoln did not sign that call.' ' Did Lincoln authorize you to sign it? ' said Mr. Stuart. 'No, he never authorized me to .sign it.' 'Then do you know that you have ruined Mr. Lincoln? ' 'I did not know that I had ruined Mr. Lincoln - did not intend to do so - thought he was a made man by it - that the time had come when conservatism was a crime and a blunder.' ' You, then, take the responsibility of >'our acts, do you ? ' ' I do, most emphatically.' However, I instantly sat down and wrote to Mr. Lincoln, who wjis then in l*ekin, or Tremont, possibly at court. He received my letter, and instantly replied, either by letter or telegraph, mo.st likely by letter, that

At Bloomington, Lincoln was the great figure. Beside him, all the rest, even the oldest in the faith and the strongest in the work, were small. Yet, he was universally regarded as a recent convert, although the most important one that could be made in the State of Illinois. " We met at Bloomington, and it was there," says Mr. Herndon in one of his lectures, " that Mr. Lincoln was baptized and joined our church. He made a speech to us. I have heard or read all Mr. Lincoln's great speeches, and give it as my opinion on my best judgment, that the Bloomington speech was the grand efibrt of his life. Heretofore, and up to this moment, he had simply argued the slavery question on grounds of policy, on what are called the statesman's grounds, never reaching the question of the radical and the eternal right. Now he was newly baptized and freshly born ; he had the fervor of a new convert; thesmothered flame broke out; enthusiasm unusual to him blazed up; his eyes were aglow with an inspiration ; he felt justice; his heart was alive to the right ; his sympathies, remarkably deep for him, burst forth, and he stood before the throne of the Eternal Right, in the presence of his God, and then and there unburdened his penitential and fired soul. This speech was fresh, new, genuine, odd, original, filled with fervor not unmixed with a divine enthusiasm ; his head breathing out through his tender heart its truths, its sense of right, and its feeling of the good and for the good. This speech was full of fire, and energy, and force ; it was logic, it was pathos, it was enthusiasm; it was justice, equity, truth, right and the good set ablaze by the divine fires of a soul maddened by the wrong ; it was hard, heavy, knotty, gnarled, edged and heated. 1 attempted for about fifteen minutes, as was usual with me then, to take notes, but at the end of that time I threw pen and paper to the dogs, and lived -only in the inspiration of the hour. If Mr. Lincoln was six feet four inches high usually, at Bloomington he was seven feet, and inspired at that. From that day to the day of his death he stood firm on the right. He felt his great cross, had his great idea, nursed it, kept it, taught it to others, and in his fidelity bore witness of it to his death, and finally sealed it with his precious blood."

It is universally admitted that this great speech was the means of elevating Mr. Lincoln into the prominent position he soon occupied, and which resulted in his elevation to the Presidency.

This Convention thoroughly organized the Republican party of Illinois, and, from its results, has become a landmark in the history of Bloomington - almost as prominent as if it had been, as many seem to suppose, the first movement of the kind in the West.

To recapitulate - we find that September 9, 1854, the first Republican County Convention of McLean County was held at the Court House; on the 13th of September, 1854, there was a remarkable convention of Republicans of this Congressional district at Major's Hall ; while on the 29th of May, 1856, the second Republican State Convention, but really the first in importance, was also held in Major's Hall, resulting in the perfect organization of the Republican party.

The first nomination of Hon. Owen Lovejoy, to Congress, in 1856, and the " Bolt ing" Convention, held in Bloomington, deserve a place in this chapter. July 2, 1856, a delegate convention of the " Anti-Nebraska " party met at Ottawa to nominate a to represent this district in Congress. This Convention was, in reality, a

Republican f:ja(hering, though the name of the new party was at this time used rather eparingly. Its candidates were Owen Lovejoy, Leonard Swett, of this city, and Hon. Jesse 0. Norton, then our Representative in Contiress. Mr. Lovejoy was the nominee of the Convention. His nomination was exceedingly distasteful to the more conservative old Whig element, especially in McLean and the southern part of the district. This element formed a considerable portion of the new party, then beginning to crystallize. " Abolitionist " was the most opprobrious of epithets known, and the Whigs had received too many hard blows from Mr. Lovejoy - long known as an Abolitionist - to accept him as their standard-bearer. Consequently, a large number of the delegates withdrew from the Convention, and signed a call for a 'bolting" convention^ to be held at Bloomington, July 16. This call was signed by Gen. Gridlcy, Isaac Funk, Dr. H. Noble, John J. Price and David Cheney, from this county, as well as by delegates from several other counties.

On the 16th of July, the Convention met in the Court House at Bloomington, Isaac Funk being Chairman, and nominated T. Lyle Dickey, now Judge of the Supreme Court, as candidate for Congress. In the evening, there was a mass-meeting at the west side of the Court House, in the public square. Churchill Coffin, Esq., of Peru, opened the meeting with a rather heavy speech. He was followed by Judge Dickey, in an argumentative speech, in which he wholly failed to arou.se the meeting, although he roundly denounced the repeal of the Missouri Compromise. Gen. Gridlcy was the next speaker, and he aroused the enthusiasm of his hearers, for he paid his respects to Mr. Lovejoy, the " Abolitionist," in his usual vigorous style, and caused several interruptions from some of the highly-excited auditors. At the conclusion of this speech, Mr. Lovejoy was called for, and, in response, took the stand. He had spent his life in the advocacy of an unpopular cause, many times speaking before unfriendly and hostile audiences. This gathering had been collected by his enemies, and to hear himself denounced. He had been declared an enemy to his country, and a man wholly unfit to be voted for by the members of the new party. He quickly proved himself an unrivaled public speaker, and, in a few minutes, he had the audience completely with him. He showed his hearers that, even if he had been an Abolitioni.-^t, he was entirely in sympathy with the newly-awakened Northern conscience which had now organized the new Republican party. He stated his position upon the Fugitive Slave Law, and asserted that every man of his audience regarded the law in the same li.Liht. His speech was a masterly effort - the greatest of his life - and had an electric effect upon the immense assembly. Since then, Bloomington audiences have heard Lincoln, Douglas, Corwin and Blaine, but never as effective a speech as that of Mr. Lovejoy that night. It was full of wit, declamation and pathos, and was ag eloquent a speech as cvtr was listened to by our citizens. It killed the "bolting "convention, which was never heard of afterward. Nearly all who participated in it became ardent siipp< rtcrs of Mr. Lovejoy, and developed at once into the best of Republicans, and many of them were ever afterward Mr. L.'s earnest personal friends. To his great BUCCC8S at thi.s meeting, thereby placing the Republicans on an advanced ground, is largely due the Roi)ublican majority in McLean County in later years, although the magnetism and popularity of Mr. Lincoln no doubt contributed toward bringing about the same result.

Source changes here: from History of McLean County, Illinois, by Hasbrouck, Jacob Louis, B, published 1924; 4,149 words in this source stream.

Bloomington Township

COUNTY SEAT - LOCATED AND NAMED BY ACT OP GENERAL ASSEMBLY - SALE OF LOTS - INCORPORATION OP TOWN - OFFICIALS - PARKS - FIRE DEPARTMENT - WATER WORKS - PAVEMENT - SEWERS - ELECTRIC LIGHT-^FORMS OF GOVERNMENT.

COUNTY SEAT - LOCATED AND NAMED BY ACT OP GENERAL ASSEMBLY - SALE OF LOTS - INCORPORATION OF TOWN - OFFICIALS - PARKS - FIRE DEPARTMENT - WATER WORKS - PAVEMENT - SEWERS - ELECTRIC LIGHT - FORMS OF GOVERNMENT.

Bloomington was a paper city. That is, it existed on paper before it existed in fact. When a committee from the settlement at Blooming Grove went to Vandalia in 1830 with a petition for the formation of a new county out of the east part of Tazewell County, the Legislature granted the petition and chose the name for the county and for the county seat. The county was named McLean in honor of Hon. John Mc- Lean, one of the great men of Illinois at that time, who had just recently died. The county seat was given the name of Bloomington, partly as an easy adaptation of the name of Blooming Grove, and perhaps following the names of other Bloomingtons in one or two other states.

The act of the general assembly provided that the county seat should be located on land donated for the purpose, not less than 20 acres. Of this donated tract sufficient land should be reserved for the county building, the remainder to be platted into lots and sold and the proceeds used for county purposes. In the previous year, on Oct. 27, 1829, James Allin, who came here from Sangamon County, had entered from the government the east half of the southwest quarter of section 4 in township 23 north, range 2 east of the third principal meridian, containing 80 acres. The 80 acres north was entered by Robert H. Peebles on Aug. 11, 1830. Allin later acquired the Peebles land, probably under a prior contract. Lemuel Lee and Isaac C. Pugh were appointed by the Legislature to choose the site for the county seat of McLean County, but they were deterred by the "deep snow" of the month, December, 1830, and did not make the trip to this county to decide on the location until some time in the spring, and their report was first acted upon at the May meeting of the county commissioners in 1831. The report of the commissioners was that the county seat should be located "on the land of James Allin on the north end of the Blooming Grove, for which we have his obligation for the donation of 22*4 acres of land." On the same date Dr. Isaac Baker, the first county surveyor and county clerk, was appointed to advertise a sale of lots on the following July 4th. At the next meeting, June 7, he was employed to plat the land. This original plat of Bloomington is on record on the first page of the book of deed records in the court house.

The three lots fronting south on Washington Street between Center and Main, together with the center lot fronting on Jefferson Street in the same block, were reserved as the site for the court house. The northwest and the northeast corner lots of this block were sold to M. L. Covell and James Latta, respectively. However, at a subsequent date the two lots, were deeded back to the county commissioners, so that the whole block afterwards became the property of the county. There were twelve blocks of six lots each in the original plat.

For seven years after the embryo village was laid out, there was no sort of legal government other than that of the voting precinct and the county government of three commissioners. Some of the names of the early commissioners were Seth Baker, Jonathan Cheney, Timothy B. Hoblit, Jesse Havens, Andrew McMillan, Joseph Bartholomew, William C. Johnson, William Orendorff, James R. Dawson, Nathan Low, William Conaway, Israel W. Hall and Henry I. Clark.

The legal incorporation of the town of Bloomington took place in 1843, when a majority of its citizens voted for incorporation. The government was transferred from the county commissioners to a board of trustees. Matthew H. Hawks was the first president according to records that have been preserved, Merrit L. Covell the first clerk, Wells Colton attorney, and William McCullough constable. The board of trustees, aside from the president, were Bailey H. Coffey, John Magoun, James T. Walton and William Gillespie. All these names have become historic in the annals of Bloomington. Bailey H. Coffey became second president, and the board was made up of Abram Brokaw, Samuel D. Luce, Goodman Ferre and William H. Allin. The later members of the board by years were: 1846 - Goodman Ferre, president; A. Brokaw, J. E. McClun, William Piatt. 1847 - Bailey Coffey, president; Joshua Harlan, Charles P. Merriman, William McKisson, Hugh Taylor. 1848 - C. P. Merriman, president; John Foster, William G. Thompson, John W. Ewing, George W. Minier. 1849 - G. W. Minier, president; John Foster, W. G. Thompson, Ezekiel Thomas, John W. Ewing.

By the time the village of Bloomington had lived a corporate life of four years, its population was 800, that is in the year 1845. It doubled in the next ten years and in 1850 was 1,600, while by the year 1855 it had reached 5,000. This growth was remarkable, when it is considered that it was a time of general business depression, and also that the Mexican War had taken place in the period mentioned.

The era of permanent and steady progress was coincident with the building of railroads to the thriving new town. In 1850, the legislature legalized the incorporation of the Chicago & St. Louis Railroad, now the

Chicago & Alton; also the Illinois Central Railroad. These two pioneer steam transportation lines crossed at Bloomington, or more exactly at North Bloomington, now Normal. This fact assured the young city of a future expansion and substantial growth. There was a spirit of progress and enterprise among the people of that date which boded much success in future plans for the enlargement of the city. Chief among the reasons for confidence of the public was the leadership of such men as David Davis, Asahel Gridley and Jesse W. Fell, all of whom worked and planned for the great future which they confidently believed would be Bloomington's.

On Feb. 19, 1850, the legislature had passed a law by which the city of Bloomington should become specially chartered on an affirmative vote of the people. This election was held March 5, and 164 voters favored the act and 26 opposed. Thus the city became legally incorporated under a special charter. A city government was soon afterward elected with Rev. David I. Perry as the first mayor.

William M. Orme, famous in Civil War times; Harvey Hogg, who was killed in battle in the Civil War; 0. T. Reeves, afterward circuit judge; W. B. Lawrence, afterward many years police magistrate; Samuel W. Waddle, who was later one of the city's well-known bankers; Major Rolla N. Evans, *who held the position with distinction for twelve years ; C. C. Hassler, well known as soldier and poet.

The list of city attorneys also included many well-known names, among them Judge Scott, William M. Orme, Harvey Hogg; Hudson Burr, afterward a leading financial leader of the community; Joseph W. Fifer, afterward Governor of Illinois; Ira J. Broomfield, well-known veteran of the Civil War; B. D. Lucas, John T. Lillard and T. C. Kerrick, all weliknown lawyers; A. E. DeMange, afterward owner of the street railway system; Sain Welty, afterward circuit judge; Jacob P. Lindley, a leading lawyer ; Miles K. Young and William R. Bach, both afterward states attorneys of McLean County ; Ben Goodheart, who afterward became leader in Modern Woodmen affairs; Louis FitzHenry, now Federal judge; Richard M. O'Connell, who served through the entire commission form period and is now corporation counsel.

The men who have served the city as chiefs of police include Orrine Curtis, William McCullough, Allen Withers, Jonathan Glimpse, A. T. Briscoe, George Bull, W. G. Boyce, Elliott Miller, James Stone, Thomas G. Keogh, J. E. Bentley, E. J. Potts, F. J. Maxwell, R. W. Schroeder, C. W. Hitch, Fred L. Lang, John J. Jones, Paul Gierman.

Bloomington is provided with a fine park system. For many years it fared very poorly, for there were insufficient funds, but with the vote to levy a two-mill park tax in 1899, money to more adequately care for the parks was afterward provided. The parks are under a board of park commissioners, during aldermanic form of city government, but under commission form the commissioner of public property had charge.

Miller Park, formerly known as Miller's pasture, was purchased in 1887 from W. T. Miller for $17,000, of which sum $5,000 was raised by private subscriptions. It originally consisted of 39 acres, but later the addition of a wooded tract called Stein's Grove, and now known as Forest Park, has added much to its beauty and spaciousness. A lake comprising 18 acres was created by building of two dams across the natural ravine which ran through the park from northeast to southwest. The first dam in 1896 created only a small pond of water. Then about 1903 the contract was let for another dam, 1,800 feet in length, 200 feet in width at the base and 30 feet wide at the top. A core of yellow brick clay extends down through the center of the dam, 24 feet wide at the top, 14 at the bottom. It makes the dam impervious to leakage. The top of the dam forms a driveway all around the west side of the lake. Bathing houses and beaches were built, and thousands enjoy swimming in the lake during the summer. Certain fish days are permitted, and boating is allowed. A handsome pavilion and animal house, the latter being a goodsized zoo, add to the attractiveness of the park. The county erected a $50,000 granite monument to the soldiers of the wars up to the World War, which was dedicated in 1913. It contains the names of all soldiers and sailors of the wars from this county up to that time.

The park area of the city was doubled by the purchase in 1922 of 90 acres of land lying west of Main Street and east of Miller Park. The land had belonged to the Meyer family, having been the former site of the Meyer brewery. It cost $48,000, payable in installments. Under Mayor Jones, last mayor of the commission form, and Mayor Shorthose, first mayor of restored aldermanic form, the new park was named Highland Park, and was much improved. A free municipal golf links was laid out and many other changes for the good of the public were made.

The city owns many smaller parks. One is Franklin Park, given to the city in 1856 by David Davis, William F. Flagg and William H. Allin and named in honor of Mayor Franklin Price. Today it is a handsomely wooded plot in the midst of a fine residential district. Trotter Park is adjoining the city water works and was named for Mayor John Trotter. Withers Park, or Library Park, is just east of the public library, and is a playground for children. A handsome marble piece of statuary by Lorado Taft is erected there, having been paid for by money left for that purpose by Georgina Trotter. It represents Indian children at play with animals.

O'Neil Park, a comparatively large tract of land, lies north of Chestnut Street and west of Hinshaw Avenue. It has never been improved to any great extent, but serves as playground for amateur baseball clubs and other sorts of sport for people in that vicinity. It was bought for $7,200 under Mayor Carlock, and contains twelve acres.

bought in 1855. Cisterns located at convenient points furnished the water supply at first. The first engine house was built at 104 North East Street, and in 1857 the site of old engine house No. 1 was purchased, and an engine house and calaboose combined were erected. The second company was organizd in 1858 and another hand engine was bought. Company No. 2 occupied rooms at the corner of Front and Madison, then in the 200 block West Washington, then in the 100 block North Madison. Various other changes in the hand apparatus took place until April, 1867, when the first steam engine was purchased and the first paid firemen were employed, a driver and engineer. The apparatus and personnel of the department continued to expand until along in the '90's, when there were three engine houses and two steam engines and many hose and ladder trucks. After the disastrous fire of June 19, 1900, the fire department was further expanded, until five houses were in use: One on East Front in the 200 block; one on North East, 100 block; one in 100 block on North Madison; one at Center and Walnut, one in the 900 block on South Main; one on West Chestnut near the C. & A.

During the commission form of government, the whole apparatus was changed to motor vehicles and concentrated in the one engine house, on East Front Street. Henry Mayer was chief of the fire department for twenty-seven years, retiring in 1923, and being succeeded by Rolla Neal, the present chief. The apparatus is now thoroughly up to date.

The superintendent of water works and fire chief were filled jointly from the construction of the water works until 1887, and from then to 1890 were separate. In 1890 the superintendency of the electric light plant was joined to that of water superintendent. The following men have held the position : M. X. Chuse, E. J. Rowley, M. H. Eldridge, H. W. Schmidt, Seth Noble, Chester C. Williams.

After floundering the black mud of Illinois for many years, Bloomington undertook in 1869 to do its first paving. Grove Street from Main to the Illinois Central was paved with macadam, then Chestnut Street from the Alton depot to Center. Pine block pavement was put down on Jefferson Street in 1870 under Mayor T. J. Bunn. In 1877 the first brick pavement in this city or in the United States was laid by Napoleon B. Heafer on the west side of the public square. From that time brick pavement became standard, and at present there are many miles of brick pave-

Bloomington possesses a great system of sewers. The first sewers were built to take care of flood waters in the sloughs on West Market and North Mason Streets. From 1876 to 1880 sewers were constructed to take care of the drainage of the south slough. The great valley sewer, taking care of the whole north* and northeast sections, was put down in 1900.

Before the digging of the first coal shaft, known as the north shaft, Bloomington had relied on wells for a water supply. The coal mine was flooded with water, which eventually proved the wrecking of the mine for fuel purposes. However, it discovered the underground lake or river which since that time has been the reliance of the city for water supply.

Tests having failed to exhaust the flow of the undergrounG stream, the city bought land in the vicinity of the coal shaft and sank a well and constructed a standpipe for pressure purposes. This was in 1874. The first plant was completed in 1875 under Mayor Ben F. Funic. The one large well supplied the city for 28 years, and then a number of small tube wells were sunk as a substitute for the big well. Under Mayor James S. Neville a 10,000,000 gallon concrete reservoir was built, into which the streams from the wells were pumped. This cost about $30,000, and more than justified its cost.

But in spite of all, occasional dry seasons would bring the visible supply so near to exhaustion that the city was constantly threatened with water famine in summer or autumn. In 1909, R. L. Carlock was elected mayor on a platform of a more suitable water supply. On his accession, the council submitted to the people a vote on a bond issue of $150,000 for water works extension. The bonds were voted, and the money was wisely spent in complete rejuvenation of the water works. Five circular well pits were dug, and below them large pipes were sunk into the depths of the gravel beds, through which fed the stream. Centrifugal pumps were put at work in the bottom of each well pit, thus raising the water into pipes, thence emptied into the reservoir. This system was a great improvement over the old one, and justified the expenditures.

But when the commission form of government was on, the commissioner of water works, John G. Welch, advocated a new and supplemental supply aside from the one from which the city had drawn its supply for

30 years. Accordingly a tract of 10 acres was bought a mile west of the present plant and located on another lay of ground. Here test wells were sunk, showing a remarkable supply of water from an entirely different vein. Three wells were then sunk and a covered reservoir built. Pumping machinery was added, and from the start the plant produced a daily supply almost as large as at the old plant. The city now has practically two independent sources of supply, with machinery to work either or both as occasion requires. The daily capacity of the two plants is about three times the requirements of the whole city in ordinary circumstances.

Since 1890, the city of Bloomington has owned and operated its own electric light plant. Prior to that a private corporation, the Bloomington Electric Light Company, had sold the citjr its current for lights. The electric light plant is in the same building as the parent water works, thus inducing economy of operation. The equipment of the plant has cost upward of $150,000 in its various stages. The city supplies light for streets and public buildings, but does not sell current on a commercial basis. Some years ago, William R. Bach, then city attorney, estimated the yearly cost to the city at $65.37 for each street light, which had been reduced from $103 per light when the plant was made a municipal plant.

A modern experiment in an improved form of municipal government was carried on in Bloomington between the years 1915 and 1923. It was the adoption of what was called commission form of city government, to replace the older form of management by a board of aldermen, which had been in vogue since the organization of the city under the general law in 1897. The agitation for the adoption of the commission form was carried on during the year 1913-14, it being claimed by its advocates that a government composed of five commissioners would be more efficient than the larger body of fourteen aldermen which up to that time had had control of the city.

The election to determine whether the citizens desired the new form of government was held on April 6, 1914, at which time the vote for and against the proposed change stood as follows: For commission form, 8,970; against, 3,974. Majority for change, 4,996. It required a year to work out the details of the change. In the spring of the year 1915, the primaries were held to choose eight nominees for commissioners and two nominees for mayor. These ten names were then placed on a ballot for the election, and from them was elected one mayor and four commission- ers. At the primaries there were 49 candidates for nomination, and from these the following were chosen for mayor: Edward E. Jones and John W. Rodgers; and for commissioners the following eight names: Edward R. Morgan, R. L. Carlock, John F. Anderson, Mrs. Helen Clarke McCurdy, George W. Monroe, Alex G. Erickson, Louis F. Rittmiller and W. H. Kerrick. The election was held on April 6, and E. E. Jones was chosen mayor and the four commissioners were E. R. Morgan, R. L. Carlock, John F. Anderson and A. G. Erickson.

The council was organized the first of May, with the following assignment of departments: E. E. Jones, mayor and commissioner of public affairs ; Edward R. Morgan, commissioner of accounts and finances ; A. G. Erickson, commissioner of public health and safety; John F. Anderson, commissioner of streets and public improvements; R. L. Carlock, commissioner of public property.

The above five members composed the city council for the four years from 1915 to 1919, inclusive. In the latter year the second election was held. There were 17 candidates in the primaries for the 10 positions on the ticket. E. E. Jones was again nominated for mayor, and his opponent was John B. Lennon. The men nominated for commissioners were J. J. Nevin, L. J. Salch, A. G. Erickson, E. R. Morgan, John F. Anderson, John G. Welch, Frank J. Morgan, and George J. Meyers. All the sitting members of the council were renominated except R. L. Carlock, whose place on the 'ballot was taken by John G. Welch. In the succeeding campaign, Lennon for mayor and the following candidates for commissioner: Nevin, Salch, Meyers and Frank Morgan, ran as a Labor ticket, working as a whole against the other candidates known as the administration ticket. In the election, Jones was elected mayor by 286 majority over Lennon, and the whole "administration ticket" for commissioners were elected, E. R. Morgan, Welch, Anderson and Erickson.

This form of administration continued for another four years from from 1919, and in the summer of 1922 a petition was circulated for calling an election to revert back to the aldermanic form of government. R. M. O'Connell served as corporation counsel during the entire commission form period.

The commission form went out of existence in the spring of 1923, when the first mayor and board of aldermen under the returned aidermanic form were elected. The commission form had existed for eight years, during which conditions in general were much disturbed owing to the World War and its resultant upheavals. However, it was generally considered that much progress was accomplished during the eight years of commission form. In the second term of four years, the only change in departments was that in the public property department, where John G. Welch succeeded R. L. Carlock, retired.

In the summer of 1922 an agitation was started for the purpose of returning to the former aldermanic form of government, abolishing the city commission. This was brought to a head in a petition signed by voters which was submitted to the city council asking that an election on this question be held. Corporation counsel having examined the petition the number of signatures was found to be sufficient and the election was held July 11. It was at the period of the great railroad shop strike, and many working men of the city were unemployed. This in turn gave rise to much general discontent with existing conditions. The vote cast at the election was small, only 5,000 of the 14,000 qualified voters of the city having cast their ballot. The verdict, however, was for abolishing the commission form, the vote standing as follows: For aldermanic form, 2,846; for commission form, 2,149. Majority for change, 697. The total vote cast in the election was very light, being less than 5,000 out of the total number of 14,000 registered voters.

The actual change in the form of the city government did not take place until the following spring, in April, 1923. The candidates for mayor under the new regime were Frank E. Shorthose, a veteran Alton engineer, and Emerson J. Gilmore, a business man. Shorthose ran on the Republican ticket, Gilmore on the Democratic. Shorthose was elected by a vote of 5,222 to 1,800 for Gilmore.

The aldermen elected in the several wards of the city at this first election were as follows: First ward, DeWitt G. Gray and Ralph B. Greene; second ward, Val Simshauser and Paul Sholz; third ward, M. B. Hayes and Frank H. Blose; fourth ward, G. Noble Paxton and Charles H. Kurtz; fifth ward, Richard Barry and Frank J. Donovan; sixth ward, I. C. Ryburn and Fred Beckman; seventh ward, Charles H. Lawyer and John G. Larson. At the same election, Charles T. Evans was elected su-/ perintendent of streets and James H. Kimes, city treasurer.

Shorthose was taken sick and died on the night of Jan. 4, 1924. His funeral at the Consistory on Jan. 7 was one of the largest ever held in the city. Frank H. Blouse, who had been elected acting mayor by the council, took charge of the executive office and carried on the work of mayor until a successor was elected for Mayor Shorthose.