Bloomington, Illinois

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Bloomington is a city in McLean County, Illinois, in the United States. It is the county seat and the place where people live. It is next to the town of Normal, and it is the most populous of the two main cities in the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area. People who live in Bloomington are about 135 miles (217 km) southwest of Chicago and about 162 miles (261 km) northeast of St. Louis, so they're not far from each other. There were 78,680 people living in the city at the time of the 2020 Census. This made it the 13th-largest city in Illinois, and the fifth-largest city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area. Together, the twin cities have a population of about 130,000. The Bloomington area is home to Illinois Wesleyan University and Illinois State University, both of which are in the area. State Farm Insurance and Country Financial are also based there.

Before the arrival of the first Euro-American immigrants in the early 1820s, the Bloomington region was populated by the Kickapoo people. Bloomington, born of Keg Grove, became the county seat of McLean County on December 25, 1830.

People from all around, including Abraham Lincoln, who was practicing law in Springfield, Illinois, flocked to the town's heart, now known as Downtown Bloomington, to trade and transact business. For Lincoln-Douglas debates in 1854, Jesse W. Fell, who created the Bloomington Pantagraph and was a major Bloomington real estate developer, was a key figure in the campaign.

The old city hall and the police station were still there, but there was a fire in a laundry across the street in 1900. There was a fire and he called the fire department. Most of the downtown was destroyed by the fire, especially to the north and east of the courthouse, where the fire started. George Miller and Paul O. Moratz, two architects who live in the area, quickly rebuilt the area that was burned.

Ray and Irene Denbesten founded Denbesten Real Estate in 1977 in Bloomington, Illinois. Today, the business is handled by Cathy Denbesten, their daughter. They can assist you purchase or sell a house by calling (309) 6662-4228.

In 1997, Judy Markowitz became New York City's first Jewish and female mayor when she was elected to the post. Downtown Bloomington got a new arena, and the city's performing arts facility started being restored during Markowitz's two tenure as mayor. Bloomington would also approve a gay rights ordinance in 2002. In 2021, Mboka Mwilambwe became the first black mayor of the city.

As the state's fastest-growing metropolitan region, Bloomington-McLean County is home to both cities. There has been a 28% increase in the area's population between 1990 and 2006. When the U.S. Census Bureau performed a special count of Bloomington in February 2006, it showed a population of 74,975, an increase of 15.7% in less than six years. This was the city with the fastest growth.

People in the city were spread out, with 27.3 percent under the age of 20, 9.0 percent from 18 to 24, 29.8 percent between the ages of 25 and 45, 23.8 percent between the ages of 45 and 64, and 10.2 percent who were over 65 years old. It was 33 years old at the middle. The number of men in a group of 100 women was 95.4 for every 100 women.

City: The median income for a household in the city was $58,662. For a family, the median income was $81,166. This is how it worked out: Males made $56,597 on average compared to $38,190 for women. The city had a per capita income of $32,672. Families: 5.7 percent of families and 11.0 percent of the population were living below the poverty line. This included 12.6 percent of people under 18 and 6.3 percent of people who were 65 and older.

The Bloomington Ice Center (Formerly Pepsi Ice Center) is an indoor public ice skating rink managed by the Bloomington Parks & Recreation Department, with a full-size ice sheet of 200' by 85'. Ice skating classes, public skating sessions, a complete hockey program, learn to curl and curling leagues, skate rental, and a snack stand are all available at the facility.

Previously known as the U.S. Cellular Coliseum, the Grossinger Motors Arena in southwest downtown Bloomington debuted in 2006 and is now home to the Bloomington Edge of the Indoor Football League. To host certain games of ISU's club hockey team and local youth hockey programs as well as the USHL's Central Illinois Flying Aces since its opening in 2014 The Coliseum has a permanent seating capacity of 7,000, but can accommodate up to 8,000 people for special events. Retractable curtains allow the theater to be transformed into an intimate venue that seats 2,500-5,000 people. Concerts, family entertainment, ice performances, racing, and tradeshows have all taken place at the Coliseum since it opened.

A new public library is funded through bonds approved by voters in 1976 by Citizens for a New Public Library, a Friends of the Library organization. Success! The library reopened as the "Bloomington Public Library." in 1977 at 205 East Olive Street. This includes a Bookmobile, which began as Library on Wheels in 1926.

Recreation, Golf, and the Miller Park Zoo are the four sections of the Bloomington Parks & Recreation Department. Atwood Wayside, Alton Depot Park, Angler's Lake Nature Preserve, Atwood Park, Bittner Park, Brookridge Park, Buck-Mann Park, Clearwater Park, Eagle Crest Park, Emerson Park, Evergreen Park, Ewing Park 1, Ewing Park 2, and Ewing Park 3 are just a few of the parks and golf courses that the Department of Public Works maintains on its 1,100-acre (4,5 km2) estate.

The Bloomington-Normal Constitution Track is a 24-mile (39-kilometer) running, walking, cycling, and rollerblading trail that runs across most of the city on dedicated right-of-way. When traversing the main streets, the route is separated from traffic by bridges and tunnels. From Kerrick Road in Normal to Grove Street in Bloomington, the path follows the abandoned Illinois Central Gulf (ICG) railroad north–south.

As part of Illinois State University's 150th anniversary celebration, the Genevieve Green Gardens at Ewing Cultural Center opened in 2007. This initiative was initiated by the late Bruce V. Green, a gardener who generously donated $5.2 million to the project. Included in the gardens are an updated public entrance, an expanded theater walk and a new formal plaza.

Illinois Wesleyan University, a campus of Heartland Community College, and Illinois State University are located in Bloomington and Normal, respectively. The American Passion Play is an annual spring event. One of Bloomington's state historic sites was the home of Supreme Court associate judge David Davis, who lived there from 1872 to 1873. This cemetery is where both Adlai E. Stevenson, who served as vice president from 1893 to 1997, and his grandson (and two-time Democratic Party presidential candidate) Adlai E. Stevenson II, are laid to rest. Nearby Shirley, a gem and mineral museum is located. Founded in 1839. People in Bloomington-Normal Metro Area (2000): 64,808; 2010, 76,601; Bloomington-Normal Metro Area (2010): 169,572.

To date, The McLean County Arts Center has served Central Illinois for more than 130 years. For almost 70 years, the annual Amateur Competition and Exhibition has been a showcase for the greatest amateur artists in Central Illinois, showcasing the best of the best each year. Sugar Creek Arts Festival in Uptown Normal and Spring Bloom Arts Festival in Bloomington are both sponsored by the Arts Center.

Located on Robinhood Lane, off Towanda Avenue, the Community Players Theater is one of the oldest volunteer-staffed community theaters in the area. The theater, which first opened its doors in 1923, just celebrated its 88th season.

A music major and several hundred IWU students use the Westbrook Auditorium every year. Every semester, a variety of musical performances are presented, most of which are free.

Every year, the City of Bloomington's Miller Park Outdoor Summer Theatre presents two major theatrical shows.

Architect Phil Hooten built Ewing Manor in Bloomington, and he used the Channel-Norman style that was popular with the rich in the post-Victorian era to make it. Jens Jensen, a well-known landscape architect who also designed Springfield's Lincoln Memorial Gardens, made the gardens around the statue. In the summer, the theater on the grounds hosts the Illinois Shakespeare Festival.

The McLean County Museum of History was created in 1892, the same year as the McLean County Historical Society. The museum, which is housed within the former McLean County Courthouse, contains permanent and rotating exhibitions that examine Central Illinois' history. The National Register of Historic Places recognizes this place.

It provides a look into the life of Abraham Lincoln's friend and mentor, David Davis, who served as a Supreme Court Justice and was an important part in Lincoln's campaign for the 1860 Republican nomination for president. An example of mid-Victorian style and taste, the Davis Mansion was constructed in 1872 and incorporates Italianate and Second Empire architectural elements. Coal-burning stoves, gas lights, and indoor plumbing are all found in his Bloomington house, which has been in the Davis family for three generations. The National Register of Historic Places lists the David Davis Mansion as a historic site.

When the old Montefiore synagogue was destroyed, the building that used to be there is one of the few Moorish revival buildings in Illinois. It is also one of the oldest synagogues in the United States.

Bloomington, Illinois

Docents from the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts lead Behind the Curtain Tours. Visitors may learn about all of the building's changes and improvements as well as its neo-Classical interior architecture.

The David Davis Mansion provides tours of the 36-room home of Judge David Davis to both groups and individuals. Docents explore the rich social and cultural history of America's western frontier from the 1850s through the 1880s using artifacts and tales about the Davis family. Servant life, domestic life, and technology at the beginning of the industrial era, family history (with a concentration on children), and Victorian architecture are just a few of the topics covered.

This is a good way to remember how important Illinois was when Abraham Lincoln was President. The mansion is a precursor to the modern homes and comfort systems we take for granted today. It also reminds us of how important Illinois was when Lincoln was President. A special Tea Ladies Inc. event can also be set up at the mansion, too.

The McLean County Museum of History offers an audio driving tour titled Lincoln's Bloomington and Normal, Illinois. The CD-based audio tour presents President Abraham Lincoln as a returning visitor, talking about the places he visited and their meaning. Written and performed by James Keeran, the audio tour includes: Kersey Fell's Law office, where Jesse Fell suggested Lincoln run for the presidency; the home of Asahel Gridley, Lincoln's friend and client in a slander suit; the Miller-Davis Building, where Lincoln practiced law; and 14 other sites.

Two school districts serve the city of Bloomington. Schools in Bloomington's inner suburbs are part of Bloomington Public Schools District 87, which has a single high school (Bloomington High School), a single middle school (Bloomington Junior High School), and six elementary schools (named for the first female superintendent for Bloomington).

A second district, McLean County Unit District No. 5, was created as a result of growth. Originally serving only suburban areas, including Normal, Unit Five now serves a majority of Bloomington-area students. Untiion Five runs two high schools, four junior highs, and many elementary schools. EJHS (George Evans Junior High School) was built in 2010 by Unit Five. On top of that, Unit 5 is planning to build two new elementary schools and a new high school in Bloomington by 2011.