Bloomington, Illinois

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A significant Kickapoo settlement was located just outside Bloomington before the first European-American immigrants arrived in the early 1820s. Originally known as Blooming Grove, the hamlet of Keg Grove became the county seat of newly formed McLean County on December 25, 1830.

A county seat was created when McLean County was formed. However, the law indicated that Bloomington's location "would be located later." One of the county's boosters, James Allin, proposed to contribute 60 acres (240,000 m2) of his property for the new town. Bloomington was planned out after his proposition was accepted. On the 4th of July 1831, its lots were auctioned off in a raucous and well-attended auction. There were few highways at the time, but fertile soils attracted new farmers, who started doing business in the newly constituted county.

A fire at a laundry across the street from the old city hall and police station was noticed by a patrol officer in 1900. He raised the alarm, but the fire completely devastated the downtown area, particularly the sections north and east of the courthouse. The burned-out region, however, was soon rebuilt using local architects George Miller and Paul O. Moratz's plans.

Ray and Irene Denbesten established Denbesten Real Estate in 1977 in Bloomington, Illinois. Their daughter, Cathy Denbesten, is presently in charge of the business. If you're interested in buying or selling a house, call (309) 6662-4228 now.

The city has a population of 76,610 at the 2010 census, with 30,454 homes. 2,814.8 people per square mile (1,099.5/km2) was the population density. At an average density of 1,261.5 units per square mile (492.8/km2), there were 34,339 dwelling units. 7.75% White; 10.1% African American; 0.3 % Native American; 7.0 % Asian; 1.42 % other races; 2.9% two or more races; and 2.9 percent from two or more races. 5.6 percent of the population was of Hispanic or Latino origin.

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.

In 2010, there were 34,339 households. 28.8% of them had children under the age of 18, 46.7% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder without a husband, and 41.1% were not families. Only 32.6% of all homes had people living alone; 9.2% had someone who was 65 or older living alone. The average size of a household was 2.41, and the average size of a family was 3.12.

With 27.3% under 20, 9.0% 18-24, 29.8% 25-45, 23.84% 45-64 and 10.2% 65+, the city's population was evenly distributed. It was 33 years old. Males outnumbered females 95.4 to 100.

Families in the city made an average of $81,166, with a median family income of $58,662. The median income for men was $56,597, while the median income for women was $39,190. The city's average annual income was $32,672. 5.7 percent of households and 11.0 percent of the population were living below the poverty line, including 12.6 percent of those under the age of 18 and 6.3 percent of those over 65.

At the Bloomington Ice Center (formerly known as Pepsi Ice Center), the Bloomington Parks & Recreation Department operates an indoor public skating rink, which is 200 feet wide by 85 feet long. Skate rentals and concessions are available, as are instruction and public skating sessions. There is also a hockey program and leagues for anyone interested in learning the sport of curling.

It has four parts: Parks, Recreation, Golf, and the Miller Park Zoo. 44 parks and three golf courses make up the Department's 1,100 acres (4.5 km2) of land. They include: Airport Park, Atwood Wayside, Angler's Lake Nature Preserve, Bittner Park and Brookridge Park. They also include: Ewing Park 1, Ewing Park 2, EwingPark 3 and Fell AvenuePark. The Department also runs Lincoln Leisure Center and the Lincoln Recreation Center.

Numerous exhibits and encounters with zookeepers are available at Miller Park Zoo. Alligators, tortoises, bearded dragons, sun bears, sea lions, red pandas, lemus bald eagles, and wolves are just few of the animals that call the zoo home. Among the various exhibits of the zoo are the Katthoefer Animal Building, the Wallaby WalkAbout, ZooLab, and the Children's Zoo. It's the Tropical America Rainforest that's new to the Zoo.

On a designated right of way, the Bloomington-Normal Constitution Trail is a 24-mile-long (39-kilometer-long) route for joggers, walkers, cyclists, and rollerbladers. When crossing the main streets, bridges and tunnels are utilized to protect the route from traffic. From Kerrick Road in Normal to Grove Street in Bloomington, the north–south stretch of the path follows the abandoned ICG railroad.

Towanda-Barnes Road. The east–west stretch crosses the north segment near Normal City Hall Annex. The Liberty Branch runs from Commerce Drive to Old Farm Lakes. The Freedom Branch runs from Lincoln to Route 9 West. Parking is accessible at nearby lots. Users of all non-motorized modes of transportation are welcome on the path. During the winter, it is not cleaned of snow and is open to skiers.

While Illinois State University (1857) is located in Normal, Illinois Wesleyan University (1850) and a Heartland Community College campus (1990) are located in Bloomington. The American Passion Play is a popular springtime tradition. The home of Supreme Court associate judge David Davis, built in 1872, is a state historic monument. Bloomington has museums dedicated to history and aviation, a zoo, and a Shakespeare festival in the summer months. 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. Shirley, southwest of the city, is a gem and mineral museum. Inc. 1839, As of 2010 there were 76,000 people living in Bloomington-Normal and the Bloomington-Normal Metro Area, compared to 64,808 in 2000.

An arts center in central Illinois has been around for more than 130 years. The McLean County Arts Center is one of the oldest arts groups in the Midwest. Each year there are 12 art shows, like the Holiday Treasurers exposition and sale and the annual Amateur Competition and Exhibition, which has been going on for more than 70 years. The Arts Center also helps out with a lot of community events, like the Sugar Creek Arts Festival in Uptown Normal and the Spring Bloom Arts Festival in Bloomington, which are both in the area.

On Robinhood Lane off Towanda Avenue, the Community Players Theater is one of the oldest community theaters that is completely run by volunteers. When the theater first opened in 1923, it was the 88th time it had been open.

The McLean County Arts Center hosts the Spring Bloom Arts Festival in March each year. It's an indoor fine art festival with over a hundred artists showing everything from carpentry and glass art to sculpture and paintings. There are also prints and pictures and jewelry made by hand on display.

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. Jens Jensen, a well-known landscape architect, designed the surrounding gardens. Jens Jensen also designed Springfield's Lincoln Memorial Gardens. In the summer, the Illinois Shakespeare Festival comes to the grounds and plays in the theater there.

An F-14 Tomcat and Bell Sea Cobra are on display at the Prairie Aviation Museum.

The David Davis Mansion depicts the life of Abraham Lincoln's friend and mentor, David Davis, a United States Supreme Court Justice who was instrumental in Lincoln's 1860 presidential campaign. The Davis Mansion, built in 1872, is a paragon of mid-Victorian elegance and taste. His Bloomington house, which has been in the Davis family for three generations, has a coal-burning furnace, gas lights, and indoor plumbing. The David Davis Mansion is a National Historic Landmark.

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.

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The house serves as a reminder of the pivotal role Illinois played in the nation's history during Abraham Lincoln's presidency, as well as a predecessor to contemporary dwellings and comfort systems. Special Tea Ladies Inc. events may also be arranged at the estate.

The McLean County Museum of History has an audio tour called Lincoln's Bloomington and Normal, Illinois. You can listen to it while you drive. In this CD-based audio tour, President Abraham Lincoln talks about the places he visited and what they meant to him. It was written by James Keeran and narrated by him. It includes Kersey Fell's law office, where Jesse Fell told Lincoln to run for president; the home of Asahel Gridley, Lincoln's friend and client in a slander case; the Miller-Davis Building, where Lincoln practiced law; and 14 other places.

At the heart of Bloomington's cultural district is a plethora of art galleries and museums as well as a number of banks and other financial institutions. As a result, there are several restaurants and a vibrant nightlife. A variety of activities, including as the Tour de Chocolat, Farmers' Market, Tour de Metro, Pub Crawl, and Once Upon a Holiday, allow visitors to get a taste of the neighborhood. Bloomington's downtown area is home to the city's and McLean County's government buildings, as well as a slew of clubs, restaurants, and art galleries.

Beer Nuts Brand Snacks are solely produced in Bloomington, Illinois. In Bloomington, there are two locations of the Beer Nuts Company Stores that give a video tour of the facility and the history of Beer Nuts Snacks.

There are two public school districts in Bloomington, which are both located in the city. 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).

McLean County Unit District No. 5 has grown so large that the city has strayed over its bounds. The majority of Unit Five's pupils are now from Bloomington, despite the fact that the school was initially intended to serve the suburbs. School districts in Unit Five include two high schools, four junior high schools, as well as a slew of elementary and middle schools. George Evans Junior High School, also known as EJHS, was under construction as of 2010 when Unit Five was building its fourth junior high school. It was completed in 2011 and Unit 5 was also building two primary schools in Bloomington and predicting the need for another high school.

In 1850, Illinois Wesleyan University opened its doors to 2,100 students with a student-to-faculty ratio of 12 to 1. It used to be linked with the Methodist Church. The University is divided into three colleges: Liberal Arts, Fine Arts, and School of Nursing. The Ames Library, the Center for Natural Science, and the Shirk Center for Athletics and Recreation have all been built in the last decade. Hairmasters Institute of Cosmetology, Inc. provides lessons in pivot point hair sculpting, hair design, long hair design, hair texture, hair color, people skills, and salon administration.

One can easily identify the McLean County Museum of History by its stately dome. The courthouse square is flanked by historic buildings. An array of businesses and services are available to visitors. Many restaurants and a vibrant nightlife.