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Bloomington is a city in McLean County, Illinois, and serves as the county seat. It is the larger of the two major municipalities in the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan region, and it is close to the town of Normal. Bloomington is located 135 miles southwest of Chicago and 162 miles northeast of St. Louis. The city has a population of 78,680 people, making it Illinois' 13th most populous city and the state's fifth most populous city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area, according to the 2020 Census. The twin cities have a population of around 130,000 people when they are combined with Normal. Illinois Wesleyan University and Illinois State University both have campuses in Bloomington. State Farm Insurance and Country Financial have their headquarters there as well.

An official county seat for McLean was created when the county was formed. The statute, on the other hand, indicated that the location of Bloomington "would be located later." It was announced that James Allin, one of the proponents of the new county, had volunteered to give his property to the new town. Bloomington was planned out after his proposition was accepted. On July 4th, 1831, it was auctioned off to a large and boisterous crowd. Many new farmers came to settle in the newly constituted county because of the fertile soils that existed at that time, but there were few roadways for them to use.

The old city hall and the police station were still there, but there was a fire in a laundry across the street from them in 1900. There was a fire and he called the fire department. Most of the downtown was destroyed, especially the areas north and east of the courthouse. George Miller and Paul O. Moratz, two architects who live in the area, quickly rebuilt the area that had been burned down with their designs.

There is a real estate company in the Bloomington, IL area called Denbesten Real Estate. It was started by Ray and Irene Denbesten back in 1977. Cathy Denbesten is now in charge. They can help you buy or sell your house: (309) 6662-4228.

As a whole, the City of Bloomington and McLean County are the fastest-growing metro area in Illinois. Over the years from 1990 to 2006, the population of the area has grown by 28%. There has been the most growth in Bloomington, where the U.S. Census Bureau did a special census of the city in February 2006, and found that the population had grown by 15.7% in less than six years.

The city's median household income was $58,662, while the family's median income was $81,166. Males had a median income of $56,597, while females had a median income of $39,190. The city's per capita income was $32,672. Around 5.7 percent of households and 11.0 percent of the population were poor, with 12.6 percent of those under 18 and 6.3 percent of those 65 and over falling into this category.

The Ladies' Library Association, which had been created in 1856, originally opened the Bloomington Public Library in 1857. Book contributions and membership fees were the primary sources of funding for the modest library. Moving to 105 West North Street in 1871 was the library's first move (which is now West Monroe Street.) Local citizens donated $1,100 to revive the library in 1880, after it was forced to close owing to a lack of money. On property provided by Mrs. Sarah B. Withers, the library relocated to a new two-story structure at the intersection of East and Washington streets in 1888. Withers Library" was renamed in recognition of the donor.

1976: People who want to build a new public library start a group called "Followers of the Library." They want voters to let bonds be sold that will raise money for the library. The campaign worked, and the library reopened in 1977 at 205 East Olive Street as "Bloomington Public Library." Public programs are still available at the library. One of them is a Bookmobile, which was first called "Library on Wheels" in 1926. It delivers books to people in their own neighborhood.

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

Alcohol and smoking are forbidden in all parks, however dogs on a leash are permitted. You'll find lighting tennis courts and water spray parks in these parks. Less than a mile away, the Evergreen Racket Club O'Neil Park (west) and Holiday Park (east). Indoor pools are available in YMCAs and private clubs.

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.

There are five Masterworks concerts, two Pops concerts, and three Chamber Orchestra concerts each year at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts in Bloomington, Illinois. This is where the orchestra plays.

In 1916, Balaban & Katz, the original creators of the traditional cinema palace, built the Castle Theatre with a 1,000-seat capacity. The property has long been regarded as a top tourist attraction in the region. A $1.5 million makeover has brought the Castle back to its former splendour. Live music, corporate, public, and private events may be found at the Castle nowadays.

The Jerome Mirza Theatre in McPherson Hall is home to the Illinois Wesleyan University School of Theatre Arts. Every year, four main stage plays are chosen from a playbill that includes anything from Shakespeare to musicals. McPherson Hall, was opened in 1963 and is named after IWU's 10th President, Harry W. McPherson, has a 300-seat theater, a scene shop, classrooms, and other amenities.

An amateur group called the Miller Park Outdoor Summer Theatre, which is run by the City of Bloomington, puts on two major theater shows each year.

In 2011, the USA Ballet celebrated its 21st year as an international ballet company. Three times a year, USA Ballet performs at Illinois Wesleyan University's McPherson Theatre, providing children's classes and outreach activities.

Currently in its 92nd season, American Passion Play is the country's longest-running Passion Play. The Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts hosts the annual Passion Play, which depicts the life of Jesus Christ from beginning to end.

Ewing Manor's historic Ewing Manor is the setting for the Illinois Shakespeare Festival's outdoor, Elizabethan-style theater each summer. In addition to the Green Show, wandering Madrigal singers, jesters, and other performers amuse the crowd before each performance.

During March, the McLean County Arts Center puts on the Spring Bloom Arts Festival every year. More than 100 artists from all over the world are at this indoor fine art festival. They work in a wide range of mediums like woodworking and glass art.

The McLean County Fair, which takes place in August at the McLean County Fairgrounds in Bloomington, is advertised as the "Home of the World's Largest County 4-H Fair" In addition to livestock exhibitions and a film festival, 4-H members may participate in exhibits on topics such as food, nutrition, and health, plant science, engineering, and natural resources management. Tractor pulls and different musical groups are part of the evening grandstand entertainment.

The McLean County Museum of History was established in 1892, the same year as the McLean County Historical Society. The museum, which is housed within the ancient McLean County Courthouse, contains permanent and rotating exhibits about Central Illinois' history. The National Register of Historic Places has designated this site.

The pavilion at Miller Park is called the Pavilion.

The Prairie Aviation Museum has a lot of planes that have been preserved, like a Bell Sea Cobra, a Huey helicopter, and an F-14 Tomcat.

Many famous Bloomington-Normal residents, including members of the Stevenson family, are buried at the Evergreen Memorial Cemetery. Adlai E. Stevenson I, Grover Cleveland's vice president, and Adlai E. Stevenson II, Illinois governor, UN ambassador, and twice Democratic presidential contender, are buried there. Stevenson's wife, Letitia Green Stevenson, was the second National President-General of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and her sister, Julia Green Scott, was the eighth. Dorothy Gage, inspiration for the main heroine in The Wizard of Oz and niece of author L. Frank Baum, are both buried there.

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Visit the 36-room estate of Judge David Davis with a group or alone. Docents use artifacts and family stories to interpret the rich social and cultural history of America's western frontier from the 1850s to the 1880s. These include Victorian architecture, family history (with a focus on children), and servant life, domestic life, and technology in the early industrial age.

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.

Bloomington's primary retail mall is Eastland Mall. Eastland Mall has a range of businesses and restaurants, as well as leisure activities. In recent years, the mall has declined along with other retail malls throughout America.

There is only one town in Illinois where Beer Nuts Brand Snacks are made. There are two Beer Nuts Company Stores in Bloomington. Each store has a video tour of the plant in Bloomington and a history of the snacks.

Two public school districts serve Bloomington. School District 87 serves the city's interior, with one high school (Bloomington High), one junior high (Bloomington Junior High), six elementary schools (Oakland Washington Bent Irving Sheridan Stevenson) and one pre-school (Sarah Raymond Preschool)... (named for the first female superintendent for Bloomington).

There are government buildings in downtown Bloomington, including those for the City of Bloomington and McLean County. There are also a lot of great specialty stores, bars, restaurants, and art galleries in downtown Bloomington.