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Bloomington is the county seat of McLean County, Illinois. It is the larger of the two major municipalities in the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan region. 135 miles southwest of Chicago, and 162 miles northeast of St. Louis, Bloomington The city has 78,680 residents in the 2020 Census, making it the 13th most populous in Illinois and the sixth most populous outside the Chicago Metropolitan Area. The twin cities have a combined population of around 130,000. Illinois Wesleyan and Illinois State Universities are in Bloomington. It's also home to State Farm and Country Financial.

Bloomington, Illinois, 1830, U.S. In between Chicago and St. Louis, it is near Normal (north). The location was first called Keg Grove and then Blooming Grove due to the abundance of wildflowers in the region. Bloomington was platted in 1831. The legendary “lost speech” against slavery was given in 1856 at Major's Hall in Bloomington at a Republican Party conference. Due to its location, the city's economy is heavily reliant on agriculture (mostly maize and soybeans), cattle and farm seed production. Insurance, confectionery and vacuum cleaner manufacturing are other key industries in the city.

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.

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.

Bloomington's population increased steadily over the first two decades of the twentieth century. As Bloomington and its downtown area expanded, so did the agricultural industry, as well as the development of roads and railways and the expansion of the insurance industry (primarily State Farm Insurance). Trade from neighboring counties began to flow into the city's central business district. The power of labor unions increased.

Ray and Irene Denbesten founded Denbesten Real Estate in 1977. Cathy Denbesten, their daughter, now runs it. Call them at (309) 6662-4228 for assistance purchasing or selling a house.

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 which had children under the age of 18, 46.7 percent were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder without a husband present, and 41.1 percent were not-family households. 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 the average family was 3.12.

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.

The Bloomington Parks & Recreation Department operates the 200' by 85' full-size ice sheet at the Bloomington Ice Center (formerly the Pepsi Ice Center). There are skating classes, public skating sessions, a hockey program, learn-to-curl programs, and a concessions stand at the facility.

Grossinger Motors Arena (previously the US Cellular Coliseum) in southwest Bloomington was completed in 2006 and is now home to the Bloomington Edge of the Indoor Football League, as well as past home to two Central Hockey League teams. The Central Illinois Flying Aces of the United States Hockey League, as well as Illinois State University's club hockey team and local youth hockey programs, have played there since 2014. The Coliseum has a permanent seating capacity of 7,000, but can accommodate up to 8,000 people for special events. The venue may also be transformed into a theater with a retractable curtain, allowing 2,500-5,000 people to see performances in a more intimate setting. Concerts, ice shows, racing, and trade exhibitions have all taken place at the Coliseum since its inauguration.

The first Bloomington Public Library was built in 1857 by the Ladies' Library Association, which was formed in 1856. The Ladies' Library Association built the library. The small library was mostly funded by donations of books and fees for becoming a member. At 105 West North Street in 1871, the library moved to a new place (which is now West Monroe Street.) People in the area raised $1,100 to keep the library open after it closed in 1880 because of a lack of money. In 1888, the library moved into a new two-story building at the corner of East and Washington streets. The land was given to the library by Mrs. Sarah B. Withers, and the library moved in. The library was renamed "Withers Library." in honor of the money.

Friends of the Library was formed in 1976 by Citizens for the New Public Library in order to gather funds for a new public library. The effort was a success, and the library reopened as "Bloomington Public Library." in 1977 at its present location at 205 East Olive Street. Public services offered by the library include a Bookmobile that distributes to nearby areas and was initially introduced in 1926 under the name "Library on Wheels."

Alcoholic drinks, smoking, and dogs are all forbidden in the parks, which are open from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. It's common for these amenities to have water spray parks and sophisticated playgrounds as well as miniature golf courses and baseball/softball pitches. Indoor tennis courts are available at the Evergreen Racket Club. O'Neil Park (west) and Holiday Park (north) both include outdoor public swimming pools (east). Indoor pools are available in YMCAs, YWCAs, and other non-profit organizations as well as commercial fitness clubs.

Illinois Wesleyan University (1850) and a campus of Heartland Community College (1990) are in Bloomington, and Illinois State University (1857) is in Normal. American Passion Play is staged every year in spring. The home of David Davis, a member of the Supreme Court, was built in 1872 and is a state historic site. Bloomington has museums about history and aviation, a zoo, and a summer Shakespeare festival. Both Adlai E. Stevenson, vice president (1893–97) of the United States, and his grandson, Adlai E. Stevenson II, Illinois governor and two-time Democratic Party presidential nominee, are buried in Evergreen Cemetery. You can go to a museum of gems and minerals in Shirley, which is south of the city. 1839. 64,808 people lived there in 2000. The Bloomington-Normal Metro Area had 150,433 people. In 2010, there were 76,601 people in the area.

It is the centerpiece of Bloomington's new Cultural District, which also includes the McLean County of the Arts Center, a festival park, and a center for the arts in education that will open in 2017. More than two dozen local performing arts groups call the facility their base of operations. The Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts hosts more than 400 performances and community activities every year.

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.

Located in Bloomington, the McLean County Fair is billed as the "Home of the World's Largest County 4-H Fair" Animal shows, a film festival, and exhibits on food, nutrition, and health are just a few of the 4-H offerings. Evening Grandstand Entertainment includes tractor pulls and music.

The McLean County Historical Society was established in 1892 and is the ancestor of the McLean County Museum of History. There are both permanent and rotating displays in the McLean County Courthouse Museum that chronicle the history of Central Illinois. The National Register of Historic Places recognizes this place.

The David Davis Mansion provides an insight into the life of Abraham Lincoln's friend and mentor, David Davis, who served as a United States Supreme Court Justice and was a crucial figure in Lincoln's presidential campaign in 1860. The Davis Mansion, erected in 1872, is a paragon of mid-Victorian design and taste, combining Italianate and Second Empire architectural aspects. His Bloomington house, which was passed down through three generations of the Davis family, had all of the contemporary amenities of the time: a coal-burning furnace, gas lights, and indoor plumbing. The David Davis Mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic landmark.

The former Montefiore Synagogue is one of Illinois' rare Moorish Revival structures and one of America's oldest synagogues.

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Specially qualified docents provide Behind the Curtain Tours at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts. The building's neo-Classical interior architecture is highlighted in the tours, which also describe the building's repairs and modifications.

Eastland Mall is the main shopping center in Bloomington. This is where most people go to shop. It has a lot of stores, as well as a lot of fun things to do, like shopping and eating. Eastland Mall has a lot of stores, as well as a lot of fun things to do like going to the movies and playing games. As a result, the mall has been going downhill in the last few years. This is in line with the general decline of shopping malls in the United States.

Bloomington is served by two public school districts. The interior of the city is served by Bloomington Public Schools District 87, which operates one high school, Bloomington High School, one junior high school, Bloomington Junior High School, and six elementary schools (Oakland, Washington, Bent, Irving, Sheridan, and Stevenson elementary schools) and one pre-school, Sarah Raymond (named for the first female superintendent for Bloomington) (named for the first female superintendent for Bloomington).

As the city grows, it has pushed into another district in McLean County, Unit District No. 5. Unit Five used to serve only suburban areas like Normal, but now most of its students come from Bloomington, which is where the school is located. Unit Five runs two high schools and four junior high schools. There are also a lot of elementary schools in the Unit Five area. As of 2010, Unit Five was building its fourth junior high school, which is called George Evans Junior High School or EJHS. There were two new elementary schools built in Bloomington in 2011 as well as the new high school. Unit 5 is also planning to build another high school in Bloomington.

The McLean County Museum of History, with its majestic dome, marks the city's historic centre. The courthouse plaza is surrounded by historic structures. An array of speciality retail companies and related services are available to visitors. There are several restaurants and a busy nightlife.