USA > Illinois > McLean County > Normal > History of Bloomington and Normal, in McLean County, Illinois > Part 6
USA > Illinois > McLean County > Bloomington > History of Bloomington and Normal, in McLean County, Illinois > Part 6
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20
37
organization then existing was found to be almost entirely inoperative. The year 1850 appears to mark the commencement of an era of enterprise. It was at this time that railroad-building began to revive, and among the many projects for making Bloom- ington a railroad center, it was seen that the Illinois Central, and, perhaps, several other railroads would reach this city in the course of the next five years. In less than three years two railroads were in operation.
From 1842 to 1818, great numbers of the new, improved plows were introduced plows that would " seour " or work freely in the rich prairie soil, and by the year 1850, reapers were used to some extent, and farmers could see their way clearly. The day of toilsome hand-labor was about to give place to the corn-planter, the mower and the reaper, and the courage thus given to our farmers began to re-act upon the towns and cities situated in rich agricultural districts. These causes had great influence upon the growth and welfare of Bloomington. This city had the honor, as early as 1511 or 1842, to manufacture improved plows-those that would " scour." They were made in large numbers by Bunn, Ellsworth & Brokaw.
W. F. Flagy and J. W. Ewing are entitled to great credit for their reaper which they brought to great perfection as early as 1818 and 1819. They were among the foremost inventors of improved reapers and manufactured a large number. Mr. Flagg soon after built his fine factory and carried on quite a large business. In reapers as well as plows. Bloomington's manufacturers soon had an enviable reputation.
During the latter part of this decade, the "Gold Fever," or California emigration, look away a large number of Bloomington's most energetic and active young men, who, with their expensive outfits, made a severe drain upon the town. Their places here were filled, and soon the village was going ahead as well as at any time in its history. Between 18:40 and 1850, Bloomington experimented with a town or village government, having had a Board of Trustees with some of the powers of a city government. The result of the effort was, that publie sentiment crystallized into such a condition, that when the city charter was adopted in 1851, it found the way prepared for the steady and reliable municipal government that has prevailed for twenty-eight years.
1850 ro 1860.
In the beginning of this decade there was an advance in prosperity, and by the year 1852, this whole region was moved by a sudden impulse, to which all previous improvement was slow indeed. At this time, the Illinois Central Rail- road was building in good carnest; its route was established ; Bloomington was a point on its line, and became headquarters for the contractors who were making the road, while the Chicago & Alton was commenced in the fall of the same year.
May 23, 1853, the Illinois Central cars were running from La Salle to Bloom- ington ; and in the autumn of the same year, the other line was in operation from this place to Springfield. Both roads were soon after extended, so that two main lines were open, having been built rapidly, and Bloomingtonians were hardly ready to believe that these evidences of future growth and development could be real. It was at this time our city began to make giant strides. Houses and stores were rapidly built , new streets opened ; additions laid out ; money became plenty, and prosperity reigued on every side. The growth of the county kept pace with the town, and fortunes were made in a year or two, by the sudden rise in the value of real estate. The population of the city was
38
1,611 in 1850, and rose to 5,000 in 1855, 7,000 in 1858, and was about 8,000 at the time of the Federal census in 1860.
During this decade, Bloomington was ornamented by the beautiful residence of Gen. Gridley, built at a cost of $40,000, in 1859; and also the Gov. Matteson house, at the northeast corner of Jefferson and Lee streets; the Roadnight house, northwest corner Lee and Locust; Col. Boyd's, Gen. Orme's, and several other fine residences. The "old Methodist Church " was erected in 1850. Thomas Williams was the con- tractor. The Baptist Church was built in 1857 ; A. H. Gage, architect and contractor. The Second Presbyterian Church and several other church-buildings date from about this time. The elegant National Bank building was erected in 1860. The Ashley House was built in 1857, as far as putting on the roof. The enterprise stopped till 1862, when Mr. Thomas Ashley, Sr., finished the building. Those fine stores called Phœ- nix Block, on the south side of the square, and the north half of those buildings on the west, and three on the north side, now known as the Metropolitan Block, were all finished previous to 1860, as also Royce Block, and a fine block on Main street, south of the latter, burned, however, together with the Nicolls House, in a great fire in the winter of 1862. The west side of Main street, from Front to Washington, was built up before 1857, including the McLean County Bank, as was the large block of six fine stores on the south side of Front street, between Main and Center. Other improve- ments of importance also date from this period. The old Wesleyan College building, the Fourth Ward Public School, Major's Female College, Conover's Female Seminary, and the Normal, were all either completed or well under way before the year 1860. It was during this period that the Chicago & Alton shops were also started (they employed 180 men in 1857), and the large manufacturing establishment of Flagg's (now the chair- factory), with other important shops, began to give Bloomington the air of a manufact- uring as well as that of a commercial and educational center, and it was now fairly started on its career of usefulness and importance.
During the ten years under consideration, the population of Bloomington under- went a remarkable change. Instead of a purely American community, as in 1850, the year 1860 found here a large sprinkling, in all, perhaps, two thousand or more, of for- eigners, who had come to stay. The building of the two railroads had brought hither a large number of Irish workmen, and their presence induced the settlement of many of the best class of Irish, men of education and means, who cast in their lot with their countrymen, forming in the aggregate a very valuable element of the total population of the city.
The increase of Germans was also very large, particularly in the years 1854 to 1858. They were a hard-working, well-behaved class, who, with their successors, have now become numerous, and who, for general good-conduct, industry and good-citizen- ship are not surpassed by any nationality in Bloomington. At the rate they are now increasing, and allowing that they continue to accumulate money for fifty years as they have during the past twenty, the Germans will predominate in numbers, wealth and influence.
It was between 1853 and 1858 that the great speculation occurred in town lots and farm property. The rapid building of the town created a demand for lots that astonished all the old residents. Even men like the old leaders, Messrs. Allin, Fell, Gridley and Davis, could not keep their ideas up with the improvements going on all around them.
39)
When the Chicago & Alton depot and machine shops were located, in 1853, they were so far out of town that people going there from where the Ashley House now stands made a straight cut across the prairie most of the distance, though it was hardly three years before the whole space was filled with houses and buildings. In the year 1-36, there over two hundred buildings created in Bloomington, very many of them in the northwestern part, and the total cost of improvements during that single your was over a quarter of a million. During the four years from 1854 to 1855, our city made giant strides. Several additions were laid out and large sums of money were realized from the sale of lots.
The panic of 1857 prostrated Bloomington but temporarily, although many of it most enterprising men were overwhelmed in ruin. The failure of the crop of winter wheat in 1858 was felt most severely, as many of our city people were now land spee- ulators or gentleman farmers, cultivating farms by contracts with tenants-and the result added larzely to the general distress. We shall find, however, that, in the course of a few years, the city had recuperated, and was again growing as fast as ever before in its history.
1860 TO 1570.
At the bezinning of the time now under consideration, the business of the country was in a fair condition, but was threatened with overthrow and prostration by the civil war, then scarcely believed in by most, though its effects were being felt, imperceptibly. perhaps, but still effectually hindering improvement. In a short time the efforts of all were directed to saving what was then possessed, with little thought of further accumu- lation : but the resulty of strife and commotion were, after all. not unfavorable to growth and prosperity, as we find that as early as 1862 the city was well under way in its career of prosperity. At the close of the war in 1865, buildings were springing up on every hand. The year 1866 gave us Liberty Block, the old Post Office Block. Schroeder's Block, and other buildings completed ; and before the year 1570, we can chronicle the completion of some more stores on the north and several on the west side of the Public Square, with other improvements. We also note the completion of the immense new railroad shops, the fine new Court House, the High School, the First, Third and Fifth Ward school-building, the Free Congregational Church, the fine residences of Dwight Harwood. R. E. Williams, Laurence Weldon. W. F. Flagg, Peter Whitmer, and others equally well worthy of mention. The rapid growth of the city in the northern and northeastern directions occurred at about this time. The population of the place nearly or quite doubled in these ten years, it being about fifteen thousand, by the United States census of 1870, while the value of buildings erected, reckoned, of course, on the inflated basis, was over $2,000,000 In this period, we must credit the building of the Indianapolis, Bloomington & Western, the Jacksonville brauch of the Chicago & Alton. and the commencement of the La Fayette & Bloomington Railroads, all of which con- tributed largely to the wonderful prosperity of the thriving city At the close of this period, the Chicago & Alton shops were burned October 31, 1867, and, in order to secure their rebuilding at Bloomington, the city voted $55,000 in bonds to remunerate the company for land purchased for the enlarged shops, and the city also vacated several streets and nlleys desired. This issue of bonds could not be legal until a special net of the Legislature was obtained. This was done, but the bill was vetoed by Gov. Palmer, on the ground of unconstitutionality. Bloomington sent a lobby of thirty or forty
40
influential men to Springfield, who presented their case to the Legislature so well that the bill was passed over the Governor's veto. These bonds have since been paid, principal and interest, though if opposition had been made, there is no doubt the constituion would have prevented the collection of the taxes. The securing of these shops, the passage of the law and the ultimate payment of this money, make a chapter of history that exhibits the pluck and determination of Bloomington better than almost any other event since its settlement.
The increase of wealth during the ten years from 1860 to 1870 was entirely without precedent in the history of Bloomington. Business of all kinds prospered ; there were few business failures, and our citizens generally believed the road to fortune was open and plain before them, with no devious windings, no pit-falls, no danger of failure. A different state of affairs, however, will be pictured in the next chapter.
1870 TO 1879.
When the war closed, most people looked for a sudden fall in values, and a rapid return to the old paths of plodding industry, but, to their surprise, the career of pros- perity lasted until the panic of 1873, and, as a consequence, Bloomington still continued to add to its borders, to beautify its churches, its residences, and in various directions put on the airs of a metropolitan city. Even when the panie of 1873 had demonstrated that the country at large had received a check, Bloomington continued to build and enlarge, to embark in enterprises, stubbornly refusing to acknowledge that for a time, at least, the city must wait for the further growth of the country in its rear. Building did not stop till 1877, and even then could scarcely be said to be at an end. In the early years of this decade, the elegant Wesleyan College, the beautiful Minerva Block, Roush & Humphrey's and Oberkætter's fine wholesale blocks, Ives Block, the two Swan Blocks, Davis Block, containing Durley Hall, the tasteful People's Bank, Livingston Block, the stone front on the east side of the square, Washington Block, and many other fine stores, were finished. The new Post Office Building, corner of Front and Center, one of the best blocks in the city, was built in 1876, by L. Ferre. It is a building remarkably well adapted to the purpose designed.
The many brick stores on West Chestnut street were erected during the early part of this decade, it being evident from the building of the immense machine-shops that there would be a permanent demand for these structures. During these ten years, the city built over a mile of Nicolson (wooden) pavement, commenced its system of sewers and built its Water Works and City Hall.
To this period, we credit, also, the elegant new Methodist Church, the Episcopal Church, the large Catholic Church, and several small churches. A large number of fine private houses date from 1870 to 1879. Among these we will mention that of Judge David Davis, in 1871, costing over $50,000, and that of Dr. C. Wakefield, in 1873, cost- ing $25,000, and several others of great value and beauty.
Population has increased from 15,000 to an honest 18,000, though we flatter our- selves that a certain directory census taken in 1873-under a contract giving no pay unless there might be found 20,000 souls-is a reliable indication that our population exceeded the desired figure by 100 at that time.
Although Bloomington merchants did some wholesaling previous to 1870, the growth of this branch of our commerce has been wonderful in the last ten years. There
41
are now forty wholesale firms, employing over sixty traveling men, selling goods in six or seven different States, who are missionaries to inform the whole world of the advan- tages to be derived from trade with the thriving city of Bloomington.
This wholesale business and the successful enterprise of several of our manufactur- ers, taken together, give evidence of future prosperity, when " better times " shall arrive.
Our scene is now drawing to a close. We have pictured Bloomington feebly, but we have tried to indicate that in its day of "small beginnings " it was a town of unusual vigor, and contained a vast amount of " reserve power." We have seen it arise from the crash of 1836, before the country at large had recovered, and found it well on its way to renewed prosperity long before the croakers conceived such an outcome could be possible. We saw Bloomington prostrate again in 1857, and before long it again resounded with the click of the tuason's trowel and echoed to the hammer of the busy carpenter. We have traced the record of the third financial crisis, and found our city -like the whole nation, East and West-prostrated in a degree, but not hopeless. Unlike the previous occasions of disaster, the history of the present has the strong relief of the brightly.dawning prosperity upon a permanent basis of financial honesty and national good faith.
Everything is ready for the " good time coming." Bloomington has its sails all Set. It is ready for the fair wind. Its storehouses, its manufactories, its radiating rail- roads, its energetic merchants, its cautious capitalists-all are here on the spot, capable of carrying the name and fiume of our good city to greater lengths, to higher flights than ever known before. The generation of active young men now on the stage or about to take their places there, are, a majority of them, born Bloomingtonians. Let them study the proud record of the achievements of their fathers, and resolve that, come what will, the Bloomington of the future shall at least be the equal of the Bloom- ington of the past.
GEN. GRIDLEY'S RECOLLECTIONS.
The following statement was given by Gen. Gridley to a short-hand reporter as a conversation, and written out by the reporter subsequently. It does not pretend to be anything more than a slight sketch of prominent facts, given as an interview.
" I came to this county the 8th day of October, 1831. This county was organ- ized by an act of the Legislature during their session in the winter of 1830 and 1531. This city was laid out in June, 1831, by the then County Commissioners John Cheney, of Cheney's Grove; Timothy D. Hoblit, of Big Grove (now in De Witt County), and Jesse Havens, of Haven's Grove. The first sale of lots was on the 4th day of July, 1831. They were sold by the County Commissioners. The proceeds of that sale amounted to about $300, which was used to build a Court House. The land in the original town of Bloomington was donated by James Allin to the county for that purpose. This county before that time was a part of Tazewell County. There were not over ten or a dozen families in Bloomington when I came here. There were Col. Latta, Dr. Baker, Dr. Wheeler, James Allin, David Trimmer, Robert Guthrie, William MeKisson, and there were a few others. Mr. MeKisson was not married at that time, but married shortly after. I recollect old John Dawson. When I arrived in this county, he was residing sixteen miles east of Bloomington, on the Indian Camp. 1 don't know of any Indians being there at that time. He was a man of strong good
42
principle, natural good sense and a thoroughly honest man, with a strong will, of great kindness. Integrity and hospitality to strangers were the general characteristics of the early settlers of this county, treating a stranger as well as an acquaintance with the greatest kindness. Of the early settlers of this county, I never knew of but one family that were inclined to be dishonest. Some of them are here now, and some of them went away. John Dawson had early acquired a good deal of property, and was considered quite a wealthy man, but he lost a good deal and gave security for a good many.
"Old Dr. Baker came to McLean County in 1830 ; he was a very excellent man ; he never practiced medicine. He was Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners and Clerk of the Probate Court; was Postmaster several years. He was a kind, gen- erous-hearted man, giving information with regard to real estate and business matters generally, within his knowledge, without compensation. He died about six years ago.
" There were no Indians around here when I came, except a few Pottawatomies, who had their homes up in Indian Grove, in Livingston County.
"In the spring of 1832, we raised a company for the Black Hawk war. Mr. L. Covel was the Captain and I was First Lieutenant and Baldwin was Second Lienten- ant. The company consisted of fifty-six mustered men, each man furnishing his own horse and equipage. Leaving here in June, we were attached to Stillman's Battalion at Peoria. Arrived at Dixon, on Rock River, a few days later, and there learned that Black Hawk was about thirty miles up the river. We were to await, at Dixon, the arrival of the main army. The volunteers in Stillman's Battalion numbered just 206 men. The men were very anxious to go and clean out the Indians, and not wait for the regulars. So we went on and came up with the Indians, six or seven hundred strong, a little way on the other side of what is now called Stillman's Run. I cannot say much about the fight, but this, and that is, we got most beautifully whipped in the fight with the Indians. We only lost one man from this county, and his name is Joseph Draper ; he was in our company. After the fight, we returned to Dixon, thirty miles distant, the best way we could.
"Soon after the battle, we were sent back to this county and mustered out of serv- ice. Soon after this, another company was formed and mustered into the service. That company was commanded by Capt. John H. S. Rhodes, who was killed on the I., B. & W. Railroad, about two years ago.
FINANCIAL CRISIS OF 1837.
" The great financial crisis was in 1837, but it was beginning to be felt in 1836. It was caused by the Government of the United States withdrawing its deposits from the banks, and also by the wild speculations in real estate at that time, and consequently the establishment of State banks, and wild-cat banks sprang up in every direction in . their stead.
" The greatest number of wild-cat banks sprang up in Michigan. They started so many in that State that they found difficulty in getting names for them all. To give you an idea of the number of banks at that time, if you had $1,000 in bills, there would be in that $1,000 the bills of over two hundred different banks. The Michigan money at that time went by the name of red-dog, as the bills were most of them printed on red.
43
" The real estate speculation, which was one of the causes of our financial trouble in 1836 and 1837, was mostly in starting up towns and speculating in town lots. Town lots here at that time brought as high as $150 a lot. After the crash came, they would not bring over $5 apiece I went to Philadelphia in 1836, and sold about $20,000 or 830,000 worth of lots, and these very same lots, after the panic, could be bought at any price; and the purchasers of a good many of the lots I sold at that time, and, in fact, the majority, never thought it worth while to pay the taxes on them. The lots here in Allin & Gridley's Addition would not bring over $for $5, and the parties in the East let them go for taxes.
" During the time of the real estate speculations, a great many towns were laid out all over the country ; in fact, most everybody was laying out towns or wanted to A good many of these towns never came to anything, and then again, some of them did well. At that time, Mr. Jesse Fell laid out Clinton, and I think he can be proud of that town, for it is a good, thriving city. The people living around Big Grove. De Witt County, wanted a town, and as the settlement was around the edge of the Grove, they all wanted a town right in the center, so it would be easy of access and to snit them all. We had a sale there and it was a very good one. I do not remember just what the lots did bring apiece, but I think the sale amounted to $GOD or STOO. As a town, it was a failure, like a good many others.
" In 1836, Gen. Bartholomew laid out a little town and called it Clarksville, not far from Lexington; but that town, like the one in Big Grove, was a failure. Mr. James Brown and myself laid out Lexington, sixteen miles north of Bloomington ; that was a good location and they have a fine town there.
" Gen. Covell and myself, about the same time, laid out LeRoy : that is sixteen miles east of Bloomington, and that was also a success.
THE BANKRUPTCY LAW.
" The bankruptcy law of 1810 took effect in the spring of 1811, and cost a man about $25 to get through. Every person that had done any kind of business here was entirely used up.
" All the bankruptcy business was done at Springfield, in the court there; and 1 had fifty-one cases in that court from this section of the country. Every man that had been engaged in business here took the benefit of the law.
" The assigned's labors were light as the assets were small, and sometimes they we're nothing, as everybody was broken up, and book accounts were of no value whatever.
" In those days, when we run a mill by horse-power, the horses walked on a large round platform, and the horse kept on walking but never got any farther. Mr. Solomon Dodge got a notion into his head that by putting a wagon heavily loaded with stone in place of the horses, it would answer the same purpose. So be fixed up his mill, and on a certain day he gave notice that all would be ready to start. On that day, people flocked from far and wide to see the wonderful new motive power. Well, he got everything ready, and yelled out to his brother to ent the string which held the wagon-tougne to the side of the building, and to his utter amazement the mill stood as still as when the wagon was tied up. The adventure was a failure
44
LAWYERS.
" Jesse W. Fell was the first lawyer, Welcome P. Brown was the second and Judge David Davis was the third. George S. Markley was the fourth, and then came Albert Dodd and myself. Albert Dodd was drowned in the Mackinaw while coming home from a political convention in 1840. The first Court House was a small frame building, and set in the middle of the square, in the same spot where our present magnificent Court House now stands. It was only a one-story structure, and was built at a cost of $300. The first Court was held in a part of Dr. Stipp's house. Judge Lockwood presided. The Court was not in session over five minutes-there was no business to be done.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.