Bloomington, Illinois

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Bloomington is a city in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the seat of McLean County, which was formed in 1830, and is in the middle of the state. In the north, it's next to Normal. It's about a third of the way between Chicago and St. Louis, Missouri. For a while, the area was called Keg Grove because of its wildflowers. Later, it was called Blooming Grove because of the wildflowers. During the year 1831, the town was laid out and was changed to Bloomington. At Major's Hall in Bloomington, Illinois, in 1856, Abraham Lincoln gave his famous "lost speech" on slavery at the start of a convention to form the Republican Party in Illinois. A plaque commemorates the site. In this part of the country, there are a lot of corn and soybean fields. The city is also home to a lot of livestock, insurance, and the production of candy and vacuum cleaners.

Before the arrival of the first European settlers in the early 1820s, the Bloomington region was located on the edge of a huge grove populated by the Kickapoo people. Originally known as Blooming Grove, the hamlet of Keg Grove became the county seat of newly formed McLean County on December 25, 1830.

A patrol officer across the street from the old city hall and police station noticed a fire in a laundry in 1900. He raised the alarm, but the fire completely devastated the downtown area, particularly to the north and east of the courthouse. Local architects George Miller and Paul O. Moratz swiftly reconstructed the burned-out neighborhood.

A Bloomington, IL real estate company called Denbesten Real Estate was started in 1977 by Ray and Irene Denbesten. Today, Cathy Denbesten is running it. They can help you buy or sell your house: (309) 6662-4228. They can also help you find a home.

Judy Markowitz became the city's first female Jewish mayor in 1997. Downtown Bloomington got an arena, and the performing arts complex got a facelift during Markowitz's two tenure. In 2002, Bloomington passed a homosexual rights ordinance. Mboka Mwilambwe became the city's first black mayor in 2021.

A lot of people lived in the city, with 27.3 percent under the age of 20 and 9.0 percent between the ages of 18 and 24. There were 29.8 percent between the ages of 25 and 45, as well as 23.8 percent between the ages of 45 and 64. It was 33 years old in the middle. The number of men in a group of 100 women was 95.4 for every 100.

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

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. Recreational and competitive programs are available at the venue. Skate rental is also available as well as a snack stand.

The Grossinger Motors Arena (formerly the U.S. Cellular Coliseum) in southwest downtown Bloomington opened in 2006 and is home to the Bloomington Edge of the Indoor Football League. It was formerly the home of the Central Hockey League's PrairieThunder and Blaze. Since 2014, it has served as the home rink for the United States Hockey League's Central Illinois Flying Aces, as well as hosting games for Illinois State University's club hockey team and local youth hockey programs. The Coliseum has a set seating capacity of 7,000 people but can accommodate over 8,000 people for special events because to its 180,000 square feet (17,000 m2) of area. The venue may also be set up as a theatre with a retractable curtain, allowing concerts to be seated in a more intimate setting for 2,500-5,000 people. Concerts, family entertainment, ice performances, racing, and tradeshows have all taken place at the Coliseum since it first opened.

Many displays and chances to engage with zookeepers are available at Miller Park Zoo. A Sumatran tiger, river otter, Galapagos tortoise, Amur leopard, sun bears, reindeer, sea lion, red pandas, lemus, bald eagles, pallas cats, and red wolves are among the animals that call the zoo home. Wallaby WalkAbout, ZooLab, Children's Zoo, Animals of Asia, and the Katthoefer Animal Building are just a few of the attractions of the zoo. Tropical America Rainforest is the newest exhibit of the Zoo.

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.

Five Masterworks, two Pops and three Chamber Orchestra performances are held each year by the Illinois Symphony Orchestra at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.

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.

At least 200 music majors and a few hundred IWU students use the Westbrook Auditorium each year. During each semester, there are a lot of musical performances from all different time periods. Most concerts are free and open to the public with general seating.

Every year, the City of Bloomington's Miller Park Outdoor Summer Theatre puts on two major plays.

The 92nd season of American Passion Play is the country's longest continually staged Passion Play. The Passion Play, which takes place each spring at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts, is situated in Palestine and depicts the full life of Jesus Christ.

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.

Bloomington architect Phil Hooten created Ewing Manor in the post-Victorian period's Channel-Norman style, which was popular among the wealthy. Jens Jensen, who also built Springfield's Lincoln Memorial Gardens, developed the surrounding gardens. The Illinois Shakespeare Festival is held every summer in the theatre on the grounds.

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.

A refurbished Miller Park Pavilion & War Memorial was dedicated in May 1988. Surrounding the black granite monument are red pathways with names of Central Illinoisans killed or missing in action in Korea and Vietnam.

The Prairie Aviation Museum has a lot of planes that have been kept in good condition. They include a Bell Sea Cobra, a Huey helicopter, and an F-14 Tomcat.

Many notable Bloomington-Normal residents, including members of the Stevenson family, are buried at Evergreen Memorial Cemetery. Both Adlai E. Stevenson I, Grover Cleveland's vice president, and Adlai E. Stevenson II, Illinois governor, UN ambassador, and twice Democratic presidential candidate, are buried there. Among the others buried there are Stevenson's wife, Letitia Green Stevenson, and her sister, Julia Green Scott. Dorothy Gage, inspiration for the main character in The Wizard of Oz and niece of author L. Frank Baum, is also buried there.

The David Davis Mansion gives visitors a glimpse into the life of Abraham Lincoln's friend and mentor, David Davis, who was a member of the U.S. Supreme Court and played a big role in Lincoln's bid for the 1860 presidential nomination. The Davis Mansion, which was finished in 1872, has a mix of Italianate and Second Empire architectural features. It is a good example of what was popular in the middle of the 19th century. His Bloomington home, which has been in the Davis family for three generations, has all the modern conveniences of the time: a coal-burning stove, gas lights, and indoor plumbing. The David Davis Mansion is on the National Register of Historic Places, which is a list of places that are important to history.

The former Montefiore synagogue building is one of Illinois' rare Moorish Revival structures and one of the country's oldest synagogues.

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Bloomington's primary retail destination is Eastland Mall. Shops like Aeropostale and American Eagle Outfitters can be found at Eastland Mall along with restaurants like Applebee's and Buckle. There are also several recreational activities to be found at Eastland Mall. Although the mall has been in decline in recent years, it is consistent with the overall fall of retail malls in the United States.

Downtown Bloomington offers museums, banks, a legal and governmental center, residential living, a large artists' community, plus an assortment of specialty retail businesses and supportive services. There is an abundance of restaurants and a lively night scene. A number of special events such as Tour de Chocolat, Farmers' Market, Tour de Metro, Pub Crawl, and Once Upon a Holiday, offer a chance to experience the district. Downtown Bloomington is home to government offices of the City of Bloomington, McLean County, and major employers including State Farm Insurance and several specialty stores, bars, restaurants and art galleries.

There is only one place in Bloomington, Illinois, where Beer Nuts Brand Snacks are made, and it is there. Beer Nuts has two stores in Bloomington. Each store has a video tour of the plant and a history of Beer Nuts snacks.

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.

These include Central Catholic High School, Corpus Christi School Elm./Jr. school, Epiphany ELMS & JR SCHOOL, Trinity Lutheran SCHOOL, and Cornerstone Christian Academy in Bloomington. Metcalf Elm./Jr. School and University High School, both situated on the campus of Illinois State University, are available to Bloomington students.

The McLean County Museum of History, capped by a stately dome, serves as a landmark to identify the historic core of the city. Turn-of-the-century buildings, many with interesting historical pasts, flank the courthouse square. A visitor can find museums, banks, a legal and governmental center, residential living, a large artists’ community, plus an assortment of specialty retail businesses and supportive services. There is an abundance of restaurants and a lively night scene.

City of Bloomington and McLean County offices are located downtown, as with a wide variety of specialized shops, pubs, restaurants, and galleries.