Bloomington, IL

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Bloomington is a city in McLean County, Illinois, in the United States. It is the county seat and the home of McLean College. In terms of population, Bloomington is the second-largest city in the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area. It is next to the town of Normal. People who live in Bloomington are about 135 miles (217 km) southwest of Chicago and about 162 miles (261 km) northeast of St. Louis, so it's not far from both cities. There were 78,680 people living in the city at the time of the 2020 Census. This made it the 13th-most populated city in Illinois, and the fifth-most populated city in the state outside of the Chicago area. About 130,000 people live in the twin cities, which are called Normal and Twin Cities. The Bloomington area is home to Illinois Wesleyan University and Illinois State University, both of which are in the state. It also serves as the headquarters for State Farm Insurance and Country Financial, two companies that make insurance.

Bloomington, a city in central Illinois, and the county seat of McLean County since 1830. It's roughly midway between Chicago and St. Louis, Missouri, and next to Normal, Illinois (to the north). For its wildflowers, the region was renamed Keg Grove in 1822 and then Blooming Grove. The town was called Bloomington when it was set out in 1831. A plaque commemorating Abraham Lincoln's famous "lost speech" against slavery, which he made in 1856 at Major's Hall in Bloomington during a conference to create the Republican Party in Illinois. An large part of the economy is focused on farming (especially maize) and livestock husbandry, as well as the manufacturing of farm seeds. The city is also a major producer of confectionery, including candies and vacuum cleaners.

Before the arrival of the first Euro-American immigrants in the early 1820s, the Bloomington region was populated by the Kickapoo people. Bloomington, born of Keg Grove, became the county seat of McLean County on December 25, 1830.

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.

At least for the next two decades, Bloomington's population grew. Rise in Bloomington's downtown area was also affected by agriculture, the development of roads and rail lines, as well as the growth of the insurance industry (especially State Farm Insurance). The downtown area was transformed into a regional retail destination, bringing in customers from neighboring counties as a result. 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.

A total of 34,339 homes were found in 2010; 28.8% of these had children under the age of 18, 46.7 percent of these were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder without a husband present, and 41.1 percent were non-families. A total of 32.6% of all households were made up of single people, and of them, 9.2% had a resident over the age of 65. There were 2.41 households and 3.12 families in the United States.

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, and 23.8 percent between the ages of 45 and 64. It was the middle age of 33 years. When there were 100 women in the group, there were 95.4 males in the group.

The city's median household and family incomes were both $58,662. Males earned $56,597 compared to $39,190 for females. 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% of those under 18 and 6.3 percent of those 65 and over.

A previous home of the Central Hockey League's PrairieThunder and Blaze, the Grossinger Motors Arena (originally the U.S. Cellular Coliseum) opened in 2006 in southwest Downtown Bloomington. There are also games by Illinois State University's club hockey team and youth hockey programs held there. For exceptional occasions, the Coliseum can accommodate up to 8,000 people in its 180,000 square foot (17,000 m2) of area. Intimate seating for 2,500-5,000 people is possible with the facility's movable curtain. In addition to concerts and family activities, the Coliseum has held racing events and trade exhibits.

Citizens for a New Public Library forms a Friends of the Library organization in 1976 to lobby for bond approval to fund a new public library. The effort was successful, and the library reopened as "Bloomington Public Library." in 1977, at its present location at 205 East Olive Street. The library now provides a variety of public events, including a Bookmobile that distributes to local areas, which was initially introduced in 1926 as 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. Water spray parks, extensive playgrounds, miniature golf, baseball/softball diamonds, soccer fields, cricket grounds, and illuminated tennis courts are all common features of these facilities. Indoor tennis courts are available at the Evergreen Racket Club. O'Neil Park (west) and Holiday Park both include free, open-to-the-public swimming pools (east). Indoor pools are available in YMCA, YWCA, and private fitness clubs.

Many exhibits and zookeeper interactions 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 zoo's residents. Wallaby WalkAbout, ZooLab, Children's Zoo, Animals of Asia, and the Katthoefer Animal Building are just a few of the zoo's attractions. The Tropical America Rainforest is the Zoo's newest exhibit.

Normal City Hall Annex is where the east–west segment meets the north segment. Towanda-Barnes Road is where the east–west segment ends. The Liberty Branch starts at Commerce Drive and ends at the Old Farm Lakes Subdivision, which is where it ends. The Freedom Branch starts at Lincoln Street and ends at Route 9 West. This is where the branch is. Parking is available at other parking lots in the area. Walkers and runners, as well as skateboarders and cyclists, are welcome on the trail. Wheelchair users, in-line skaters, skateboarders, and other non-motorized transportation are also welcome on the trail. During the winter, it isn't cleaned of snow, so skiers can use it if the weather is good.

As part of Illinois State University's 150th anniversary celebration, the Genevieve Green Gardens were dedicated in 2007. The gardens were created with the help of several architects and landscape designers, notably the late Bruce V. Green, an ardent gardener who donated $5.2 million to the project. They feature a new public entrance leading to a formal plaza, the manor entrance, grass patio, theater walk with wider pathway and more vegetation.

The Illinois Symphony Orchestra plays five Masterworks performances, two Pops concerts, and three Chamber Orchestra concerts each year at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.

For more than a century, the McLean County Arts Center has served Central Illinois as a cultural hub. For almost 70 years, the annual Amateur Competition and Exhibition has been a showcase for the greatest amateur artists in Central Illinois, showcasing the best of the best each year. Sugar Creek Arts Festival in Uptown Normal and Spring Bloom Arts Festival in Bloomington are both sponsored by the Arts Center.

A 1,000-seat theater called the Castle Theatre opened in 1916. It was built by the famous theater builders Balaban & Katz, who were the first to think of the classic movie theater. For a long time, the property was one of the best places to visit in the area. The Castle has just had a $1.5 million makeover. Today, the Castle has live music, corporate events, public events, and private events going on at the castle.

Each year, the Westbrook Auditorium at Illinois Wesleyan University hosts roughly 200 music majors and hundreds of IWU students. Each semester, a variety of musical performances from various eras are presented, with the majority of events being free and open to the public.

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

In 2011, USA Ballet celebrates its 21st year as an international ballet company. USA Ballet presents three times a year at Illinois Wesleyan University's McPherson Theatre for children's workshops and outreach events.

Each summer, the Illinois Shakespeare Festival features performances in an open-air, Elizabethan-style theatre inside historic Ewing Manor. Picnicking on the grounds before each performance is welcomed, with wandering Madrigal singers, jesters, and other artists, as well as a Green Show performance, providing entertainment.

Every year in March, the McLean County Arts Center hosts the Spring Bloom Arts Festival. In addition to carpentry, glass art, sculpture, paintings, prints, and jewelry, this indoor fine art festival showcases more than 100 talented artists who create in a variety of mediums.

Built in the late Victorian style, Ewing Manor was designed by Bloomington architect Phil Hooten. Jens Jensen, the landscape architect who designed Springfield's Lincoln Memorial Gardens, designed the surrounding gardens. Every summer, the Illinois Shakespeare Festival takes over the grounds' theatre.

Many noteworthy Bloomington-Normal residents, including members of the Stevenson family, are buried at the Evergreen Memorial Cemetery, often known as the Evergreen Cemetery. There are two Adlai E. Stevensons buried there: Adlai E. Stevenson I, Grover Cleveland's vice president, and Adlai E. Stevenson II, governor of Illinois, UN ambassador, and twice Democratic presidential contender. Stevenson's wife, Letitia Green Stevenson, who served as the Daughters of the American Revolution's second National President-General, and her sister, Julia Green Scott, the Daughters of the American Revolution's seventh National President-General, are also buried there. David Davis, Abraham Lincoln's friend and mentor; Charles Radbourn, probably 19th-century baseball's finest pitcher; and Dorothy Gage, the basis for the main heroine in the Wizard of Oz and the niece of author L. Frank Baum, are among the other important personalities buried there.

It provides a look into the life of Abraham Lincoln's friend and mentor, David Davis, who served as a Supreme Court Justice and was an important part in Lincoln's campaign for the 1860 Republican nomination for president. An example of mid-Victorian style and taste, the Davis Mansion was constructed in 1872 and incorporates Italianate and Second Empire architectural elements. Coal-burning stoves, gas lights, and indoor plumbing are all found in his Bloomington house, which has been in the Davis family for three generations. The National Register of Historic Places lists the David Davis Mansion as a historic site.

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

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Both groups and individuals may take a tour of Judge David Davis's 36-room mansion at the David Davis Mansion. Visitors may learn more about the history of the American West by examining items and tales related to the Davis family. Family history (with an emphasis on children), servant life, domestic life and technology at the beginning of the industrial revolution, and Victorian architecture are some of the specific topics covered.

It's called Twin City Tours by the Bloomington-Normal Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. They have monthly tours of Bloomington and Normal called Twin City Tours. McLean County Museum of History is the place where the tours start.

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.

In addition to the many museums and banks that can be found in the heart of Bloomington's downtown, the area also has a high concentration of artists' studios and galleries, as well as a variety of specialized shops and support services. There are a wide variety of eateries and a vibrant nightlife in the city. Tour de Chocolat, Farmer's Market, Tour de Metro, Pub Crawl and Once Upon a Holiday are just few of the unique events that provide visitors an opportunity to get to know the region. State Farm Insurance and other large companies may be found in downtown Bloomington, along with a variety of unique shops, pubs, and restaurants. The city and county governments of Bloomington and McLean County also have offices in the area.

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).

The city's expansion has pushed it into McLean County Unit District No. 5, a second district. Although Unit Five used to serve solely the suburbs, including Normal, the bulk of its students now come from Bloomington. Unit Five is responsible for the operation of two high schools (Normal Community High School and Normal Community West High School), four junior high schools, and a number of primary schools. Unit Five's fourth junior high school, George Evans Junior High School, or EJHS, was under construction as of 2010. Unit 5 has built two new elementary schools in Bloomington and is anticipating the need for a third high school when the project was completed in 2011.

Central Catholic High School, Corpus Christi Catholic School Elm./Jr. School, Epiphany Elm./Jr. School, St. Mary's Catholic School, Trinity Lutheran School, and Cornerstone Christian Academy are among the private schools in Bloomington. Students from Bloomington may also attend Illinois State University's Metcalf Elm./Jr. School and University High School, which are both laboratory schools.

There are 2,100 students at Illinois Wesleyan University, which was established in 1850. The student/faculty ratio is 12 to 1. For a long time, it was a part of the Methodist Church. Of addition to the 17 academic departments in the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Fine Arts, which includes the professional Schools of Art, Music, and Theater Arts, and the School of Nursing, the University has three divisions. The five-story Ames Library, the Center for Natural Science, and the Shirk Center for Athletics and Recreation have all been added at Illinois Wesleyan in the last decade. Hairmasters Institute of Cosmetology, Inc. provides programs in pivot point hair sculpting, long hair design, hair texture, hair color, people skills and salon management teaching. Illinois Wesleyan has had more than 100 players voted to the Academic All-American team since 1970.

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.