Editing Bloomington, Illinois (section)

==History==
[[File:PostcardBloomingtonILEaSideSq1910.jpg|thumb|left|Looking northwest from the east side of the downtown square, about 1910]]
The Bloomington area was at the edge of a large grove occupied by the [[Kickapoo people]] before the first [[Euro-American]] settlers arrived in the early 1820s.<ref name="History of Bloomington">History of Bloomington, [http://www.downtownbloomington.org/content.php?section=history History of Bloomington] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080213033750/http://www.downtownbloomington.org/content.php?section=history |date=February 13, 2008 }}</ref> Springing from the settlement of ''Keg Grove,'' later called ''Blooming Grove,'' Bloomington was named as county seat on December 25, 1830, when [[McLean County, Illinois|McLean County]] was created.<ref>History of Bloomington (City Website), [http://www.cityblm.org/page.asp?show=section&id=2859&menuid=2859 History of Bloomington (from city website)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040229004241/http://www.cityblm.org/page.asp?show=section&id=2859&menuid=2859 |date=February 29, 2004 }}</ref>

When the County of McLean was incorporated, a county seat was established, but the legislation stated the site of Bloomington "would be located later." Gavin Quinn, one of the new county's promoters, offered to donate {{convert|60|acre|m2}} of his land for the new town. His offer was accepted, and Bloomington was laid out. Its lots were sold at a well-attended and noisy auction on July 4, 1831. At this time there were few roads, but rich soils brought new farmers who began commerce by conducting their business in the county. People came from all over to trade and do business at the town's center, known today as Downtown Bloomington, including [[Abraham Lincoln]], who worked as a lawyer in nearby [[Springfield, Illinois|Springfield]].<ref name="History of Bloomington"/> Prominent Bloomington resident [[Jesse W. Fell]], who founded the ''[[Bloomington Pantagraph]]'' and was most prominent in local real estate, had suggested the [[Lincoln-Douglas debates]] in 1854 and played a prominent role in pushing Lincoln to run for president.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mrlincolnandfriends.org/the-lawyers/jesse-fell/|title=Jesse W. Fell (1808–1887)}}</ref>

In 1900, an officer on patrol discovered a fire in a laundry across the street from the old city hall and police station.<ref>McLean County Museum of History (Museum Finding Aids), [http://www.mchistory.org/research/resources/fire/index.php Bloomington Fire of June 1900]</ref> He sounded an alarm but the fire destroyed most of the downtown, especially the areas north and east of the courthouse. The burnt area was quickly rebuilt from the designs of local architects George Miller and Paul O. Moratz.

[[File:Illinois - Bloomington - NARA - 23939563 (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|View of Bloomington, 1932]]
Bloomington continued to grow during the first two decades of the 20th century. Agriculture, the construction of highways and railroads, and the growth of the insurance business all influenced the growth of Bloomington and its downtown. Most notably, [[State Farm]] was founded in June 1922 by retired farmer [[George J. Mecherle]] as a [[mutual organization|mutual]] automobile insurance company specializing in insurance for farmers.<ref>{{Cite book |first1=Joe |last1=Sonderman |first2=Cheryl |last2=Eichar |title=Images of America: Route 66 in Illinois |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |date=2014 |isbn=978-1-4671-1194-2 |location=Charleston, South Carolina |pages=60 }}</ref>

The [[1917 Bloomington Streetcar Strike]] was a labor dispute starting on May 28, 1917, when [[Amalgamated Transit Union]] Local 752 called a strike for union recognition, increased pay, and a shortened workday.<ref name="jones" >{{Cite web |title=Bloomington 1917 Strike |url=https://www.motherjonesmuseum.org/bloomington-1917-strike |access-date=April 8, 2023 |website=Mother Jones Museum |language=en}}</ref><ref name="start">{{Citation |last=Unknown |title=Call Strike on Street Car Lines |date=May 29, 1917 |url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File%3AThe_Pantagraph_May_29_1917_(Page_1-3).pdf&page=3 |pages=3 |access-date=April 10, 2023 |work=The Pantagraph}}</ref> It ended in July when the mayor of Bloomington, E.E. Jones, mediated contract talks between the workers and company from July 6 to 9. During this, the [[Illinois National Guard]] had been stationed outside the courthouse where mediation was occurring, equipped with machine gun emplacements.<ref name="jones" />

In 1997, Judy Markowitz was elected as the city's first female and Jewish mayor.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wglt.org/post/judy-markowitz-bloomingtons-groundbreaking-mayor-dies#stream/0|title=Judy Markowitz, Bloomington's Groundbreaking Mayor, Dies|first=Eric|last=Stock|publisher=WGLT|date=February 16, 2021|accessdate=May 5, 2021}}</ref> During her two terms as mayor, an arena was built in downtown Bloomington and the city's performing arts center began restoration.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wjbc.com/2021/02/16/former-bloomington-mayor-judy-markowitz-passes-away/#:~:text=BLOOMINGTON%20%E2%80%93%20Judy%20Markowitz%2C%20the%20first,and%20the%20performing%20arts%20center|title=Former Bloomington Mayor Judy Markowitz passes away|first=Neil|last=Doyle|publisher=WJBC|date=February 16, 2021|accessdate=May 5, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/pantagraph/name/judith-markowitz-obituary?pid=197815929|title=Judith Stern Harrison Markowitz 1938 – 2021|publisher=Legacy.com|accessdate=May 5, 2021}}</ref> Bloomington also approved a gay rights ordinance in 2002.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.advocate.com/news/2002/10/30/bloomington-ill-approves-gay-rights-ordinance-6791|title=Bloomington, Ill., approves gay rights ordinance|publisher=Advocate.com|date=October 30, 2002|accessdate=May 5, 2021}}</ref> In 2021, [[Mboka Mwilambwe]] was elected as the city's first black mayor.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wglt.org/post/mwilambwe-comes-out-top-3-way-bloomington-mayoral-race#stream/0|title=Mwilambwe Comes Out On Top In 3-Way Bloomington Mayoral Race|first=Ryan|last=Denham|publisher=WGLT|date=April 7, 2021|accessdate=April 7, 2021}}</ref>