Editing Normal, Illinois (section)

==History==
[[File:Former Illinois Soldiers and Sailors Home along historic Route 66 as it enters the town of Normal, IL, - 12295651885.jpg|thumb|left|Normandy Village at the former [[Illinois Soldiers' and Sailors' Children's School]]]]
The town was laid out with the name '''North Bloomington''' on June 7, 1854, by Joseph Parkinson.<ref>''Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of McLean County'' (Chicago: Munsell, 1908) p.902.</ref> From its founding, it was generally recognized that [[Jesse W. Fell]] was the force behind the creation of the town. He had arranged for the new railroad, which would soon become the [[Chicago and Alton Railroad]], to pass west of [[Bloomington, Illinois|Bloomington]] and then curve to cross the [[Illinois Central Railroad]] at a point where he owned or controlled land. Most of the original town lies south of these tracks, with Beaufort Street as its northern limit, and some blocks west of the Illinois Central and north of the tracks.<ref>''Combined Indexed Atlas 1852 - 1914, McLean County, Illinois'' (Bloomington: McLean County Historical Society and McLean County Genealogical Society, 2006) p. 89.</ref> Fell, his brothers, and associates quickly laid out many additions to the original town.

The town was renamed Normal in February 1865 and officially incorporated on February 25, 1867.<ref name="history">[http://www.normal.org/About/History.asp History of Normal] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927031824/http://www.normal.org/About/History.asp |date=September 27, 2011 }}</ref><ref name="ilsostownsearch">{{cite web| url = http://www.ilsos.gov/isa/localgovnameindexsrch.jsp| title = Name Index to Illinois Local Governments| author = Illinois Regional Archives Depository System| work = Illinois State Archives| publisher = [[Illinois Secretary of State]]| access-date = May 2, 2013| archive-date = November 10, 2013| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131110230747/http://www.ilsos.gov/isa/localgovnameindexsrch.jsp| url-status = live}}</ref> The name was taken from Illinois State Normal University, a [[normal school]] (teacher-training institution) located there. The school has since been renamed [[Illinois State University]] after becoming a general four-year university. Normal is adjacent to [[Bloomington, Illinois]], and when mentioned together they are known as the "Twin Cities", "[[Bloomington–Normal]]", "BN", or "BloNo".

In 2007, the [[town council]] voted to name the downtown area "Uptown Normal",<ref name="uptown-vote">{{cite web|url=http://www.pantagraph.com/news/article_bccd0a94-dfba-5c29-908a-64308910666a.html|title='Down' is now 'up' in Normal|access-date=November 29, 2009|date=November 19, 2006|archive-date=February 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210205204304/https://www.pantagraph.com/news/article_bccd0a94-dfba-5c29-908a-64308910666a.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and, as of 2011, Uptown Normal is home to the Children's Discovery Museum, Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, Hyatt Place Hotel, Uptown Station and Town Hall, Brewe-Ha's Bar and Grill, and a variety of local shops and restaurants all centered around a roundabout.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uptownnormal.com |title=Uptown Normal |publisher=Uptown Normal |access-date=August 10, 2014 |archive-date=August 12, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812203150/http://www.uptownnormal.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The district is also home to the historic non-profit [[Normal Theater]], a restored [[Art Deco]] theater owned by the Town of Normal that shows classic and independent films.

On August 31, 2021, a [[mass shooting]] occurred at a mobile home park in Normal that left three people dead and three more injured. The deceased were two women and a man, the latter being the gunman. He was killed by numerous Normal Police Officers after they discharged their firearms at him .<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.mystateline.com/news/national/three-dead-suspect-killed-by-police-in-mass-shooting-at-illinois-mobile-home-park/|title=Three dead, suspect killed by police in mass shooting at Illinois mobile home park|publisher=My Stateline|date=August 31, 2021|accessdate=September 1, 2021|archive-date=September 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210902030846/https://www.mystateline.com/news/national/three-dead-suspect-killed-by-police-in-mass-shooting-at-illinois-mobile-home-park/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://fox2now.com/news/illinois/graphic-state-police-release-footage-from-officer-involved-shooting-in-illinois/|title=GRAPHIC: State Police release footage from officer-involved shooting in Illinois|first1=Mike|last1=Smith|first2=Shelbey|last2=Roberts|work=KTVI|access-date=October 13, 2021|archive-date=October 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026204805/https://fox2now.com/news/illinois/graphic-state-police-release-footage-from-officer-involved-shooting-in-illinois/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-08-30 |title=3 Dead, 3 Injured In Shootings At North Normal Mobile Home Park |url=https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2021-08-30/normal-police-respond-to-shooting-incident-at-mobile-home-park |access-date=2024-12-28 |website=WGLT |language=en}}</ref>