Editing Stanford, Illinois (section)

===The beginnings of Stanford===
Stanford was platted, under the name of "Allin", on December 14, 1867. Its founder was John Armstrong (1820–1912).<ref>''Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of McLean County'' (edited by Ezra M. Prince and John H. Burnham; 2 Vols; Chicago Munsell, 1908) p. 902.</ref> It was founded when the Jacksonville Division of the Chicago Alton and St. Louis Railroad was extended westward from [[Bloomington, Illinois|Bloomington]]. The McLean County town of Covell was founded, within a few months of Allin, as a station on the same railroad. In 1870 the name of Allin was changed to "Stanford". It was incorporated as a village in June 1874. The town's founder, John Armstrong, was born in [[Posey County, Indiana]]. He was first a farmer and then ran a grocery in Stanford, where he continued to live until his death in 1912. For many years after the town was founded, John Armstrong ran a grocery in Stanford.<ref>''History of McLean County, Illinois'' (Chicago: LeBaron 1879) p. 721.</ref>