Editing Gridley, Illinois (section)

===Early development===
The early growth of Gridley was rapid. On February 28, 1857, the first train arrived in Gridley. A small depot building was erected on the north side of the tracks. J.M. Mitchell built the first store on the corner just north of the depot. A small house and blacksmith shop was built south of the railroad. Charles Cochrane George Washington Kent, the town's co-founder, moved to Gridley. There was a brief setback in 1858 when a tornado swept through the town, damaging Cochrane's and Kent's house and twisting the newly laid rails, but growth quickly resumed. Kent built the first [[grain elevator]].<ref>''History of McLean'' (1879), pp 558–560</ref> He then enlisted in the [[Union Army]], serving first as sergeant and then lieutenant. Upon his return he guided the town through additional growth; among other things he dug up trees along the [[Mackinaw River]] and hauled them to town where they were planted in public square. In 1884 Fred Donner established a tile factory. It was first incorporated as a town under a special charter.<ref>''Gridley, Illinois: A sesquicentennial Celebration''. Gridley: Sesquicentennial Book Committee, 2007 p.3.</ref> By 1900 the town had a population of 735.<ref>Gridley, 2007, p.4.</ref>