Welcome to McLean County, Illinois History and Genealogy Presented by: Illinois Genealogy Trails a part of Genealogy Trails My name is Teri Moncelle Colglazier and I am the McLean County Coordinator for Illinois Genealogy Trails. My paternal ancestors settled in Woodford County during the mid 1800's and then many migrated to McLean County around the 1900's. I was born, raised and still reside in the Lexington / Gridley area along with my immediate and extended family. Genealogy reasearch has been my passion (my family claims it's an addiction) for over ten years now and I am excited to pass on the information that has been gathered on this county. If you have any information that you would like to share, please email me.

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County Data Update Index 5 Jan 2009 Surname Index McLean County Biographies Index Cemeteries Index Churches Index Family Recipes Index History History of McLean County Historical Stories Maps Index Military Military News Revolutionary War 1840 Pensioners Grave Index Civil War J. Alter on Prisoner Treatment Black Hawk War Spanish American War Korean Conflict World War I Index World War II Vietnam War News Agriculture News Anniversaries Asiatic Cholera in Central Illinois Birth Announcements Community News Crime News Engagements Family Reunions Legal Notices Marriages Obituaries & Death Announcements Political News Slavery News Weather News Photos & Postcards Index Schools Index Townships Allin Early Settlers Township Briefs 2007 Plat Map w/cemeteries Anchor Early Settlers Township Briefs 2007 Plat Map w/cemeteries Arrowsmith Early Settlers Township Briefs 2007 Plat Map w/cemeteries Bellflower Early Settlers Township Briefs 2007 Plat Map w/cemeteries Bloomington Early Settlers Township Briefs Historical Stories Blue Mound Early Settlers Township Briefs 2007 Plat Map w/cemeteries Cheneys Grove Early Settlers Township Briefs 2007 Plat Map w/cemeteries Chenoa Early Settlers Township Briefs 2007 Plat Map w/cemeteries Cropsey Early Settlers Township Briefs 2007 Plat Map w/cemeteries Dale Early Settlers Township Briefs 2007 Plat Map w/cemeteries Danvers Early Settlers Township Briefs 2007 Plat Map w/cemeteries Dawson Early Settlers Township Briefs 2007 Plat Map w/cemeteries Downs Early Settlers Township Briefs 2007 Plat Map w/cemeteries Dry Grove Early Settlers Township Briefs 2007 Plat Map w/cemeteries Empire Early Settlers Township Briefs 2007 Plat Map w/cemeteries Funks Grove Early Settlers Township Briefs 2007 Plat Map w/cemeteries Gridley Early Settlers Township Briefs 2007 Plat Map w/cemeteries Hudson Early Settlers Township Briefs 2007 Plat Map w/cemeteries Lawndale History Early Settlers Township Briefs 2007 Plat Map w/cemeteries Lexington Early Settlers Township Briefs 2007 Plat Map w/cemeteries Martin History Early Settlers Township Briefs 2007 Plat Map w/cemeteries Money Creek Early Settlers Township Briefs 2007 Plat Map w/cemeteries Mount Hope Early Settlers Township Briefs 2007 Plat Map w/cemeteries Normal Early Settlers Township Briefs Old Town Early Settlers Township Briefs 2007 Plat Map w/cemeteries Randolph Early Settlers Township Briefs 2007 Plat Map w/cemeteries Towanda Early Settlers Township Briefs 2007 Plat Map w/cemeteries West Early Settlers Township Briefs 2007 Plat Map w/cemeteries White Oak Early Settlers Township Briefs 2007 Plat Map w/cemeteries Yates Early Settlers Township Briefs 2007 Plat Map w/cemeteries Communities Anchor Arrowsmith Community News Barnes Bellflower Bentown Historic Buildings / Architecture Bloomington Community News Historic Homes Historic Buildings / Architecture Historic Businesses Historic Sites Postcards & Photos Index School News Carlock Postcards & Photos Index Community News Chenoa Community News Historic Homes Postcards & Photos Index Colfax Community News Postcards & Photos Index Cooksville Covell Danvers Community News Downs Community News Ellsworth Historic Sites Fletcher Funks Grove Gillum Glen Avon Gridley History Community News Postcards & Photos Index Heyworth Historic Sites Community News Hilltop Holder Historic Buildings / Architecture Hudson Historic Homes Community News Kerrik Kumler LeRoy Community News Historic Sites Postcards & Photos Index Lexington Community News Historic Homes Postcards & Photos Index School News Lyttleville McLean Community News Meadows Merna Normal Community News Historic Homes Historic Buildings / Architecture Historic Businesses Historic Sites Postcards & Photos Index Padua Pleasant Hill Sabina Saybrook Community News Shirley Community News Stanford Postcards & Photos Index Community News Towanda Historic Homes Community News Weston Yuton

McLean County Est. 25 Dec 1830 McLean County was named for John McLean, a pioneer lawyer, territorial judge, first Representative in Congress from Illinois (1818) and United States Senator (1824 / 1825). It is the largest county in the state of Illinois, with a land area of 1184 square miles and boasts some of the richest soil in the world. It is the top-producing county in the United States for both corn and soybeans. The county seat is Bloomington, which was named Blooming Grove until 1831. Vital Records Births Birth Certificates Census 1840 - (COMPLETE) McLean County 1850 Brown's Grove Buckles Grove Diamond Grove District 1 Funk's Grove Hudson District White Oak Grove 1860 Bellflower Deaths 1850 U.S. Mortality Index Death Certificates Marriages Marriage Certificates Passports Famous People from McLean County David Davis George Frederick Dick Jesse Weldon Fell Louis Fitzhenry Benjamin Franklin Funk Dorothy Louise Gage Ranklin G. Laughlin Marie Litta John McNulta William Ward Orme Charles Radbourne Giles Alexander Smith Adlai Ewing Stevenson, I Adlai Ewing Stevenson, II Thomas Foster Tipton Carl & Julia Scott Vrooman Good 'Ole Days McLean County Bloomington McLean County Court House - circa 1909 (Moncelle Family Postcard Collection) South Side Sqare - date unknown (Moncelle Family Postcard Collection) Carlock Carlock Concert Bank - circa 1900's (Moncelle Family Postcard Collection) Chenoa Union Depot - circa 1911 (Moncelle Family Postcard Collection) Colfax Colonial Theatre - circa 1900's (Moncelle Family Postcard Collection) Snowbound Train - circa 1912 (Moncelle Family Postcard Collection) Gridley Downtown Gridley - date unknown (Moncelle Family Postcard Collection) Lexington Downtown Lexington - date unknown (Moncelle Family Postcard Collection) Rural Transportation - circa 1910 (Moncelle Family Postcard Collection) Normal Fell Avenue - circa 1925 (Moncelle Family Postcard Collection) T.K. Hays Buick - circa 1920 (Moncelle Family Postcard Collection) Stanford Railroad Avenue - circa 1910 (Moncelle Family Postcard Collection) If you have any "Good 'Ole Days" McLean County photos you would like to share, please contact me.

Volunteers Wanted Our goal is to help you track your ancestors through time by transcribing genealogical and historical data for the free use of all researchers. We're looking for folks who share our dedication to putting data online and are interested in helping this project be as successful as it can be. If you are interested in joining Genealogy Trails, view our Volunteer Page for further information and then contact Kim, the Illinois Genealogy Trails Coordinator. All data we come across will be added to this site. We thank you for visiting and encourage you to come back again to view the updates. If you would like to be kept informed of our state and county website updates, subscribe to any or all of our mailing lists. IMPORTANT NOTE! Before you subscribe to any of our lists, make sure your virus protection software is up to date. The original Illinois Trails mailing list Adjacent Genealogy Trails Counties Woodford County (northwest) Livingston County (northeast) Ford County (east) Champaign County (southeast) Piatt County (south) Dewitt County (south) Logan County (southwest) Tazewell County (west) Thank You! Thank you to all who have submitted information to this site. We couldn't do it without you! Robert M. Andrew, Mrs. Sarah Bishop, Samuel Caster, Samuel Custer, Mrs. Regina (Rice) Castle, Mrs. Esther Davison, D. E. Denman, Thomas Dixon, Judy Rosella Edwards, J. B. Enlow, Norma Fisher, P. A. Guthrie, Foxie Hagerty, Grant Hare, Mrs. Alice Houghton Hazle, C. C. Hinshaw, Ezra Hinshaw, Mrs. Ida Hinshaw Hull, Candy Horton Mrs. Susan Hougham, Miss Emma Keeran, Milo Plank Lantz, Mrs. Harriet Lawrence, Miss Lura Lindley, Dr. J. E. Marvel, Miss Agnes McCracken, Stephen A. McWhorter, Mrs. Laura A. Mikesell, Nancy Piper, James Reeder, Linda Rodriguez, D. R. Stubblefield, Edward Summers, Kim Torp McLean County Family Researchers Teri Moncelle Colglazier - Moncelle, Harms, Grove, Youle, Brooks, Humphrey, Hinshaw Email Me to have your contact information and the McLean County family(ies) you are researching added above. Additional Free Research Links On-line Find A Grave Federal Township Plats of Illinois Illinois State Archives McLean County Birth Index Search McLean County Genealogical Society Off-line The Fort The Lexington Genealogical and Historical Society, Inc. 318 West Main Street Lexington, Illinois 61753 Phone: 309-365-4591 Illinois State Archives Publications Unit Margaret Cross Norton Building Capitol Complex Springfield, IL 62756 McLean County Genealogical Society Court House Square Bloomington, IL 61701 Mail: P. O. Box 488 - Normal, IL 61761 Modern Day McLean County Photos Chenoa Township, Section 12 Community Fireworks - 4 Jul 2004 by: tmc Gridley Township, Section 13 Sunset - 2 Jun 2008 by: tmc Ice Storm - 19 Dec 2008 by: tmc Gridley Township, Section 36 "Old Times" Fencing - 3 Jul 2004 by: tmc Lexington Township, Section 28 Little Crooked Creek - 25 Jul 2004 by: tmc Little Crooked Creek - 25 Jul 2004 by: tmc Little Crooked Creek - 25 Jul 2004 by: tmc Fall Field - 24 Oct 2004 by: tmc Sunrise - 5 May 2005 by: tmc If you have any "modern" McLean County photos you would like to share, please contact me.

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Many thanks to Judy Edwards whose hard work laid the groundwork on this site!