>> IT IS A BUILDING THAT STRADDLES TWO CENTURIES, EM EMBRACING THE COMING MODERN ERA
AND ITS PAST WHERE ITS
FOUNDATION WAS FIRMLY SET.
ONCE THE SHOW PLACE OF A COUNTY,
TODAY ITS HALLWAYS AND ROOMS
REFLECT THE DIVERSITY OF THE
COMMUNITY IN WHICH IT WAS BORN.
HI.
I AM JIM WILHELM.
BEHIND ME IS THE OLD COUNTY
COURTHOUSE NOW HOME TO THE MC
LEAN COUNTY MUSEUM OF HISTORY.
IT IS THE LAST OF FOUR BUILDINGS
TO OCCUPY THIS SITE AS THE
COUNTY SEAT, BUT IT WAS THE ONLY
ONE BORN IN FIRE.
JUST AFTER THE CIVIL WAR WITH
THE AREA'S ECONOMY BOOMING,
CONSTRUCTION ON THE MC LEAN'S
THIRD AND MOST ORNATE COURTHOUSE
WAS COMPLETED.
ARCHITECT ALFRED PIQUENARD EN
VISIONS THE NEW BUILDING AS
BEING THE CAPITOL OF ILLINOIS'
LARGEST COUNTY.
IN THE BASEMENT OF THE NEW
COURTHOUSE, SPACE WAS ALLOCATED
FOR THE COUNTY'S HISTORICAL
SOCIETY, WHICH IS BY THE WAY IS
THE SECOND OLDEST ONE IN THE
STATE BEHIND CHICAGO.
LIKE CHICAGO, DOWNTOWN
BLOOMINGTON WAS DESTROYED BY
FIRE.
THIS DISASTER HAPPENED IN 1900,
AND THE COURTHOUSE WAS LOST.
ON DISPLAY ARE ITEMS FOUND IN
THE RUBBLE, INCLUDING PIECES OF
MELTED GLASS, AND THAT PICTURE
WHOSE GLAZE WAS DARKENED BY THE
FIRE'S SMOKE.
ORIGINALLY IT WAS THOUGHT THE
NEW COURTHOUSE COULD BE BUILT ON
THE FOUNDATION OF THE OLD ONE.
SO ITS DESIGN IS SIMILAR TO THE
PREVIOUS BUILDING.
IN ADDITION, IT WAS DECIDED TO
RECREATE THE GRANDEUR AN TICK
WHICH TY OF THE LAST STRUCTURE.
>> INSIDE, IS WAINS WAINSCOTING
OF WHITE MARK, AND THE MAIN
FLOOR IS DECK RATED WITH HAND
LAID MOSAIC TILE.
EVEN THE DOOR KNOBS ADD A
FLOURISH, SPORTING THE COUNTY'S
INITIALS.
THE BRONZE THROUGHOUT THE
BUILDING IS ARTIFICALLY AGED.
BRONZE WAS USED INSTEAD OF WOOD
TO KEEP THE COMBUSTIBLE LEVEL OF
THE BUILDING LOW.
THIS BUILDING DIFFERS FROM ITS
PREDECESSOR IN ANOTHER WAY, IT
WAS BORN IN THE 20TH CENTURY.
GAS WAS STILL USED FOR LIGHT,
BUT THESE FIXTURES WERE ALSO
WIRED FOR ELECTRICITY.
AND ELECTRIC LIGHT WAS NOT ONLY
USED FOR ILLUMINATION, BUT ALSO
ACCENT THE HALLWAYS, PLUS THIS
BILLING CAME EQUIPPED WITH
ELEVATOR, PRIVATE REST ROOMS AND
CENTRALIZED TIME SYSTEM THAT RAN
ON WATER.
EACH MINUTE, A GALLON OF WATER
FROM THE DOME WAS RELEASED INTO
A PIPE.
THAT WATER FORCED AIR THROUGH A
SERIES OF HOSES TO MOVE THE
HANDS OF ALL THE CLOCKS IN THE
COURTHOUSE.
IT WAS THE SYSTEM THAT WAS
EVENTUALLY DISCONTINUED BECAUSE
OF THE INCREASING COST OF WATER.
ALTHOUGH AHEAD OF ITS TIME, THIS
FACILITY COULD NOT KEEP UP WITH
THE COUNTY'S GROWTH.
IN 1989, THE COURTHOUSE AND
OFFICES MOVED INTO A NEWER
FACILITY.
TODAY, THE OLD COURTHOUSE HAS
BECOME THE HOME OF MC LEAN
COUNTY NEW SEM OF HISTORY.
AS PART OF THE PERMANENT DISPLAY, MUSEUM USES THIS EXTENSIVE COLLECTION TO FOCUS ON
THE VARIOUS CULTURES THAT HAVE
CALLED THIS AREA HOME.
SOME OF THE FIRST EUROPEANS TO
SETTLE HERE WERE UPLAND
SOUTHERNERS WITH A STRONG
TRADITION OF CLOSE FAMILIES AND
SELF-SUFFICIENCY.
SOON, BECAUSE OF THE GROWING
RAILROAD, THEY WERE INUNDATED BY
EASTERN YANKEES AND GERMAN
IMMIGRANTS.
EACH OF THESE GROUPS BROUGHT
WITH THEM THEIR OWN SET OF
BELIEFS AS SUCH MATTERS AS
DRINKING.
THIS FLASK FITS PERFECTLY IN THE
COAT POCKET OF A SOUTHERN
GENTLEMAN FOR OCCASIONAL NIP
WHICH WAS VERY ACCEPTABLE.
GERMANS AS EVIDENCE OF THIS
SCHOONER DRANK AT TABLES AND
BEER GARDENS VIEWING IT AS
SOCIAL EVENT.
YANKEES, THEY KIND OF FROWNED ON
ALCOHOL.
THERE THEIR HOUSING WAS VERY
DIFFERENT.
UPLAND SOUTHERNERS BUILT LOG
CABINS EASIER FOR BIG FAMILIES
TO BUILD.
WHILE EASTERNERS BUILT FRAMES
HOMES.
THEIR DIET WAS QUITE VARIED AS
DEMONSTRATED BY THE KITCHENS ON
DISPLAY HERE.
UPLAND HOMES, MOSTLY COOKED IN
LARGE IRON POTS OVER AN OPEN
HEARTH.
AND THEIR DIETS WERE HEAVY IN
PORK AND CORN.
MEANWHILE, YANKEES BROUGHT
STOVES WHICH ALLOWED THEM TO
COOK A GREATER VARIETY.
THEY USED MORE DAIRY PRODUCTS IN
ADDITION TO BEEF AND BREAD.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CUSTOMS AND
RELIGIONS, AND THE CONFLICT THAT
WERE CREATED BY THOSE VAIR
VARIATIONS ARE EXPLORED IN THOSE
GALLERIES.
ACROSS THE HALL, DISPLAYS DEPICT
POLITICAL HISTORY AND COURT
CASES THAT RESULT FROM THAT
MELTING POT.
>> ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS
FAMILIES FROM HERE ARE THE
STEVENSON'S.
IN 1874, ADLAI STEVENSON, THE
FIRST, BECAME A MEMBER OF THE
U.S. HOUSE AND LATER VICE
PRESIDENT UNDER GROVER
CLEVELAND.
HE WAS CHOSEN AS THE SOUTHERN
BALANCE OF THE TICKET.
OF COURSE ARE WE ALL KNOW HIS
GRANDSON SERVED AS GOVERNOR OF
ILLINOIS, AND TWICE RAN
UNSUCCESSFULLY FOR PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES.
ANYWAY, ABOUT THE TIME THAT
ADLAI THE FIRST WAS SERVING IN
THE HOUSE, GEORGIENA TROTTER
BECAME A MEMBER OF THE LOCAL
SCHOOL BOARD.
SHE WAS IRISH IMMIGRANT WHO HAD
BECOME U.S. CITIZEN IN ORDER TO
RUN FOR OFFICE.
IN ADDITION, SHE WAS THE FIRST
WOMAN EVER ELECTED TO PUBLIC
OFFICE IN BLOOMINGTON, ALL OF
THIS AT A TIME WHEN WOMEN DIDN'T
EVEN HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE.
OTHER ITEMS ON DISPLAY INCLUDE
ANDREW JACKSON 1833 INAUGURAL
ADDRESS PRINTED ON SILK.
PRILL IUM HARRISON'S CAMPAIGN,
AND 1858 HANDBILL, AND RIBBONS
AND BUTTONS FROM HIS
PRESIDENTIAL RUN.
THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF INTERESTING COURT CASES SETTLED ON THIS LAND. KEEP IN MIND,
THIS IS THE FOURTH BUILDING THAT
IS OCCUPIED THIS LOT.
SO THE CASES WEREN'T HEARD IN
THIS ROOM BUT ON THIS GROUND.
IN THE SECOND COURTHOUSE,
ABRAHAM LINCOLN SUCCESSFULLY
SUED THE COUNTY ON BEHALF OF THE
RAILROAD.
AFTERWARDS, HE SUCCESSFULLY SUED
THE RAILROAD FOR HIS RECORD
BREAKING $5,000 FEE.
LATER IN 1872, IN THE THIRD
COURTHOUSE, A CASE WAS TRIED
THAT WOULD CHANGE THE STATE'S
SCHOOL SYSTEM.
IT WAS SEVEN YEARS AFTER THE
CIVIL WAR, AND THE BLACK
POPULATION WAS GROWING.
NEARBY, ONE SMALL TOWN DECIDED
TO BUILD SEPARATE SCHOOL
FACILITIES FOR TWO BLACK
STUDENTS.
THEIR PARENTS SUED, AND THE CASE
CAME BEFORE JUDGE TIPTON.
USING ECONOMICS AS THE BASIS FOR
HIS RULING, HE STATED THAT
ADDITIONAL CLASSROOMS WERE A
WRECKLESS USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS.
HIS DECISION EVENTUALLY LED TO
NEW STATE LAW PROHIBITING RACIAL
DISCRIMINATION IN ILLINOIS
SCHOOLS.
IN ADDITION TO THE POLITICS AND
THE PEOPLE OF THE AREA, OTHER
GALLERIES SUCH AS THIS ONE LOOK
AT THE BUSINESSES ONCE LOCATED
HERE.
ALL OF THESE AREAS DRAW HEAVILY
ON THE MUSEUM'S EXTENSIVE
COLLECTION.
IT IS A COLLECTION THAT BEGAN IN
THE LATE 1800'S.
>>
FOR EXAMPLE, HERE IS A DESK THAT ONCE BELONGED TO LOCAL BUSINESSMAN BY THE NAME OF
KERSEY FELL.
HE WAS A FRIEND OF ABRAHAM
LINCOLN, AND HIS OFFICE WAS
RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO THE
COURTHOUSE.
SINCE HE WAS CLOSE BY, LINCOLN
OFF USED THIS DESK WHILE IN
TOWN.
IT WAS TY DESK THAT HE WAS ASKED
TO WRITE HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY, THE
PURPOSE OF WHICH WAS TO
INTRODUCE THE MIDWESTERNER TO
THE EAST COAST.
ALTHOUGH THE PUBLIC IS NOT
ALLOWED BACK HERE, WE THOUGHT IT
MIGHT BE FUN TO BROWSE THE
SHELVES JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA
OF THE DIVERSITY OF THE
COLLECTION.
FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE EARLY
1900'S, GEORGE LE BOW, A LOCAL
MUSIC STORE OPERATOR BUILT HIS
DAUGHTER A XYLOPHONE.
AT AGE THREE, SHE DECIDED THE
XYLOPHONE WAS THE INSTRUMENT FOR
HER.
GEORGE DECIDE SHE WOULD QUICKLY
LOOSE INTEREST, INSTEAD OF
BUYING HER ONE, HE DECIDED TO
BUILD HER ONE. HE DETERMINED
WHICH FOOD CANS PRODUCED THE
RIGHT PITCH AND MADE THIS
INSTRUMENT.
HIS DAUGHTER WAS QUITE
PROFICIENT MAKING HER FIRST
APPEARANCE IN ST. LOUIS AT AGE
SIX.
HER NOTORIETY LANDED HER A GUEST
SPOT ON THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH
JOHNNY CARSON.
HERE IS A BASEBALL THROWN IN THE
VERY FIRST WORLD SERIES BY LOCAL
HERO AND BOSTON PITCHER CHARLES
RADBORN.
>>
STILL WORKS!
>> AMONG THE ARTIFACTS ON DISPLAY IS THIS SILVER TEA SET. IT BELONGED TO JOSEPH FIFER WHO
JOINED THE UNION ARMY IN 1861.
HE WAS INJURED IN THE BATTLE OF
VICKSBURG AND NOT EXPECTED TO
LIVE, BUT HE DID.
NICKNAMED PRIVATE JOE, HE WAS
THE GOVERNOR OF ILLINOIS IN
1888.
THIS TEA SERVICE WAS A GIFT TO
HIM FROM HIS SPRINGFIELD STAFF
WHEN HE LEFT OFFICE.
OH, AND DESPITE HIS WOUND, HE
LIVED UNTIL 1938 AND PASSED AWAY
AT THE AGE OF 97.
HERE IS A COLLECTION OF PERSONAL
ITEMS THAT BELONGED TO
BLOOMINGTON NATIVE IRENE DELRO
WHY, ONCE CALLED THE MOST PHOT
-- PHOTOGRAPHED WOMAN IN
THE WORLD.
SHE MOVED ONTO HOLLYWOOD WHERE
SHE STARRED IN SEVERAL MOTION
PICTURES OF THESE THINGS ARE ALL
PART OF LARGE AND VARIED
COLLECTION WHICH PAINTS A
PICTURE OF MC LEAN'S COUNTY'S
PAST FROM THE DIVERSITY OF THE
PEOPLE WHO SETTLED HERE TO
HOLLYWOOD MOVIE STAR.
THEY ARE ALL HOUSED IN A
COURTHOUSE WHICH ROSE FROM THE
ASHES OF A DISASTER.
BUT THE OLD BUILDING IS MORE
THAN JUST EXHIBIT SPACE.
THE COURTROOM PLAYS HOST TO
ASSORTMENT OF GUEST LECTURERS
THROUGHOUT THE EAR, THERE IS
STEVENSON EYE'S LIBRARY WHERE
THOUSANDS COME TO RESEARCH
COUNTY AND GENEALOGICAL HISTORY.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE
MUSEUM, WHAT NEW EXHIBITS ARE
FEATURED OR LISTING OF SPECIAL
EVENTS, LOG ON TO WWW.
MCHISTORY.ORG OR CALL
(309)827-0428.