Near Funks Grove in McLean County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Bloomington-Normal, Illinois
Photographed By Jason Voigt, October 2, 2020
1. Bloomington-Normal, Illinois Marker
The first settlement in this area in 1822 was called Keg Grove. By the time a post office was established in 1829 the settlement was known as Blooming Grove. McLean County was organized the following year and Bloomington, which was laid out in 1831 just north of Blooming Grove on 22 acres of land donated by James Allin, was selected as county seat. It was incorporated as a town in 1843 and a city in 1850. In 1853 Illinois Wesleyan University was chartered here and in 1857 Normal University, first state-supported school of higher education in Illinois, was established in North Bloomington which soon changed its name to Normal. The State Republican Party was formally organized in Bloomington in 1856 at a convention called to protest the Kansas-Nebraska Bill, which made possible the westward extension of slavery. It was at this convention that Abraham Lincoln delivered his 'Lost Speech,' so called because no record of it was kept. Several of Lincoln's close associates were local residents, including Jesse Fell, credited with the founding of Normal, Leonard Swett, lawyer and campaigner for Lincoln, and David Davis, appointed to the United States 
Photographed By Jason Voigt, October 2, 2020
2. Bloomington-Normal, Illinois Marker
Marker is located at the Funks Grove Rest Area.
this page online
Erected 1987 by Illinois Department of Transportation and The Illinois State Historical Society.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #16 Abraham Lincoln, and the Illinois State Historical Society series lists.
Location. 40° 21.557′ N, 89° 6.6′ W. Marker is near Funks Grove, Illinois, in McLean County. Marker can be reached from Interstate 55 at milepost 149. Marker is located at the Funks Grove Rest Area. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: I-55, Mc Lean IL 61754, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 10 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Having a Picnic / A Transportation Corridor (a few steps from this marker); Isaac Funk (within shouting distance of this marker); Funks Grove Pure Maple Sirup, Funks Grove, Illinois (approx. half a mile away); A Home on the Road (approx. 4½ miles away); Charles Lindbergh Crash Site (approx. 4.8 miles away); Abraham Lincoln - Eighth Judicial District (approx. 6.6 miles away); Miller Park's Segregated Beaches (approx. 9.3 miles away); "Reisch Beer" Mural (approx. 9.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Funks Grove.
Also see . . . Bloomington-Normal on Wikipedia. This wiki page is for the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area, which covers mostly McLean and Dewitt counties. (Submitted on October 3, 2020, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.)
Credits. This page was last revised on October 3, 2020. It was originally submitted on October 3, 2020, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. This page has been viewed 152 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 3, 2020, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.
