Bloomington in McLean County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

The Great Fire

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 5, 2025

1. The Great Fire Marker

Inscription.
It was here that the Great Fire of June 19th 1900 started

The efforts of a generation were gone in an instant – but from the gray ashes was heroically builded a bigger and better Bloomington

Erected 1918 by Bloomington Association of Commerce.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Disasters. A significant historical date for this entry is June 19, 1900.

Location. 40° 28.873′ N, 88° 59.584′ W. Marker is in Bloomington, Illinois, in McLean County. It is on East Monroe Street east of North Main Street, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 111 E Monroe St, Bloomington IL 61701, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Central Illinois.

It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker:

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Bloomington, Illinois (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Risk of the Road (about 400 feet away); The Pike House (about 400 feet away); Abraham Lincoln - Eighth Judicial District (about 500 feet away); World War II War Memorial (about 500 feet away); Lincoln The Lawyer (about 600 feet away); Trotter Fountain (about 600 feet away); The Phoenix Block (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bloomington.

Also see . . . Bloomington Fire Collection. McLean County Museum of History website entry:
Synopsis of the fire, which began in a laundry, and its aftermath. Includes link to historic photographs (that are partly blocked by very large watermarks). (Submitted on April 17, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 5, 2025

2. The Great Fire Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on February 23, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 17, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 233 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 17, 2025, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.