EN
Bloomington, Illinois plat books, 1831-1972
Dating to the founding of Bloomington, these plat maps functioned as the city's official record of property ownership. * Please note that it is not necessary to transcribe text found within the plat maps. We are asking for assistance in transcribing the titles and text below the plats only. *
Celestia Rice and June Rose Colby Collection
Two remarkable women serve as the nexus for this digital collection. The first, Celestia Rice Colby, was born to a well-to-do Ohio farming family in 1827. She became one of the first girls to be schooled at the prestigious Grand River Institute and parlayed the knowledge she gained there into a...
Illinois State Normal University financial ledger, 1857-1899
This remarkable ledger records the earliest expenditures of the fledgling Illinois State Normal University, including the purchase of desks, chalkboards, and books for the library, as well as such mundanities as the cost of digging a privy for the first building on campus ($18) and the number of...
Jesse Fell Civil War paymaster records
Jesse W. Fell's (1808-1887) hugely successful land speculation deals has led to him being credited as the founder of several central Illinois towns and counties, as well as Illinois State (Normal) University. During the Civil War, Fell's Quaker faith prevented him from serving as a soldier. He...