Blue's, and Martin Darnell, William Popejoy and James C. M. Miller are appointed Judges of Elections.

Edward F. Patrick and Charles Moore made application for the privilege of proving themselves Revolutionary soldiers, in order to obtain pensions. Application granted, and their representations believed to be genuine. At the September term, the Court executed a deed for Lots 13 and 14, to David Trimmer, being town lots in the town of Bloomington. At the December term, William Vincent made application for the privilege of proving himself a Revolutionary soldier. Application granted, and his representations believed to be genuine.

A

At the March term, 1834, an application by Charles Maltby for license to keep a grocery in the town of Waynesville, McLean County, for one year, was granted. petition was presented for the location of a road, beginning at the termination of a road leading from Shelbyville to the south boundary of this county, near Charles McCord's; thence, by the nearest and best route to the head of Mackinaw Timber; thence to the Vermilion Timber; thence to the north boundary of the county, pursuing the nearest and best route from the head of Mackinaw Timber in the direction of Chicago. John W. Dawson, Daniel Crumbaugh and William McDowell, appointed Viewers. William Durley, Esq., presented his report of the sale of Section 16, in Town 24 north, Range 1 west, accompanied by his resignation as School Commissioner of the county; and and the Court thereupon appointed Jesse W. Fell, Esq., School Commissioner in his stead. A petition signed by M. L. Covell, Jonathan Hodge and others, for a road from Bloomington, on the State road, through Dry Grove; thence past Ephraim Stout's mill, Jonathan Hodge's, to the county line, to intersect a road laid out in Tazewell County, to the county line near Isaac Williams'. Petition granted, and Viewers ordered to report. William Covell was granted license to keep a grocery in the town of Bloomington, one year; charge for license, $5.

John Toliday applied for the privilege of proving himself a Revolutionary soldier. Application granted, and his proofs admitted as good and true.

A petition was received, signed by Moses Baldwin and others, for a road, beginning at a point in the prairie north of Randolph's Grove; thence through said grove, by way of Gardner Randolph's, to Frederick Barnard's, in Short Point; thence to Baker's mill, on Kickapoo; thence to Waynesville; thence to meet a county road that is laid out from Decatur, in Macon County, at the south line of McLean County. The Court granted the petition, and appointed Jesse Sutton, Gardner Randolph and F. Barnard to view and locate the road to Jesse Sutton's, where it may intersect a road to Waynesville, and southwesterly to the county line, and established the road at forty feet in width. Isaac Baker, Clerk of the Court, reports that the amount of sales of lots in the town of Bloomington was $963.924. A petition, signed by James Weed and others, for a road to be located from Bloomington to F. Trimmer's, Coonrod Flesher's, to Epperd's Point, to Uriah Blue's, on the Vermilion; thence to the county line in the direction to Chicago. Petition granted, and Viewers appointed.

A petition, signed by Mathew Robb and others, was presented for a view of a road from the ford on the Mackinaw where the old Fort Clark trail crosses, known by the name of Hugh's Ford; thence to Samuel McClure's; thence to intersect the State road leading from Dry Grove to Mackinawtown. Petition granted, and Samuel McClure, Samuel McDaniel and Levi Danley appointed Viewers.

A petition signed by Alexander W. Breckenridge and others, praying for the alteration of a county road from William Young's, on the road from Rook's Creek, to Bloomington, by way of Benjamin Ogden's and Isaac Strowd's; thence, along the main leading road until intersecting the State road near Sugar Creek. Petition granted, and George W. Wallis, Benjamin Ogden and Levi Strowd appointed Viewers, to make report next term.

At the March term, 1835, Harrison Noble and others petition for an election precinct, composed of Towns 21 and 22 north, Range 2 east. The Court grant the petition, organize the precinct under the name of Middle Precinct, order the elections to be held at the house of Hiram Buck, and appoint David Noble, John P. Glenn and George Hand Judges of Elections. Amount of revenue for the year 1833, besides incidentals, reported to be $712.03.

The Court granted to George W. Wallis permission to erect, under proper restrictions, a mill-dam and mills on the northeast quarter of the northwest quarter of Section 11, in Town 25 north, Range 3 east; and to Tebulan G. Cantrill, and to Matthew McElhiney, each to build a dam and mill, at different points, on the waters of the Kickapoo. The Court authorize the Sheriff to rent the Court House, under specified restrictions, as a schoolhouse, for $3 per month.

The duplicate for tax of the county for 1835 is reported at $1,241.42).

A novelty appears on the records of the Court at the October term, 1835, to the effect that the "Court directs that notice be given in the Illinois Republican that proposals will be received by said Court on the first Monday in December next for building a Court House in Bloomington, McLean County, forty feet square, of brick, and two stories high; and order the expense to be paid out of the County Treasury for said notice." This is the first official recognition of the press in McLean County as a medium of communication between the people and their public servants; and it contains the very sensible provision for paying therefor.

At the December term, 1835, the Court accepted the report of the Reviewers, and established the road that lies between Little Kickapoo Creek and Blooming Grove, intersecting the road leading from Blooming Grove to Randolph Grove, near James B. Price's, at forty feet in width.

On the same day, Messrs. James Allen and Timothy B. Hoblitt presented the plat of the town of New Castle, which was approved and certified by the County Commissioners. Also, Messrs. A. Gridley and M. L. Covell presented a plat of the town. of Le Roy, which the Commissioners approved and certified.

The appearance of a public newspaper in Bloomington, and the enterprise of laying out new towns in different portions of the county on the part of its citizens, mark a new era in the material development of the county, as well as of mental development. A great influx of immigrants, about those times, had an important influence in inspiring the former settlers with the idea that, to secure fortunes, all they had to do was to go

in.

At the same session, Mr. John W. Baddely applied for license to sell goods, wares and merchandise at the town of Le Roy (to be), and also to keep a tavern at the same place; also, Mr. David Duncan and Mr. R. Post make application to vend goods, wares and merchandise in the town of Waynesville. Messrs. Allen Withers & Co., and Messrs. Asahel Gridley, Ortagal Covell and Calvin Carpenter make application for license to vend goods, wares and merchandise in the county of McLean.

All these indications of very rapid development, at that time, are unmistakable. There was no lack of enterprise among early settlers in this county, whatever one may be disposed to say of their discretion.

At the same term, the Court appointed Thomas H. Haines their attorney, to effect a loan of $5,000, for a term of years, at a rate of interest not to exceed 8 per cent per annum. This was done preparatory to making arrangements to build a Court

House.

At a special term of the County Commissioners' Court, January 20, 1836, the Court proceeded to make arrangements for contracting with Leander Munsell, of Edgar County, in said State, for building a Court House for the county of McLean; when, after taking the subject into careful examination, and hearing the proposition of the said Leander Munsell, a written contract was agreed upon for a brick building, 40x45 feet square, two stories high, finished in five rooms, the court-room on the lower floor, with a gallery and all other conveniences, particularly specified in said agreement, for the sum of $6,375, with interest on $5,375, after the completion of said job, at 8 per cent, until paid, and to be paid on or before the expiration of twenty years; and other particulars specified in said article of agreement, reference thereto being had. On the next day, the articles of agreement were signed by the contracting parties.

At the March term, 1836, of the Commissioners' Court, there were numerous applications for license to carry on business by various parties, and petitions for new roads and amendments to old ones-all showing great activity. There were also several applications for writs of ad quod damnum, in reference to how much dam each applicant might employ in order sufficiently to raise the water to run a mill. Another unmistakable evidence of rapid improvement.

On settling with the County Treasurer, the amount coming into his hands during the previous current year was found to be $1,303.88. The Court levied the usual rate, one-half of one per cent tax on town lots, except in Bloomington, on cattle, carriages and other personal property.

At the June session of the Court, a plat of the town of Versailles, in McLean County, was presented, approved and certified. A. and I. M. Richardson make application for license to keep a grocery in said town of Versailles, and Hopkins & Beatty apply for license to sell goods, wares and merchandise in the said town. James O. Barnard presented the plat of the town of Wilkesborough, as laid out by him, together with the certificate accompanying the same, which was approved and certified by the Court.

The town of Lexington was laid off by Messrs. Gridley and Brown, and the town of Concord by Messrs. Isaac W. Hall and Mathew Robb. The town of Hudson was laid out the same year by a company in which Mr. John Magoun and Mr. S. P. Cox were interested. Mount Hope Colony, consisting of Rhode Island immigrants, entered lands and commenced, the following year, to make settlements. The Hudson company entered 12,600 acres, and the Mount Hope company 8,000 acres. Several additions were made to the town of Bloomington, and the immigration showed that the town and the surrounding country were appreciated.

It is believed by those who have reflected upon the subject that the population of the county, in the spring of 1832, was fully two thousand. From the incidental mention of names in the districting of the county as just given, it will be seen that