ILLINOIS STATE ARCHIVES

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McLean County

Established
December 25, 1830 (Laws, 1830, p. 31)

Origin of the name of the county
Named for John McLean, a pioneer lawyer, Territorial judge, first Representative in Congress from Illinois (1818), and United States Senator (1824–1825).

Present area, or parts of it, formerly included in
Eastern Part
1827–1830 — Shelby
1821–1827 — Fayette
1819–1821 — Clark
1816–1819 — Crawford
1815–1816 — Edwards
Western Part
1827–1831 — Tazewell
1825–1827 — Peoria
1821–1825 — Sangamon
1817–1821 — Bond
1812–1817 — Madison
1801–1812 — St. Clair
1790–1801 — Knox, Northwest Territory

County Seats
Bloomington — Named Blooming Grove until 1831.

History of county governing board
1830–1849 — County Commissioners’ Court
1849–1858 — County Court
1858–   — County Board of Supervisors

Documented Record Losses
June 19, 1900 — Fire. Some records lost or damaged.

Township Government
Adopted — November 3, 1857

Township Names
Allin — Name changed from Mosquito Grove on March 4, 1867.
Anchor — Formed from Cropsey (date unknown, before 1920).
Arrowsmith — Name changed from Pleasant on May 17, 1858.
Bellflower — Name changed from Prairie on May 17, 1858.
Bloomington
Blue Mound
Cheney’s Grove
Chenoa
City of Bloomington — Formed from Bloomington (date unknown, after 1921).
Cropsey
Dale
Danvers
Dawson — Originally named Lee; changed to Padua on May 17, 1858; then changed to Dawson (date unknown, after 1920).
Downs — Name changed from Savanna on May 17, 1858.
Dry Grove
Empire — Name changed from Le Roy on May 17, 1858.
Funk’s Grove
Gridley
Hudson
Lawndale
Lexington
Martin
Money Creek
Mount Hope
Normal
Old Town
Randolph
Towanda
West — Name changed from Kickapoo on May 17, 1858.
White Oak
Yates — Formed as Union from Chenoa on June 5, 1862; name changed from Union to Yates (date unknown, before 1920).

Township Map

Pertinent Databases
Federal Township Plats of Illinois
Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales Database
Illinois Statewide Death Index, 1916–1950
Illinois Statewide Marriage Index
Local Governmental Records Database
McLean County Probate Record Index (1834–1934)
McLean County Will Record Index (1838–1940)
Name Index to Illinois Local Governments