- Bloomington
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/blooh"ming teuhn/, n.1. a city in SE Minnesota. 81,831.2. a city in S Indiana. 51,646.3. a city in central Illinois. 44,189.
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city, seat (1830) of McLean county, central Illinois, U.S. It is adjacent to Normal (north), about halfway between Chicago and St. Louis (Saint Louis), Missouri. The site was settled in 1822 and was known as Keg Grove and later as Blooming Grove for the area's wildflowers. In 1831 the town was laid out and was renamed Bloomington. In 1856 at Major's Hall in Bloomington, Abraham Lincoln (Lincoln, Abraham) delivered his famous “lost speech” on slavery during a convention to organize the Republican Party in Illinois; a plaque commemorates the site. The city lies in a rich agricultural region, and its economy is based mainly on farming (chiefly corn [maize] and soybeans), livestock raising, and the production of farm seeds; insurance and the manufacture of candy and vacuum cleaners are also important.Illinois Wesleyan University (1850) and a campus of Heartland Community College (1990) are in Bloomington, and Illinois State University (1857) is in Normal. An annual spring event is the production of the American Passion Play. The mansion (1872) of Supreme Court associate justice David Davis (Davis, David) is a state historic site. Bloomington features museums devoted to history and aviation, a zoo, and a summer Shakespeare festival. Both Adlai E. Stevenson (Stevenson, Adlai), vice president (1893–97) of the United States, and his grandson, Adlai E. Stevenson II (Stevenson, Adlai E), Illinois governor and two-time Democratic Party presidential nominee, are buried in Evergreen Cemetery. There is a gem and mineral museum in Shirley, southwest of the city. Inc. 1839. Pop. (1990) city, 51,972; Bloomington-Normal MSA, 129,180; (2000) city, 64,808; Bloomington-Normal MSA, 150,433.city, seat (1818) of Monroe county, southern Indiana, U.S. It lies 48 miles (77 km) south-southwest of Indianapolis. Laid out in 1818, it is in the centre of the Indiana limestone belt, and extensive stone quarries and mills are nearby. Indiana University (1820), a major element in the city's development, remains its largest employer. The economy is also based on diversified industry, especially production of refrigerators, elevators, medical and surgical equipment, and televisions. The Tibetan Cultural Center, located just southeast of the city, was founded in 1979 by Thubten Jigme Norbu, elder brother of the 14th Dalai Lama. The Monroe Lake State Recreation Area is 4 miles (6 km) southeast. Inc. town, 1845, 1859; city, 1877. Pop. (2000) city, 69,291; Bloomington MSA, 175,506; (2005 est.) city, 69,017; (2004 est.) Bloomington MSA, 177,587.city, Hennepin county, southeastern Minnesota, U.S. It is a suburb of Minneapolis, located south of the city, and lies on the Minnesota River. Sioux Indians lived there when settlers first arrived. It was settled in 1843 by Peter and Louisa Quinn, who taught farming techniques to the local Native Americans. That year Gideon Pond established a mission in the area. It became a township in 1858 and was named for the Illinois city (see Bloomington, Illinois). A population increase after World War II was accompanied by an expansion of diversified industry.Bloomington's most famous attraction is the Mall of America (opened 1992), the largest indoor shopping mall in the United States. The mall's 4.2 million square feet (390,000 square metres) of space includes restaurants, nightclubs, a theme park, a wedding chapel, an aquarium, a miniature golf course, and more than 500 stores. Tourism is the city's leading industry, but there is also some manufacturing (including computer equipment, lawn and garden equipment, refrigeration systems, industrial filtration systems, welding equipment, metal products, and semiconductors). From 1956 to 1985 the city was the site of Metropolitan Stadium, which was the home ballpark (1961–81) of Major League Baseball's Minnesota Twins and the National Football League's Minnesota Vikings. The city is home to a community college (1968). Bloomington adjoins Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport, and a light-rail line links the city with Minneapolis. Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge lies along the river, with Fort Snelling State Park nearby. Inc. village, 1953; city, 1960. Pop. (2000) 85,172; (2007 est.) 81,446.* * *
Universalium. 2010.
