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Community of Colfax History
McLean County, Illinois

(Transcribed by: Teri Moncelle Colglazier)

The village of Colfax [in Martin Township] was incorporated in 1880 and had a steady growth. It was one of the towns which excluded saloons in the days when they were licensed in many places. The Kankakee branch of the Illinois Central was built through this township, its terminus being at Colfax for a few years, then being extended to Bloomington. Colfax has varied business interests and one newspaper, The Press. The population is 850. ["Official souvenir program, McLean County Centennial, Aug. 27, 28, 30, 1930" by: McLean County Illinois Centennial Souvenir Program Committee, Harold Lang and Eugene Funk] Another community of the Mackinaw River area is the incorporated village of Colfax, with a population of 819. It is situated twenty-six miles northeast of Bloomington on the Illinois Central Railroad and on State 165. In addition to numerous retail stores and automobile and other service establishments, Colfax contains a number of cheese factories and commodious grain elevators. It is the only community of Martin Township, which has a total population of 1,345. First to settle in the township were John Wiley and his sons, William, Lytle R. and Silas W. They came in the fall of 1835 and entered land on both sides of the Mackinaw River. [This is McLean County, Illinois by: John Drury, The Loree Co., Chicago, Illinois (1955)]

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