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Community of LeRoy
Organization
McLean County, Illinois

(Transcribed by: Teri Moncelle Colglazier)

From 1835 to 1874 the town of LeRoy was governed by a president and board of trustees. However, the town prospered from the date of its founding so in August, 1874 an election was held adopting a city charter and electing a mayor, 6 aldermen, treasurer and city clerk. The elected officials were as follows: Official Office Salary M.S. Stout Mayor $50 per year John Kline Alderman $2 per meeting A.B. Johnson Alderman J.W. Wright Alderman A.T. Bishop Alderman D.L. Buckworth Alderman J.M. Stevens Alderman J.W. Brown City Clerk $75 per year Peter VanAtta Treasurer $25 per year John F. Alsup was appointed marshal and superintendent of streets at a salary of $50 per month. The first meeting was spent in passing ordinances pertaining to the duties of the various elected officials. However, in subsequent meetings a large portion of the time was spent in passing ordinances pertaining to the building or repair of plank sidewalks. The building or repair being one of the duties of the city marshal. An appropriation ordinance was passed in the amount of $525 to finance the operation of the city for the year. This is in great contrast to the appropriation ordinance levied by the city in 1975 which was $142,000. Apparently Mayor Stout was not too popular as a mayor for at the second election J. W. Wright was elected mayor with a vote of 104 to Stout's 4 votes. A saw mill was located on Cedar Street where the Minor Rees property now stands. An open slough was in this locality following where our present sewer crosses. A contract was let to furnish all material and labor to build a wagon bridge at this location, contract sum being $37.50. The city marshal got 50c per head for burying dead hogs. There being no law against animals running at large many complaints were received from residents. An ordinance was passed requiring all hogs to have a ring in their nose. Also an ordinance was passed that cows and heifers could run at large but bulls had to be penned up. However, women's lib didn't last very long as the city dads rescinded the ordinance after two months. An ordinance passed in 1883 decreed animals could not run at large in the city. In 1882 an ordinance was passed for a corporation to lease and mine coal under the streets of LeRoy. J. W. Brown and A. J. Keenan built a skating rink on the north side of Center Street where Stensel Funeral Home previously was. In 1889 an ordinance was passed requiring all businesses to close on Sunday. It seems that in the past ball playing on the city square had been allowed. However, at the council meeting of September 17, 1891 an ordinance was passed declaring ball playing on public square to be a nuisance. At the meeting of May 8, 1893 W. H. Dooley headed a Township Committee on the question of building a Town Hall jointly with the city. A committee was appointed to investigate this. The first ordinance creating the office of City Attorney was adopted on February 10, 1896. Prior to this legal council had to be obtained from some attorney in Bloomington. At the regular city election of April, 1896 John Mott was elected to fill this position. However, he only served a short time as William Owen was appointed to fill out his term of office at no salary. A special meeting was called April 25, 1898 for the purpose of passing an ordinance to improve the city square and make it into a park. This was done by redesigning the streets around it and installing hitching racks. The park was designed by Sherman Smith and was an octagon shape with street on north and south side to be 80 feet wide and on east and west side to be 75 feet wide with concrete walk running both ways through the park. R. J. Lamont was hired to do all the concrete walk work. His price for labor was $3 per day. An ordinance was passed July 11, 1898 making it unlawful to carry a concealed weapon in LeRoy. At the regular meeting of February, 1902 a proposition was presented to the council that a cannon could be procured from the U.S. government to be placed in city. Offer was accepted. This presumably is the present cannon in the park. In 1902 a committee was formed to consider building a Town and City Hall. After several meetings it was agreed to build on the lots on the Southeast corner of square on lots owned by the city, the city and township to jointly supervise the building. Agreed by township and city at meeting of July 3, 1903 to build, city to pay $750, and building to be jointly owned. A petition was presented to the council in 1904 by the Bloomington Canning Company to obtain water from the city in the operation of canning factory, apparently start of LeRoy plant. Barley and Pfitzenmeyer subdivision known as the East Park Addition was accepted into the city in 1904. McConnell Brothers Subdivision on South Chestnut Street was accepted into city in 1904. On March 1, 1910 an epidemic of Scarlet Fever broke out in LeRoy. A special meeting was called and a proclamation was issued that no children under the age of 15 years could be on the streets unless accompanied by parents or adults, this to be in effect until epidemic had subsided. At a meeting of July 8. 1910 C. D. Jones and A. H. Morris were given permission to put gasoline tanks in the streets or alleys for the purpose of storage and sale of gasoline. This apparently was the beginning of the filling stations in LeRoy. In 1910 an ordinance was passed making it unlawful to kill squirrels in city limits. In 1926 State Route 39 which is now U.S. 150 was completed through LeRoy and in 1933 State Route 136 was completed giving LeRoy and area residents good access roads. Today LeRoy is located on busy U.S. Interstate 74. In July, 1949 the city council adopted a new numbering system for LeRoy business places and residences. The old numbering system had become almost non-existent. The city is divided into four sections with Center Street and Main Street the dividing lines. Lots are numbered from 100 up from the starting streets, the first block the 100 block, the second 200, etc. As a person starts from the dividing line, the lot numbers are odd on the right hand side of the street and even on the left side. [Heritage of the prairie : a history of LeRoy and of Empire and West townships, McLean County, Illinois (1976) LeRoy Historical Society; LeRoy Bi-Centennial Commission]

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