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Community of Lexington History
McLean County, Illinois

(Transcribed by: Teri Moncelle Colglazier)

The town of Lexington [in Lexington Township] was laid out in 1837, being named for Lexington, Ky. James Brown and A. Gridley were its founders. It suffered a backset by the panic of that year and lay dormant for many years. Jacob Spawr, born in Pennsylvania, settled in the township in 1826, and lived to he over 100 years old, dying in 1902. Spawr's tavern was a noted landmark. When the C. & A. railroad was built, it gave Lexington a boom. Noah Franklin and his bride rode to Bloomington on the first train passing Lexington. William M. Smith. one of the earliest members of the legislature from the county, lived here. He became speaker of the house. Bernard J. Claggett, a later resident, was once candidate for state treasurer. W. H. Claggett was superintendent of the Soldiers' Orphans' home. Lexington city is well supplied with business places, churches and schools, and a good public library. The population of the city is 1,300. ["Official souvenir program, McLean County Centennial, Aug. 27, 28, 30, 1930" by: McLean County Illinois Centennial Souvenir Program Committee, Harold Lang and Eugene Funk] In the Mackinaw River country, northeast of Bloomington, the city of Lexington serves as a leading trading center of the surrounding farm area. It has a population of 1,181. A number of nurseries and corn-processing plants are located here, as well as numerous retail stores, automobile and other service establishments, a postoffice and banking facilities. The city is situated on the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad and on US 66. Named after the famous Massachusetts battleground, Lexington was surveyed and platted in 1836 by General Ashael Gridley and James Brown. The town did not fully develop, however, until after the building of the first railroad through the area in 1854. Today, Lexington city is the principal community of Lexington Township, which has a total population of 1,789. First to settle in the township were Conrad Flesher, John Haner and Isaac and Joseph Brumhead, together with their families. All arrived in 1828. Several Kickapoo Indian villages were here when these settlers came. [This is McLean County, Illinois by: John Drury, The Loree Co., Chicago, Illinois (1955)]

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