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Community of McLean History
McLean County, Illinois

(Transcribed by: Teri Moncelle Colglazier)

William Johnson, one of the early settlers, became county commissioner. Others of the first settlers included Philip Cline, Ezra Kenyon, John and Robert Longworth, Daniel Darnell, Jacob Moore, the Wheelock brothers, W. H.Wood, and John Goodhue, the first postmaster of McLean [in Mount Hope Township]. C. C. Aldrich established an elevator in 1868, to which his son. Frank W. Aldrich, succeeded. Moore's mill, built on Sugar creek in this township, was a landmark of early times, now destroyed. The dairying interests of McLean county have their center in Mt. Hope township. The village of McLean has many stores, a bank, a community high school, and a fine little park. It has one newspaper. The Lens, published by Crihfield Brothers, Atlanta. Population of McLean, 700. ["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 southwest corner of the county is located the incorporated village of McLean, with a population of 667. The village is situated on the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad and on US 66. It contains a number of retail stores, automobile and other service establishments, a postoffice and a large grain elevator. McLean was surveyed and platted in 1855 by Franklin Price. Today, this village is the only community of Mount Hope Township, which has a total population of 1,313. The township was organized in 1858 and its first supervisor was Daniel Winsor. The name of the township was derived from a settlement project known as the Mount Hope Colony, which failed to materialize in the township. It was organized in Rhode Island in 1835. [This is McLean County, Illinois by: John Drury, The Loree Co., Chicago, Illinois (1955)]

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