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Blue Mound Township History
McLean County, Illinois

(Transcribed by: Teri Moncelle Colglazier)

In general appearance and in topography, Blue Mound is not unlike Martin. It has no timber-land, however, and the little streams or runs which run across it to the northeast toward the Mackinaw. and to the southwest, into Money Creek, are deeper cut, and show pebbly bottoms not common in this prairie country. Township 24 north, Range 4 cast of the Third Principal Meridian, is a full Congressional township, and is in the centre of the eastern part of the county, being in the third tier of towns respectively from the north, east and south lines of the county, and the third east from the Illinois Central Railroad. With the peculiar beauty of its primeval state, and the excellence of its soil, it is a wonder that it was so long before it came into general cultivation. Probably the fact that it was within the fifteen-mile belt which was withdrawn from market at the time the Illinois Central land grant was made, had much to do with this delay. Certain it is, there is nothing in the nature of the land that would delay settlement. The name was derived from the mound, an elevation on Section 28, which, though not very high, was, when seen from the level land, stretching off toward Bloomington, high enough to attract general attention and notice. The "blue" part of it was only such as distance lends to it, for there is no blue appearance on close inspection. [The History of McLean County, Illinois, Chicago: W. LeBaron Jr. & Co., 1879] A ridge running through this township in section 28 gave it its name. The mound can hardly be distinguished now. The rest of the township is prairie land and generally good farming land. Thomas Arnold first settled in the township in 1858. J. S. Stagner, W. L. Burton, James H. Doyle, David Wheeler and others followed. Doyle and Wheeler were first and second supervisors. [The population of] the whole township [is] 1,025. ["Official souvenir program, McLean County Centennial, Aug. 27, 28, 30, 1930" by: McLean County Illinois Centennial Souvenir Program Committee, Harold Lang and Eugene Funk]

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