Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

Did anyone go to the Museum in the McBarnes Memorial  Building for  a school Field Trip in grade school?

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

Happy  Birthday Sharol Brooks Brandt!!!!  

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

I think this is the neatest picture of North Main Strert probably from the early 50's.  I remember so many of the businesses that were down there and it was such a wide variety of different things.

Susie Dowell (Emery)

Thanks, Corky, I had never heard that story. It was fascinating. I remember when Adley Stevenson died and he wanted to be buried in that cemetery, and they had to do a major overhaul on it because it looked  so unkempt. But that was a long time ago, so I'm wondering if it still looks good because of his being there, and it has to be kept up.
Bloomington  really was such a wonderful city to grow up in.

Susie Dowell (Emery)

Barbara, what a fascinating picture of Bloomington, with Shields right there and The Woolen Mill, which my mom and I frequented often. Is that Kalvy's photo studio on the left by the Woolen Mill? We have many pictures displayed from Kalvy's Studio in our home. They would take a black-and-white picture and then paint over it in color; they looked so natural and beautifully done.  I can't remember which country they were from, but they were certainly fine artists. I didn't like my senior picture, and so they made me some photos that I could hand out instead.
Thanks for all the memories, Barbara.

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

Happy Birthday Elsie Krueger!!!!

Janice Scott (Vitton)

Evergreen Cemetery:  Several posts back the Evergreen Cemetery was mentioned. As I understand the information, for the past 25 years the cemetery has held cemetery walks. Actors in period costumes stand near the gravesites of a person and talk and tell about their person with a connection to McLean County bringing its history to life. I have attended several of these walks with my sister, Janenne. The walks were very interesting and informative. Think Spring 🌺 Janice (Scott) Vitton

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

This is another statue in Evergreen Cemetary which someone carved and it's of Hoss Radbourn, the baseball player.

This is the Davis grave plots and you can see how well the grounds have been groomed.  It's a pleasant place to wander around in.

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

This picture is from  Evergreen Cemetery.  When I was in there driving around I saw this building stuck in the side of the ground.  My first thought was it is a Mausoleum for some very  wealthy people.  I eventually found out it was a vault where they kept bodies who had died when it was very cold out and they couldn't dig the graves.  It's purpose now is to house all the mowers, etc. they need to keep the Cemetary looking as good as it does.

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

Happy Birthday Delores Buttry!!!!

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

Happy Birthday Ted Allsup!!!!

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

Back in the day Bloomington had hotels in the downtown area.  The first one is the Rogers Hotel which I think was located on Grove Street.

The next one was the Hamilton Hotel which I believe was on Front Street.  Both of these were torn down, the Rogers for the parking deck adjoining the Law  & Justice Center and the Hamilton for a  parking lot  for Union Auto.

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

Did anyone work at Beichs?  Sadly the building burned and they moved West of town and were purchased by Nestle who in turn sold it to Ferraro Group.

These are a few of the "goodies" you could buy from there.

Patti Perry (Daubs)

Thanks to Bill Butler for his great insights to life and BHS basketball. Byrdie Miller and I drove to witness the heartbreaking loss to Stephen-Decatur!  I remember the sad state that the cemetery was in; I'm grateful that it is being taken care of now; I am glad that someone is giving cemetery tours. 

I love the pictures that Barb are posting. The nicest dinner that I had when I was around 5-8 yrs. old, was with my grandmother in the dining room at the Rogers Hotel. She stayed at the Hotel periodically, when she was between jobs; she was a "practical nurse" (out of date term now) and lived with wealthy older widowed or single women, until their death. My other grandmother had worked at the Hamilton Hotel for a while. 

It's great to read all of the classmates' postings!

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

We have lost another Classmate, Terry Lauterberg passed away February 28th.  Our condolences to his family.

Susan Harsha

Barb,

I finally had to post something in response to your photo of the old Beich Candy Factory.  Harry’s mother, Bessie Mann Harsha, lied about her age to begin working at the factory in the mid – late 1930’s.   Luckily for her, she had two older brothers and an older sister that already worked there, as well as another relative working in the office to help her get hired as she was only about 14.  She participated in a couple of the strikes against the company in the late 1930’s, one lasting months.  These are well documented in The Pantagraph archives.  But one of the photos that the Pantagraph often prints, in articles about industries in the county is one of candy girls packing Whiz Bars in the 1930’s.  Harry’s mom is in the photo and her sister Alma Mann Tieman is across the line from her.  If anyone has the book McLean County Memories: The Early Years a Pictoral History, published by The Pantagraph in 2015, the picture I’m referring to is on page 22.  

Susan Harsha

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

Happy Birthday Bill Evans!!!!

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

Below is a picture of the Peoples Bank Building.  It was my home away from home for over 35 years.  Sadly,the Bank was  sold to Commerce Bank and it did remain there for a few years, now it's sitting empty.  The only Bank left in the downtown is Heartland Bank which has only been around for about the last 20 years.

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

These are a couple of "used to be" businesses in Bloomington, the first being Portable Elevator.

The second one is Rapps Grocery which was a popular place back in the day.  It looks kind of sad now.

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

Don't forget, breakfast at Shannon's Wednesday at 9:00.

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

Remember WJBC by the Castle Theater?

The Problems and Solutions show and I think people did get solutions sometimes.9

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

Happy Birthday Dave Bandeko!!!!

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

Happy Birthday Joe Case!!!!

Barbara Kincaid (Menken)

I came across this photo on another site and thought it was so cool.  It's the viaduct on East Oakland and I don't think I ever saw a train go over it, obviously I was there at the wrong time.

Ward "Corky" Snearly

Barb,  That was a very active rail as I recall from growing up on Elder Street.  The tracks were probably no more than 125 feet from my bedroom and those big old steam locomotives not only made lots of noise but were very impressive.  Plus their bells and loud horn which they used at crossings made for a notable passage through town.  I believe that is why I have always been a sound sleeper as I learned to tune out that noise.  Thanks for posting that memory.  Best,  Corky