BLOOMINGTON

city, seat of McLean county, central Illinois, U.S., adjacent (south) to Normal (q.v.). The site was settled in 1822 and was known as Keg Grove and later as Blooming Grove. In 1831, when the town was laid out, it was renamed Bloomington. In 1856 at Old Majors Hall in Bloomington, Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous lost speech on slavery at a convention to organize the Republican Party in Illinois. The city lies in a rich agricultural region, and its economy is based mainly on farming (chiefly corn ), livestock raising, and the manufacture and development of agricultural equipment and farm-related products, including farm seeds. The manufacture of electrical equipment and vacuum cleaners is also significant. Illinois Wesleyan University (1850) is in Bloomington, and Illinois State University (1857) is in Normal. An annual spring event is the production of the American Passion Play. Adlai E. Stevenson, vice president (189397) of the United States, is buried in Evergreen City Cemetery, as is his grandson, Adlai E. Stevenson II, statesman and Illinois governor. Inc. city, 1850. Pop. (1990) city, 51,972; Bloomington-Normal MSA, 129,180. city, seat (1818) of Monroe county, southern Indiana, U.S. It lies 51 miles (82 km) south-southwest of Indianapolis. Laid out in 1818, it is in the centre of the Indiana limestone belt, and extensive stone quarries and mills are nearby. Indiana University (1820) was a major element in the city's development. The economy is based on diversified industry, especially production of refrigerators, electronic equipment, and television sets. The Monroe Reservoir recreation area is 4 miles (6 km) southeast. Inc. 1877. Pop. (1992 est.) city, 61,921; Bloomington MSA, 111,293. city, Hennepin county, southeastern Minnesota, U.S., near the Minnesota River. A suburb of Minneapolis, it was settled in 1843, became a township in 1858, and was named for the Illinois city. A population increase after World War II was accompanied by an expansion of diversified industry. Bloomington is adjoined by the MinneapolisSt. Paul International Airport. The Mall of America in Bloomington is one of the largest indoor shopping malls in the United States. Normandale Community College (1965) is also in Bloomington. Inc. village, 1953; city, 1960. Pop. (1992 est.) 88,405.