The  Grgt  settler  and  father  of  the  town,  waa  John  Allin,  a  natire  of  North  Caro-
'iw.  who  was  niiaed  in  Ohio,  Kentucky  and  Indiana,  he  having  lived,  in  the  early
period  of  his  life  in  each  of  those  atatea  lie  t>a»  at  first  attracted  to  this  ppot  by
w  eitceme  beauty  of  the  groTCa.  Being  acquainted  with  the  fteography  of  the
I'^ntrj,  he  fonnd  it  was  on  a  direct  line  from  the  foot  of  the  rapids  of  the
IQbni*,  near  La  fySUe  to  Cairo,  also  from  Chicago  to  Alton  and  SL  Louia  Those
'^■idcrations  induced  him  to  locate  himself  on  this  point,  believing  it  was  des-
^Ki  to  become  one  of  importance.  It  was  for  a  period  called  Blooming  Grove,
*<ui  rnrn  tbts  circumstnnce  Mr.  Allin  gave  it  its  present  name.  This  section  of
"tatrj  appears  to  have  been  a  favorite  spot  with  tne  Indians.  Mr.  A.  states  that
wUdseen  the  signs  or  remains  of  30  Indian  Tillages,  within  a  compass  of  30
Bil«i  around  Bloomington.  At  the  time  of  his  arrivtu,  two  tribes,  the  Kickapoos
"^  Delawania,  lived  within  some  IS  or  20  miles.  The  Kickapoos  were  5  or  600 ;
Uxhelawares  were  about  half  that  niunber,     The  Kickapoos  leR  in  ]S32,

^r■  Allin  came  in  1829,  and  erected  his  log  cabin  on  the  edge  of  the  timber  op-
P^U  where  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  now  stands,  and  he  sot  out  most  of  the
^  pwwing  in  that  vicinity.  He  broueht  a  quantity  of  coods  with  him,  which
"^  lept  in  a  part  of  his  cabin,  and  opened  the  first  store  in  Itloomington.  Samuel
J'l'W,  a  yoiiDg  man  born  in  Kentuck;^!  then  nearly  of  age,  acted  as  clerk.  Rev.
^^  Latta,  the  second  settler,  built  bis  habitation  about  20  rods  west  from  Mr.
