(a native of North Carolina, 1788-1869; now buried in Old City Cemetery)

          The people of Tazewell County were also struggling with the issue of which location would be better for the county seat. Pekin, which was laid out in 1830, would become a growing town along the commerce water-way of the Illinois River, but had little to offer, and it was far from the eastern and northern territories. Tremont also sought the government seat. Mackinaw Town, the first county seat, was about 15 miles further east than Pekin, and along the Mackinaw River. Politicos realized that to win the county seat, it would be in their best interest if Tazewell County was much smaller. This issue would continue for about 15 years until Pekin became a metropolis, and Tazewell was a mere fraction of its original size.

          Meanwhile, James Allin, who had much experience with county organization and had connections with influential men at Vandalia, was taking a keen interest in Blooming Grove. From 1823 to 1825, Allin was County Commissioner of Fayette County and had become acquainted with the leading men of Blooming Grove. In the autumn of 1829 he decided to move to Blooming Grove and brought a stock of goods which he sold at the house of Mr. Walker. The local histories describe Allin as a first class town-lot speculator! Working with Orendorff and Latta, a petition was written to the state legislature at Vandalia, in December 1830, for the creation of a new county. Thomas Orendorff and James Latta were the parties who carried the petition to Vandalia; James Allin did not make the trip being in poor health and unable to travel. He did furnish Orendorff and Latta with letters of introduction to prominent politicians of Vandalia whom he knew to be in favor of the petition. The bill for an act to incorporate McLean county was made into law on the 25th day of December, 1830.

          It is fitting to learn something about the namesake of the new county. John McLean (1791-1830), a native of North Carolina, came to Illinois in 1815, when it was still a territory before 1818 statehood. His political star was rising when his life was cut short. In 1824 Ninian Edwards resigned as U. S. senator and McLean was elected to fill his unexpired term. He served one term in Congress, and in 1829 was elected to the U. S. Senate, but died the following year. It was written that he was the most gifted man of his period in Illinois -- certainly high praise for this promising young man.

          This new county was 2016 square miles in area and rectangular in form - 42 miles from east to west and 48 miles from north to south. [Note: this was 70% greater in area than today’s McLean County.] The legal description follows: beginning at the southwest corner of Township 21 North of Range 1, west of the 3rd Principal Meridian [Atlanta Twp., Logan Co.]; then north between Ranges 1 and 2, west of said Meridian, to the northwest corner of Township 28 North [Linn Twp., Woodford Co.]; then east between Townships 28 and 29 to the northeast corner of Township 28 North of Range 6, east of the 3rd Principal Meridian [Owego Twp., Livingston Co.]; then south between Ranges 6 and 7, east of said Meridian to the southeast corner of Township 21 North, Range 6 east of the 3rd Principal Meridian [north half of Blue Ridge Twp., Piatt Co.]; then west to the beginning. See the companion map which depicts the original county borders on a modern-day map. At this time the county included land which would later become part of Woodford, DeWitt, Piatt, Logan and Livingston Counties. The county would remain this size for almost seven years until Livingston County was created.

          A little later five precincts were established, primarily for elections, but federal census sometimes used these delineations too, and often road districts evolved from the same areas. They were: 1 - Kickapoo, the southwestern part of the county; 2 - Salt Creek, the area of Leroy, Old Town and Cheney’s Grove; 3 - Bloomington, the Blooming Grove, Dry and Twin Groves, and Havens Grove settlements; 4 - Mackinaw, the great region including Lexington, Money Creek and Mackinaw River timber, and north and east to the county lines (today’s Livingston county part); the voting place was at John Patton’s cabin near Pleasant Hill; 5 - Painter (aka Panther) Creek, the Woodford county portion and Stout’s Grove (Danvers) area.

          The people of McLean County could not have realized that Christmas 1830 was to be their first as a county because news did not travel that quickly. Additionally, another historic event, the "Deep Snow" of 1830-’31, had commenced. Several weeks were to pass before James Latta and Thomas Orendorff could travel from Vandalia to their homes with the news and their belated Christmas gift...McLEAN COUNTY!

Sources:

The history of McLean County, 1879

The History of Tazewell County, 1879

History of McLean County, 1908

Illustrated History of McLean County, 1982

Note: The land before McLean Co., was Tazewell Co. west of the 3rd Principal Meridian and Vermilion Co. east of the 3rd Principal Meridian -- (Page 194 -- McLean Co., 1879). Tazewell Co. (page 207) discusses the error in 1827 boundaries, fixed in 1829...but no mention of this in detail.