Welcome to AllinBN - modern-day land speculation in McLean County, Illinois.
AllinBN aims to provide users unique views into property ownership in McLean County by aggregating data across multiple resources and correlating that data to provide powerful insight.
If you've been granted access to this site - you can login (Google account required). If you're interested in getting access, you can email Tim.
The namesake of this place is two-fold. It aims to document and index all property and businesses residing in Bloomington-Normal. It's also in honor of James Allin (and where it all started).
A little more on James Allin...
James Allin was the founder of McLean County and came here because he recognized the inherent value of its centricity between Chicago and St. Louis. He had a talent for land speculating and with William Orendorff, W. H. Hodge, Rev. James Latta, promoted the formation of this new county.
Allin offered 22 1/2 acres of his own property in return for the county seat to be located at Blooming Grove. This seat would become Bloomington, renamed by Allin himself. As the plans for Bloomington were drawn out, Allin chose the highest point of the land that he donated as the town square. Allin and Isaac Baker worked to lay out the town, dividing the land into lots.
Allin advanced his own interests but he also continued to help new immigrants who arrived in Bloomington. Allin would sell lots to these newcomers for low prices. If the new settlers had little money, he would lower the price. If they had no money, he would give the lot to them with the wish that they work to improve the land.
AllinBN just so happens to have every one of those lots that James Allin helped draw up.
Much of this history has come from McHistory and other McLean County History books.