Lexington, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Lexington is a city in McLean County
, Illinois
, United States
. The population was 2,060 at the 2010 census. There are two theories of its name. One says it was named for the Battle of Lexington, where General Gridley's father fought. and the other that it was named for the home town of James Brown, the town's co-founder.
who would eventually become the richest man in McLean County
; Brown was born in Lexington, Kentucky
, and Lexington, Illinois, seems to have been his only attempt at founding a town. Its founding was part of a great real estate boom that swept across the nation. Within a few months of the founding of the town seven other new towns were laid out in McLean County: Concord (now Danvers
), Hudson
, Le Roy
, Livingston
, Lytleville, Mt. Hope and Wilksborough. In common with other towns founded during the 1836 boom, and unlike many later towns, Lexington was designed around a central public square with streets running true north-south and east-west. In the case of Lexington, the original town consisted of 36 blocks, each containing six lots. Like most of the towns of the 1836 era the town was built along the line that divided woodland from prairie; the southeast corner of the town was just within the limits of timber. Like most Mackinaw River
towns, Lexington was laid out on higher ground some distance from the river itself.
, via Bloomington
, to Chicago
and that their new town was a mile from the Mackinaw River
. They wrote that Lexington "is located on the margin of a fine rolling prairie, near a large and inexhaustible body of the best timber the country affords, sufficient to justify the immense settlement already being made." They told potential buyers that there were two saw mills and a fulling mill nearby. Moreover, they added, building had already begun. For those with good security, one twelve months credit was available.
, which was located a few miles downstream. No one was certain exactly what route the Springfield-to-Chicago road would take. Clarksville tried to attract the road by building a bridge across the Mackinaw, and the 1840 town of Pleasant Hill
, which had been established just upstream from Lexington, was doing its best to attract traffic. The county began to demand taxes on the large number of unsold lots in the town; by the early 1850s over 300 Lexington lots were offered for sale to satisfy unpaid taxes. The town square was used for grazing cattle. Yet some continued to believe in the new town. Jacob Spawr (1802–1902) had moved into Lexington a year after the store had departed. He built a house of a type known as a double log pen, a dog trot, or sometimes two-pens-and-a-passage: essentially it was nothing more than two log cabins facing each other with a common roof. This building served as dwelling, post office and tavern. Because Lexington was halfway between the county seats of Pontiac
and Bloomington, Spawr's house provided a convenient stopping place: Abraham Lincoln
and Stephen Douglas were frequent guests. In the 1850 United States Census Spawr's occupation is listed as "landlord". By 1854 it was estimated that there were only about a dozen families in Lexington.
, reached Lexington. Suddenly everything changed. A grain warehouse which had been built by Thomas Kincaid was hauled across the tracks, given a passenger platform, and put to use as a railroad station. Dawson and McCurdy built a grain elevator
. Three denominations erected churches. The town formed its own government; their first act was to buy up the stock of the two local whiskey sellers and pour the contents of the bottles into the mud of Main Street. The Mahan brothers built a downtown windmill. A new hotel was built. Lexington boomed. By 1865 the first brick block had been erected. On 21 November 1860 the train brought Abraham Lincoln
to Lexington, where he spoke a few words of goodbye to his old friends; on 2 May 1865, just before noon, another train passed through Lexington, this one holding Lincoln's body.
to Bloomington, but asked for five dollars to ship the same amount of lumber the shorter distance from Chicago to Lexington. In 1871 Benjamin brought suit against the railroad. The railroad responded that it was forced to charge less to ship lumber to Bloomington because there was more competition there than at Lexington. The case worked its way up to the United States Supreme Court where People v. The Chicago and Alton Railroad Company became part of the celebrated Granger Cases, named for the Granges of the Patrons of Husbandry, a group that had argued for rate regulation. These cases, at least for a time, established the right of governments to regulate corporations.
came to town. By the afternoon of 15 July 1902 a crowd of twenty thousand people had gathered near the Chicago and Alton tracks. A long grandstand had been erected and covered in red, white and blue. The Chief Executive
and hero of San Juan Hill
shook hands with the reception committee, but declined to leave the train. Roosevelt gave a brief but rousing talk from the observation platform at the back of the train. The crowd roared its approval. It was the only time a sitting president had visited the town.
to Chicago
. The success of the town had been assured because it had become a station on the road between Springfield and Chicago. In the twentieth century rail traffic slowly declined and was replaced by movement along roads. By the time of World War II
only two trains a day were stopping in Lexington, and all passenger traffic by rail ended in 1946. In 1915 a paved road, which almost exactly followed the route of the Chicago and Alton Railroad, reached Lexington. It was at first was known as Route 4. In November 1926 there was a general renumbering of highways, and Route 4 became Route 66
. For the next fifty years Lexington would be a popular stopping point on this famous American road. In 1955 Route 66 was locally widened to four lanes. It served the community until 1978 when Interstate 55
, a road which closely paralleled the old highway, was opened to traffic. However, near Lexington, much of the old highway may still be driven.
and the Lexington Community Unit School District 7
campus, including Lexington High School
, are located in Lexington.
Lexington is home of the Lexington Snipes. The Snipes are an Amateur Baseball team made up of the best local and regional collegiate talent. The Snipes won the Central Illinois Baseball League Championship in 2006 and the Eastern Illinois Baseball League Championship in 2008,2009 and 2010.
Lexington has a rich tradition of high school basketball beginning with the first documented game vs. colfax in 1900. Lexington was one of six teams in the first McLean County Tournament in 1911 and in over 100 years of competition holds the most championships with 13.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 1 square miles (2.6 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 3000 people, 760 households, and 550 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,820.3 people per square mile (703.1/km²). There were 803 housing units at an average density of 764.5 per square mile (295.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.95% White, 0.10% African American, 0.21% Native American, and 0.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.42% of the population.
There were 760 households out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.4% were married couples
living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.6% were non-families. 24.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.9% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 96.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $46,146, and the median income for a family was $54,336. Males had a median income of $40,031 versus $24,917 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $20,898. About 3.1% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.
Lexington was laid out on 4 January 1836 By Asahel Gridley and James Brown.
McLean County, Illinois
McLean County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois. McLean County is included in the Bloomington–Normal, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 169,572, which is an increase of 12.7% from 150,433 in 2000. Its county seat is...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 2,060 at the 2010 census. There are two theories of its name. One says it was named for the Battle of Lexington, where General Gridley's father fought. and the other that it was named for the home town of James Brown, the town's co-founder.
Origin and original town design
Lexington was laid out on 4 January 1836 by Asahel Gridley (1810–1881) and James Brown (c. 1802- ?). Gridley was a lawyer and banker from BloomingtonBloomington, Illinois
Bloomington is a city in McLean County, Illinois, United States and the county seat. It is adjacent to Normal, Illinois, and is the more populous of the two principal municipalities of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area...
who would eventually become the richest man in McLean County
McLean County, Illinois
McLean County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois. McLean County is included in the Bloomington–Normal, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 169,572, which is an increase of 12.7% from 150,433 in 2000. Its county seat is...
; Brown was born in Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
, and Lexington, Illinois, seems to have been his only attempt at founding a town. Its founding was part of a great real estate boom that swept across the nation. Within a few months of the founding of the town seven other new towns were laid out in McLean County: Concord (now Danvers
Danvers, Illinois
Danvers is a village in McLean County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,154 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Bloomington–Normal Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Danvers is located at ....
), Hudson
Hudson, Illinois
Hudson is a village in McLean County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,838 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Bloomington–Normal Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Hudson is located at ....
, Le Roy
Le Roy, Illinois
Le Roy is a city in McLean County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,560 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Le Roy is located at ....
, Livingston
Livingston, Illinois
Livingston is a village in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 825 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Livingston is located at ....
, Lytleville, Mt. Hope and Wilksborough. In common with other towns founded during the 1836 boom, and unlike many later towns, Lexington was designed around a central public square with streets running true north-south and east-west. In the case of Lexington, the original town consisted of 36 blocks, each containing six lots. Like most of the towns of the 1836 era the town was built along the line that divided woodland from prairie; the southeast corner of the town was just within the limits of timber. Like most Mackinaw River
Mackinaw River
The Mackinaw River, also called Mackinac River, is a river in the U.S. state of Illinois. It flows through what was once the Grande Prairie region of central Illinois...
towns, Lexington was laid out on higher ground some distance from the river itself.
First advertisement and sale of town lots
Gridley and Brown first offered lots in the town for sale at a public auction on 30 April 1836 at 10:00 in the morning. They began their printed advertisement for the sale by telling readers that the town was on the main road from SpringfieldSpringfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
, via Bloomington
Bloomington, Illinois
Bloomington is a city in McLean County, Illinois, United States and the county seat. It is adjacent to Normal, Illinois, and is the more populous of the two principal municipalities of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area...
, to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and that their new town was a mile from the Mackinaw River
Mackinaw River
The Mackinaw River, also called Mackinac River, is a river in the U.S. state of Illinois. It flows through what was once the Grande Prairie region of central Illinois...
. They wrote that Lexington "is located on the margin of a fine rolling prairie, near a large and inexhaustible body of the best timber the country affords, sufficient to justify the immense settlement already being made." They told potential buyers that there were two saw mills and a fulling mill nearby. Moreover, they added, building had already begun. For those with good security, one twelve months credit was available.
The pre-railroad era
Between 1837 and 1854 the survival of Lexington was in doubt. The great land rush that peaked in 1836 gave way to a severe lengthy national depression. True to their word, Gridley and Brown had begun some construction. Their first structure was used as a store, but in less than a year the business had failed and the building was hauled away to Bloomington. The first house was briefly occupied, but it was soon moved to the rival town of ClarksvilleClarksville, Illinois
Clarksville is an unincorporated settlement approximately ten kilometers northwest of the city of Marshall, Illinois in east central Illinois. The village lies in on the north edge of Clark County in Dolson Township.Clarksville was founded in 1851...
, which was located a few miles downstream. No one was certain exactly what route the Springfield-to-Chicago road would take. Clarksville tried to attract the road by building a bridge across the Mackinaw, and the 1840 town of Pleasant Hill
Pleasant Hill, Illinois
Pleasant Hill is a village in Pike County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,047 at the 2000 census.Pleasant Hill is the site of the annual Pike County Fair, as well as the location of the Bi-State Annual Demolition Derby, which was previously held at Six Flags St...
, which had been established just upstream from Lexington, was doing its best to attract traffic. The county began to demand taxes on the large number of unsold lots in the town; by the early 1850s over 300 Lexington lots were offered for sale to satisfy unpaid taxes. The town square was used for grazing cattle. Yet some continued to believe in the new town. Jacob Spawr (1802–1902) had moved into Lexington a year after the store had departed. He built a house of a type known as a double log pen, a dog trot, or sometimes two-pens-and-a-passage: essentially it was nothing more than two log cabins facing each other with a common roof. This building served as dwelling, post office and tavern. Because Lexington was halfway between the county seats of Pontiac
Pontiac, Illinois
Pontiac is a city in Livingston County, Illinois, United States. The population was 11,931 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Livingston County...
and Bloomington, Spawr's house provided a convenient stopping place: Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
and Stephen Douglas were frequent guests. In the 1850 United States Census Spawr's occupation is listed as "landlord". By 1854 it was estimated that there were only about a dozen families in Lexington.
The railroad comes to Lexington
On 4 July 1854 the railroad, which would soon be known as the Chicago and AltonAlton Railroad
The Alton Railroad was the final name of a railroad linking Chicago to Alton, Illinois, St. Louis, Missouri, and Kansas City, Missouri. Its predecessor, the Chicago and Alton Railroad , was purchased by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1931 and was controlled until 1942 when the Alton was...
, reached Lexington. Suddenly everything changed. A grain warehouse which had been built by Thomas Kincaid was hauled across the tracks, given a passenger platform, and put to use as a railroad station. Dawson and McCurdy built a grain elevator
Grain elevator
A grain elevator is a tower containing a bucket elevator, which scoops up, elevates, and then uses gravity to deposit grain in a silo or other storage facility...
. Three denominations erected churches. The town formed its own government; their first act was to buy up the stock of the two local whiskey sellers and pour the contents of the bottles into the mud of Main Street. The Mahan brothers built a downtown windmill. A new hotel was built. Lexington boomed. By 1865 the first brick block had been erected. On 21 November 1860 the train brought Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
to Lexington, where he spoke a few words of goodbye to his old friends; on 2 May 1865, just before noon, another train passed through Lexington, this one holding Lincoln's body.
People v. Chicago and Alton Railroad Company
The town of Lexington soon became the focus of a case that would change American legal history. Soon after railroads began servicing the Midwest it became evident that, if a railroad could unilaterally set its own freight rates, it could soon drain most of the wealth from nearby farmers. The result, in Illinois, was a new state constitution that in 1870 gave the government a role in setting railroad and warehouse rates; the wording and legal arguments behind this part of the new constitution was the work of Bloomington lawyer Ruben M. Benjamin (1833–1917). A test case was needed, and Benjamin settled on Lexington. The Chicago and Alton Railroad only charged four dollars and thirty five cents to ship 1000 board feet (2.4 m³) of lumber from ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
to Bloomington, but asked for five dollars to ship the same amount of lumber the shorter distance from Chicago to Lexington. In 1871 Benjamin brought suit against the railroad. The railroad responded that it was forced to charge less to ship lumber to Bloomington because there was more competition there than at Lexington. The case worked its way up to the United States Supreme Court where People v. The Chicago and Alton Railroad Company became part of the celebrated Granger Cases, named for the Granges of the Patrons of Husbandry, a group that had argued for rate regulation. These cases, at least for a time, established the right of governments to regulate corporations.
President Roosevelt comes to Lexington
Of all the events in the history of Lexington, perhaps the best remembered was the day President Theodore RooseveltTheodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
came to town. By the afternoon of 15 July 1902 a crowd of twenty thousand people had gathered near the Chicago and Alton tracks. A long grandstand had been erected and covered in red, white and blue. The Chief Executive
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
and hero of San Juan Hill
Battle of San Juan Hill
The Battle of San Juan Hill , also known as the battle for the San Juan Heights, was a decisive battle of the Spanish-American War. The San Juan heights was a north-south running elevation about two kilometers east of Santiago de Cuba. The names San Juan Hill and Kettle Hill were names given by the...
shook hands with the reception committee, but declined to leave the train. Roosevelt gave a brief but rousing talk from the observation platform at the back of the train. The crowd roared its approval. It was the only time a sitting president had visited the town.
Lexington and Route 66
Transportation was always been the key to the success of Lexington. It began as a resting place of the Chicago Trail, and the very first mention of its name in the press in 1836 included mention of the town's location on the road from SpringfieldSpringfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. The success of the town had been assured because it had become a station on the road between Springfield and Chicago. In the twentieth century rail traffic slowly declined and was replaced by movement along roads. By the time of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
only two trains a day were stopping in Lexington, and all passenger traffic by rail ended in 1946. In 1915 a paved road, which almost exactly followed the route of the Chicago and Alton Railroad, reached Lexington. It was at first was known as Route 4. In November 1926 there was a general renumbering of highways, and Route 4 became Route 66
U.S. Route 66
U.S. Route 66 was a highway within the U.S. Highway System. One of the original U.S. highways, Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926 -- with road signs erected the following year...
. For the next fifty years Lexington would be a popular stopping point on this famous American road. In 1955 Route 66 was locally widened to four lanes. It served the community until 1978 when Interstate 55
Interstate 55
Interstate 55 is an Interstate Highway in the central United States. Its odd number indicates that it is a north–south Interstate Highway. I-55 goes from LaPlace, Louisiana at Interstate 10 to Chicago at U.S. Route 41 , at McCormick Place. A common nickname for the highway is "double...
, a road which closely paralleled the old highway, was opened to traffic. However, near Lexington, much of the old highway may still be driven.
Schools and sports
John Patton Log CabinJohn Patton Log Cabin
The John Patton Log Cabin is a log home located in the McLean County, Illinois city of Lexington. The home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places; it was added to that list in 1986. The home is administered by the Lexington Park District as a park...
and the Lexington Community Unit School District 7
Lexington Community Unit School District 7
Lexington Community Unit School District 7 is a unified school district inLexington, Illinois, USA. All three of its school levels are one campus.-Junior high:...
campus, including Lexington High School
Lexington High School (Illinois)
Lexington High School is the high school of Lexington Community Unit School District 7 in Lexington, Illinois. The high school usually enrolls 40 to 50 students in each of the 4 grade levels.-Academics:...
, are located in Lexington.
Lexington is home of the Lexington Snipes. The Snipes are an Amateur Baseball team made up of the best local and regional collegiate talent. The Snipes won the Central Illinois Baseball League Championship in 2006 and the Eastern Illinois Baseball League Championship in 2008,2009 and 2010.
Lexington has a rich tradition of high school basketball beginning with the first documented game vs. colfax in 1900. Lexington was one of six teams in the first McLean County Tournament in 1911 and in over 100 years of competition holds the most championships with 13.
Geography
Lexington is located at 40°38′33"N 88°47′7"W (40.642520, -88.785410).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 1 square miles (2.6 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 3000 people, 760 households, and 550 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,820.3 people per square mile (703.1/km²). There were 803 housing units at an average density of 764.5 per square mile (295.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.95% White, 0.10% African American, 0.21% Native American, and 0.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.42% of the population.
There were 760 households out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.4% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.6% were non-families. 24.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.9% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 96.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $46,146, and the median income for a family was $54,336. Males had a median income of $40,031 versus $24,917 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $20,898. About 3.1% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.
Lexington was laid out on 4 January 1836 By Asahel Gridley and James Brown.
Notable people
- Alice AmbroseAlice AmbroseAlice Ambrose Lazerowitz was an American philosopher, logician, and author.Alice Ambrose was born in Lexington, Illinois and studied philosophy and mathematics at Millikin University. After completing her PhD at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1932, she went to Cambridge University to study...
, (1906–2001) philosopher: philosophy department chair at Smith CollegeSmith CollegeSmith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
1964–1972. - Ed KinsellaEd KinsellaEdward William "Rube" Kinsella was a pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Browns. He stood at 6' 1" and weighed 175 lbs.-Career:...
, (1880–1976) pitcher in Major League Baseball - William R. RoyWilliam R. RoyWilliam Robert Roy , also known as Bill Roy, is a former United States Representative from Kansas, a retired phyisician, and a columnist for The Topeka Capital-Journal.-Biography:...
, (born 1926) United States Representative from Kansas 1971–1975. - Joseph L. "Dad" SettlesTau Kappa EpsilonTau Kappa Epsilon is a college fraternity founded on January 10, 1899 at Illinois Wesleyan University with chapters in the United States, and Canada, and affiliation with a German fraternity system known as the Corps of the Weinheimer Senioren Convent...
, (1871–1943) one of the founding fathers of Tau Kappa EpsilonTau Kappa EpsilonTau Kappa Epsilon is a college fraternity founded on January 10, 1899 at Illinois Wesleyan University with chapters in the United States, and Canada, and affiliation with a German fraternity system known as the Corps of the Weinheimer Senioren Convent...
. - John A. SterlingJohn A. SterlingJohn Allen Sterling was a U.S. Representative from Illinois, and brother of Thomas Sterling.-Biography:...
, (1857–1918) not raised in Lexington, but Lexington school superintendent 1881–1883; United States Representative from Illinois 1903–1913 and 1915–1918. - Alex TanneyAlex TanneyAlex Tanney is an American football quarterback from . He is the starting quarterback for the Monmouth College Fighting Scots. Tanney missed the entire 2010-11 season after tearing his A-C joint in his right shoulder in the Midwest Conference season opener, home debut against Grinnell College, and...