Bloomington, the Seat of Justice of Monroe County, is beautifully situated on the ridge from which the waters run into the East and West Forks of the White River, twenty-four miles from the former and fourteen from the latter, at the head of Clear Creek, which runs south and near the waters of Bean Blossom which runs north. The situation is commanding, healthy; and a fertile, undulating country around presents ever changing and most delightful scenery. Bloomington has 350 houses, of which about half are brick, and a population of 1,643. There are in the town thirteen stores, one grocery, two drug stores, three excellent taverns, nine lawyers, ten physicians, and the Methodists, Baptists, Christians, Presbyterians, REformed Presbyterians, Seceders, Covenanters and Lutherans have each their house of worship and preacher.

The location of the State University at Bloomington and the continued prosperity of that Institution, has contributed very much to the growth and prosperity of the town and the improvement of the country; and opening of new avenues to the place will add still more to its importance. The students in the College are sometimes near 200, and there is also a well conducted Female Academy in town, at which there are usually between seventy and eighty scholars in attendance. Contrary to all previous expectations, it has been ascertained that though a hilly country, a very cheap railroad which was first attempted only from New Albany to Salem, is now being extended to Bedford, and will, at no distant day, reach Bloomington from the south. There are three printing offices in the town, one of which publishes the "Herald," another the "Christian REcord," the other principally job work. The large foundry of Seward & Sons, and the spinning, weaving and fulling establishment of Heaps & Jones, do quite an extensive business. Bloomington is fifty-one miles form Indianapolis, twenty-one from Martinsville, twenty-four from Bedford, forty from Columbus, sixty from Terre Haute and eighty from Louisville. It was first settled in 1819. Among the earliest settlers were Daniel and Jonathan Rogers, George H. Johnston and Joshua Lucas.