Lytleville, Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lytleville, Illinois
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 Lytleville, Illinois
Location in Illinois
Lytleville, Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | McLean |
| Township | Randolph |
| Elevation | 755 ft (230 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Postal code |
61745
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| Area code(s) | 309 |
Lytleville is a small, unnamed community in McLean County, Illinois, United States. It's located south of Bloomington-Normal. You can find it about 3½ miles northeast of Heyworth.
The town was started by John Baldwin in 1836. He built it around his sawmill. Baldwin named Lytleville after his friend, Robert T. Lytle. Robert T. Lytle was a politician from Ohio. He served as a U.S. Congressman from 1833 to 1835.
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A Look Back: Lytleville's History
At one point, Lytleville was a busy village. It had about 100 people living there. It was home to what might have been the first water-powered sawmill and grist mill in McLean County. A grist mill grinds grain into flour. James Hedrick built these mills in 1833. John Baldwin bought them three years later.
Early Life and Mills
John Baldwin was a very energetic person. He became a preacher and worked hard to spread his beliefs. People told stories about his strong faith. His brother, James Baldwin, was the first doctor in the community. He lived on a farm near the mill.
John Baldwin had a business partner for the mill. This partner kept the mill running on Sundays. Back then, the mill's saw was quite slow. This made it seem like there was always a reason to keep working. John Baldwin would visit the mill on Sundays. He would try to convince his partner to stop. Even while they talked, John would sometimes help with the mill work. Eventually, their partnership ended.
A Growing Trading Center
Lytleville became a busy place for trading. People could buy dry goods, groceries, and other items. It was so important that it competed with other towns. These towns included Waynesville and Bloomington. They all wanted to be the main center in that part of the county.
Lytleville even had its own post office. Stores and businesses grew quickly. Some stories say Lytleville almost became the county seat of McLean County. A county seat is the main town where the county government is located. It was said to have lost by only one vote.
There was some debate about this. Some thought it was considered for the Illinois state capital. Others believed it was only for the county seat. The state capital had moved twice before Lytleville was founded. So, it's unlikely Lytleville was considered for the state capital. This was especially true since the village was just starting in 1836.
Schools and Churches in Lytleville
The first school in Lytleville was called Lytleville School No. 18. It was a log cabin built in the 1830s. It had simple benches and seats made from wooden slabs. Later, in the 1840s, a new school was built. It was a frame house located across the road.
A Methodist church was built in 1874. It was at the south end of State Street. In 1886, the church building was sold to the school district. It became a schoolhouse after some changes in 1921. Sadly, this school building burned down on January 15, 1931.
A new schoolhouse was built in the summer of 1931. It cost about $2,800. Even though fewer students attended, it was still used for public meetings. In 1948, Lytleville school joined the Heyworth Community Unit School District. The school building was then sold. Today, it is a private home.
The Railroad's Impact and Lytleville's Decline
Around 1854, the Illinois Central Railroad began building its main line. This railroad was going through McLean County. There was a big competition to decide where the railroad would go. Campbell Wakefield, who started the town of Heyworth, offered land to the railroad company. He wanted them to build through his property.
The railroad company decided to build through Heyworth. This placed the train line about three miles west of Lytleville. After this, Lytleville quickly became less important. Many people moved to the new town of Heyworth.
Today, there isn't much left of the original village of Lytleville. You can find a few scattered homes. However, none of these homes are from the original village. The school building that was rebuilt in the 1930s is now a private house.
