In-Home Drug Testing Arrowsmith, IL

Local Area Info: Arrowsmith, Illinois

Arrowsmith was laid out on 7 December 1871 by Charles W. Holder ( 1808–1887) and Owen T. Reeves. (1829- ?) The founders kept their identities hidden for two years until the plat was officially recorded. Both proprietors lived in Bloomington, were experienced land dealers, .and were involved in the creation of the Lafayette Bloomington and Mississippi Railroad. Holder had been Jesse Fell’s partner in the founding of Towanda, Illinois, one of his partners in the development of Normal, Illinois, and the town of Holder, Illinois would soon be named in his honor. Reeves was a Bloomington lawyer and judge who had been colonel of the short-lived 70th Illinois Infantry during the Civil War. Arrowsmith Township had voted $30,000 in bonds to support the construction of the railroad on the condition that a station be established in their township. It was at first thought that the name of the town would be Weldon, but it was soon learned that this name had been taken by a newly founded town in DeWitt County. Arrowsmith takes its name from the township in which it was located, which had been named for early settler Ezekiel Arrowsmith. Several of the first buildings in Arrowsmith were moved to the new own from Senex, located about three miles to the southwest near the edge of Old Town Timber. Taking advantage of cold weather John Thompson had used thirty-two horses to skid his store from Senex to Arrowsmith in just over two hours. The Senex blacksmith shop and the post office were moved in the same year. However, most of the buildings in the new town were newly constructed and many of the early merchants were from places other than Senex.

The design of the Original Town was centered on a wide railroad ground with eight blocks north of the tracks and eight blocks south of the tracks. Most of the early businesses were along Main Street north of the tracks. Both grain elevators and the early stockyards were north of the tracks, but the depot was on the south side. In 1876 the Lafayette Bloomington and Mississippi Railroad was leased to the Lake Erie and Western Railroad which purchased the line in 1879.and the railroad is usually remembered under this name. Arrowsmith was incorporated as a village in April 1890. The growth of Arrowsmith was slow; in 1900 it had only 317 people.

As of the census of 2000, there were 298 people, 108 households, and 87 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,464.4 inhabitants per square mile (575.3/km²). There were 117 housing units at an average density of 575.0 per square mile (225.9/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.99% White, 0.34% Native American, and 0.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.67% of the population.