History of Mahomet, IL

The Founding of Mahomet and its Early Days

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The earliest settlers in the area were the Kickapoo Indians, and the area was chosen

because of its access to water, wood and fuel. During the construction of the covered

bridge in Lake of the Woods, a large amount of Indian arrowheads were found that point

to the first settlers of the area from the Kickapoo and Potawatomi tribes. Sangamon

(sain-guee-mon) comes from the Potawatomi language and translates as “where there

is plenty to eat.”

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“Mahomet” was originally named “Middletown” as a result of the location, mid-way

between Bloomington and Danville. The original plot of Middletown was first surveyed in

1832 and officially entered in 1836, covering 38 lots, stretching from the Sangamon

River west to the present site of the Masonic Lodge on Main. The name was changed to

Mahomet in 1845 when a member of the board of directors initiated the name change,

as there was already a town called Middletown near Springfield. Another suggested

contender for a name was Bloomfield.

 

Business Started Booming

The first business was Carson‘s Drugstore, which opened in 1869 on the east side of

the Sangamon and then moved to Main Street and operated from 1891 to 1965. The

oldest continuous business in Mahomet is Williamson‘s Plumbing and Heating, started

in 1914.

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The first post office was located on the east side of the Sangamon River in the old

Lynch House, (about 1/8 of a mile east on the north spur) of McDougal Road. Early mail

carriers made their trips by horseback, had carts or buggies, and even delivered on a

motorcycle.

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It wasn’t until September of 1920 that newly installed electric bulbs lit up the business

area of Main Street, as electricity made its public debut. The electrical system was shut

down at 10:30 PM each evening.

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A small private bank operated from 1921–1929, but then there wasn’t a bank in town

until the Community Bank of Mahomet was opened in 1961. In 1986 John W. Busey

became president of the bank.

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The vision of a public library became a reality in April 1966 when residents voted and

the referendum passed.  By 1977 the library had outgrown it small storefront building on

Main Street, and the board purchased and remodeled an existing 4,000 square-foot

building and moved in 1981. The newest Mahomet Public Library, as it stands in 2025,

was then built on Route 150 (or East Oak Street) and opened in 2010. The local

Mahomet Town and Country Women’s Club (with its origins dating back to 1895) was

instrumental in the foundation of the library.

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Our Schools

Education was important from Mahomet’s onset, and early residents worked diligently to

try to create a building where the students could thrive.

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The initial building was a 14 x 16 log structure built in 1836, but its exact location is

somewhat debated. Site #2 was another log structure along Franklin Street, followed by

a wood frame house along Main Street, with that school beginning operation in 1847.

The fourth school building was a two-story wooden structure where Sangamon on Main

is currently located (in 2025 and formerly Sangamon Elementary from 1985-2018), also

constructed of wood. A brick structure was erected in 1865 and used for grades 3–11

until 1902. However, the 37-year-old brick schoolhouse became unstable and almost

collapsed, necessitating another rebuild.

 

The residents voted for a new building in 1903 and passed the bond by a margin of 114

to 11. The new construction began in the summer of 1904 and featured indoor toilets, a

fire escape, hot water heat and 213 newly purchased school desks. (During the

construction phase, school classes were held in various locations, including Abbott Hall,

Odd Fellows Hall and area homes.)

 

The morning of the first graduating class’s commencement ceremony, about 10am on

May 10, 1906, the new building caught fire and burned. “So…our village had to start the

process of bidding and building a new schoolhouse once again,” detailed Pasley in

Diggin’ Up Bones. The new building wasn’t ready for occupancy until the spring of 1907.

The only remaining remnant of that schoolhouse is the bell, that stood for 114 years,

and was ultimately moved in 2018 and is now displayed at MPE (which was opened in

2014.)

 

Festivals

Rich in festival history, it seems Mahomet residents have always found a way to

commune amongst friends.

During the early 1900s, one of the community gatherings was the corn carnival (or corn

festival) that featured music, competitions, talent shows, baseball games, foot races and

agricultural displays on Main Street and drew an impressive 2–3,000 attendees. In 1925

the corn festival was replaced by the fall festival. Popularity eventually waned for the fall

festival, and music festivals came into favor.

 

Free band concerts and movies were also once held every Friday evening in what is

now Brooks-Warfel Park (the water tower park).

 

The history of Mahomet is rich, varied, fascinating, and rooted in residents’ grit and

determination. Additional details, including noteworthy, original settlers, can be found

within the carefully crafted works by both local authors, Isabelle Purnell, in An Unofficial

History of Mahomet, Illinois, as well as Gregory James Pasley’s several volumes of

Diggin’ Up Bones. Both authors’ works are available to check out at Mahomet Public

Library.