Dr. William Hobbs lived and died a single man. He was from Maryland and possibly trained as a dentist. He taught as school which many men in Bloomington remembered attending. He was described as the “most elegant person . . . who ever lived in this country,” and “the laws of etiquette in his little empire were fixed by him.” He was known as a somewhat peculiar man obsessed with manners, dress and social events. “A wedding was hardly considered valid unless he planned the details and then gave his presence to the occasion.” In 1840 Hobbs, Dr. Henry, Fell and Allin and a few others bought $1000 worth of books in Philadelphia for a public library. Hobbs managed the library but did not keep good control of the books, and the management collapsed. When a second library was organized in 1856 he was on the committee to draw up the constitution and by laws.

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               To read a full biography of Dr. Hobbs, follow the link below to the McLean County Museum of History Website.