Art Work of Bloomington, Illinois was published in 1904 and the only copies remaining are sad remnants of their elegant past. Once cherished coffee table books are now crumbling in basements but carefully preserved in our museum and digitized by Brewster Kahle (my hero). Proud home and business owners paid to have photos in this book that would enhance the reputation of Bloomington and convince people that Bloomington was the place to live and establish a business. Now we have websites to promote our city, host festivals, give out TIF grants and promote the most interesting aspects of our history.
One home featured in Art Work of Bloomington, Illinois was the Mary L. Probasco home. In 1904 she was the widow of William B. Probasco, who had been an important grain merchant in Bloomington since 1871.She was born in Kentucky and must have lived a very quiet life. Her obituary in 1929 did not even indicate that she was a member of any church or lady's organization when she died while wintering in St. Petersburg, Florida. William Probasco was born in Pennsylvania, and was trained as a carriage maker. He followed this business in the South until 1863, when he moved to Bloomington and worked in the shops of carriage maker Louis Matern. By dint of saving his money, he was able to purchase the Burch Hotel in 1866 and ran that business until 1871, when he went into the grain business. He married Mary in 1867 and their first child, Charlotte was born in the hotel. William died in Mobile, Alabama in March of 1901, where he was visiting with his wife while on a Mardi Gras trip to New Orleans.
They had three children, all of whom lived at home in 1900. Their daughter Charlotte, or Lottie, was 30 years old and remained single. Son William J. Probasco, age 27, married Miss Charlotte Hope Leonard in 1905. Their daughter Mary was attending school in 1900 and was just 20 years old. She married and moved to Chicago with her husband, Mr. Van Ness.
Reports in 1875 were of the many grain and hay purchases made by William Probasco and the shipments of those grains to Chicago. He had a healthy business in Towanda and in 1885 another grain operator attempted to enter business in Towanda. Mr. Probasco was determined to retain his relationships in Towanda and out bid Mr. Druly for much of the grain, bidding in a very aggressive manner and exceeding the market price by several cents per bushel. William's son, sometimes called John William, instead of William John, was also a grain merchant, but was trained as a lawyer at the Wesleyan Law School. He expanded the family business to include the large grain elevator on Lumber Street as well as elevators in nine other communities.
Charlotte Probasco enjoyed travel and made many leisurely trips to Italy and Great Britain. She related her travels in Normandy in 1909 to the ladies of the Woman's Club. She had travelled throughout Normandy by automobile for several weeks and reported that the roads there were "perfect." She was educated at Illinois Wesleyan and at the Boston School of Oratory. She taught school for just one year in Ottawa, Iowa in 1893 and then returned to live with the family. She lived in the family home at 909 N. Main Street until her death in January 1958.
The Probascoes have a large burial lot in Evergreen Cemetery with a stately monument.
