As early as 1860 the men of Bloomington were worried about keeping fit, or as they put it, achieving a "robust constitution" and "blooming health." An editorial in the Pantagraph on February 10, 1860 suggested that a gymnasium would be a real benefit to the "many puny, cadaverous, lily-livered individuals who occasionally glide through our streets as mere ghosts and shadows." Working out in a gymnasium was even recommended as a cure for tuberculosis and dyspepsia. The editorialist used the Greeks as a model for a gymnasium because the Greeks had "attained the hardihood which enabled them to abide the rigors of a long and arduous campaign, and by their unwearying, persevering efforts, [brought] their enemies to terms of reconciliation." Whether the writer was anticipating the great conflict between the North and the South is unknown, but he certainly had a martial attitude when advocating for a gymnasium.
The editor referenced the Germans in Pontiac, who already had a gymnasium in 1860, and I think we can safely assume it was a Turnverein, similar to the one that would be established in Bloomington a few years later.
The Pantagraph editor's only objection to a gymnasium was the fact that gymnasiums were also a place of social drinking: "The devil has no right to monopolize all the popular harmless amusements." This temperance man argued that, stripped of alcohol, the gymnasium could be a great success in Bloomington and guarantee a healthful life full of vigorous exercise.
A few months later the first public gymnasium -- for there were a couple private gymnasiums in the city already -- was organized on May 30, 1860 by G A Smith, E M Prince, J U Wonderly and Dwight Harwood. This appears to have been a short lived venture, for no notices of it appear after December, 1860.
In 1865 the people began agitating for a gymnasium again, once the horror of the War Between the States was over. The Turner's were in Bloomington and operating their own Turnverein, but no location for it can be ascertained. Confirmation of the existence of the Turners comes from an account of a Turnverein competition in Springfield at which the Bloomington Turners had appeared in July, 1865. In 1866 the Bloomington Turners hosted their own competition at Stein's Grove, but the activities for the most part were rained out. The first notice of an actual "Turner Hall" is in January of 1868, when the Pantagraph visited the new Turner Hall, but sadly neglected to give an address. Only the dance floor was described by the Pantagraph and no mention of a gymnasium was made. By 1869, however, the Turners offered a gymnasium class for "Americans Only."
Mr. N B Crysler had a gymnasium at the Phoenix Hall in 1865. This gymnasium offered "physical and vocal culture," which was a common trend at the time. Lessons were available to men, women or children. Gymnastic exercises were performed to music, (remember aerobics in the 1980s) which means the gymnasium also employed at least one musician. Elocution instruction was also given at Crysler's gymnasium. Professor Crysler, as he was called, was in Bloomington just one year.
In 1873 there is the first mention of a trapeze performance by the Turners in the Pantagraph. The Peoria Turners and two of the local Turners put on a performance at Schroeder's Opera House, where Leo Shlook and John Baker of Peoria executed a trapeze performance that was "a display of fearlessness and intrepidity." Months later the Bloomington Turners put on another performance, but at the Turner Hall on Madison Street. "They have been in constant training for a long time, and are now able to perform all the feats equal to professional gymnasts and acrobats."
In August of 1875 the American men of Bloomington were planning their own gymnasium, where they all hoped to develop their muscles. The gymnasium would eventually open October 3, 1875, on Washington Street, over the Leader offices. The gymnasium was fitted out with a walking track (which was used for walking competitions and exhibitions), rowing machines, ladders, rings, vaulting horses, horizontal bars, a double trapeze and parallel bars. (Much like the one pictured above) Full membership ($1/month) was offered to men only, and boys under the age of 15 were admitted two nights a week ($.50/month). A gallery was available for audiences.
By December 4th the first gymnastic performance was given and none other than Fred Green and Carrol Fell (Charles Pearl) were among the performers, working the horizontal bar and doing front and back somersaults, handsprings and "a variety of other tricks, including most of the ones done at the female minstrels the other evening." Other boys vaulted over the "horse" and several pyramids were built. "Little Willie McKee" walked a ten minute, two second mile and had a step span
of just 24 inches, he was so small. Although the men organizing the gym planned to have a trainer, no mention was ever made of a professional trainer being hired. (The Turner's sometimes had a professional trainer in those early days, and the training school for Turner's was in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.)
By March 1876 Bucher and Fell (aka Welby and Pearl when they ran away to join the vaudeville theater) were working together and had received "two handsome suits" from New York for their act. An exhibition that included a "double trapeze" act was scheduled for March 16, 1876, but apparently was delayed until March 20th. The double trapeze act was performed, but the names of the performers were omitted from the report. Were the trapeze men on March 20 the performers Fred and Howard Green, who would be professional circus performers the next year? Fred was 17 years old in 1876 and old enough to work out at the gym as often as he liked. Younger brother Howard Green was 12 years old in 1876 and would have had less access to the gym.
Sadly, this gymnasium broke up and the apparatus was moved to Illinois State Normal University in March of 1877, forcing poor Harry Green to practice on hoe handles in his father's barn.