Bloomington, Indiana

Bloomington is a city located in Monroe County, Indiana. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 69,291. The city is the county seat of Monroe County6.

Bloomington is the location of the main campus of the Indiana University system attended by about 40,000 students. It is also the seat of the Kinsey Institute. Bloomington is noted for having one of the most beautiful university campuses in the US. Most of the campus buildings are built of Indiana limestone.

The city was the site of the Academy Award-winning movie Breaking Away, featuring the annual IU bicycle race Little 500.

Ellettsville, Indiana

Situated only 7 miles from Bloomington, the seat for Monroe County, Ellettsville is an incorporated town with a population of 5078 residents. It is close to Indiana University, Ivy Tech State College, and Lake Monroe, the largest lake in Indiana. What Ellettsville is best known for is its home town atmosphere, where friends are always friends and neighbors always are willing to help neighbors. It is home to the Monroe County Fall Festival, a homecoming of sorts for anyone who has had the privilege of calling Ellettsville home (on hold until 2006 due to the SR 46 project.)

 

The town was founded in 1837 and later incorporated in 1866. It gets its name from the first merchant to get established, Edward Ellett.   Ellettsville's proud heritage is rooted in the limestone industry.  "Millions of tons of building stone have been shipped by trains and trucks throughout the United States to build magnificent memorials, cathedrals, government buildings, libraries, public schools, colleges and universities, and countless churches and synagogues.  Included in these shipments have been priceless carvings that have told the rich history of our states and national capitol.  Craftsmen from our limestone mills have traveled throughout the nation to do on-site work on these structures in building American history" (by Maurice Endwright), hence the town's motto, "Builders of American History."

      Today, Bybee Stone Company still produces great designs and limestone works at its mill in Ellettsville.  The stone for the rebuilding of the Pentagon was provided by Bybee Stone after the September 11, 2001 attacks.  A special limestone panel was signed by the workers in Ellettsville with the inscription: "Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America." - Pres. George W. Bush, Sept. 11, 2001.   Our town was proud to continue the tradition of Building American History.