Bloomington History
Information comes from Treasured Tidbits of Time Volume I by Jens Patrick Wilde and is a condensed version
To Charles C Rich, the area around Bloomington appeared to be some of the most fruitful land in the entire Bear Lake Valley. It was settled in 1864, name three years later and incorporated in 1910. The first two families reached the area after coming from Utah via the route through Gentile Valley and Soda Springs. They were a widow, Merinda Campbell and her two sons, David and Warren, and Mr. and Mrs. John Dunn and their three daughters and a nephew. The date of arrival was April 18, 1864.
Immediately they began construction of their homes. John Dunn's cabin was the first completed. It was a crude structure built of quaken aspen, rushes and willows with a sod roof and a dirt floor which his wife kept covered with rushes from the nearby swampy area. By the end of the summer over 40 cabins had been built in the area and at least that many families remained during the winter of 1864-65. Bloomington had been laid out by Charles C Rich himself and his son Joseph C Rich. It was platted in 10 acre lots and the original streets were eight rods wide and so remain today.
First presiding elder was David B Dille. Besides the Campbell's and the Dunn's those recorded as having drawn for land were James Wilburn Wilker, Peter Greenhalgh, Isaac Dunford, John J McCaray, William Hulme, David B Dille, Nathanial Haws, Soren Nelson, Christina Nelson, Arnold Goodliffe, James C Thoms, Samuel Payne, Jonathan Huckvale, David Evans, Lotwick Reese, David Roberts, James H Hart, George Osmond, Edward M Patterson and the Roger brothers.
During the first year of settlement it was questionable if the community would last. Grasshoppers, ground squirrels and frosts destroyed everything. Many of the men were forced to leave the area to work in Utah and many of the original families left after the third year. It was during the fourth harvest which was a bountiful one that Charles Rich suggested the name of Bloomington.
Bloomington had the first school in the valley that was specifically built for that purpose-education. George Osmond is credited with designing it. School started during the first winter of 1864-65 and was taught by George Osmond and James H Hart. Hart was later given the responsibility of overseeing all LDS Church schools in the valley. The Bloomington Ward was organized in 1877 with William Hulme as the bishop. Bloomington had the first official post office in the Idaho portion of Bear Lake Valley. First postmaster was also William Hulme. Much of the mail for the entire valley came from Franklin to Bloomington and was then dispensed to other areas. Edward M Patterson was one of the first carriers from Bloomington and was know to have made thirteen trips during the winter of 1866-67.
Bloomington was incorporated as a city on Tuesday, April 12, 1910 and E J Haddock, O C Dunford, Alfred Hart, Samuel Payne and D A Krogue were the first board.