William Buck Mann Memorial Fountain - Bloomington Twp.

In 1928, William "Buck" Mann was an alderman in the seventh ward of Bloomington. A prominent businessman and citizen, one of Mann's priorities as alderman was a children's playground. Local citizens began work while Mann raised funds. Unfortunately, Mann abruptly died on July 4, 1929. After his death, the community named the park and built a fountain in his honor.

Biography of William "Buck" Mann's Early Life

Mann was born in Bloomington on July 22, 1878 and was raised on the west side. (For a detailed description of Mann's family background, see the end of this post). William's parents both immigrated from England. William's father was an engineer. William's mother grew up on a farm and was a homemaker.

In March 1898, William married Edna May Johnson. At the time, they were living at 111 S. Weldon in Bloomington. Edna's parents had immigrated from Sweden. Edna and William had at least two daughters, Florence R. Mann Bethea (1899 or 1903-1944) and Anna May, whose married name may have been Baughman. 

Mann worked for the railroad, was a coal miner, and later ran a small grocery with Edna at 1410 West Oakland Avenue, less than a block south of the park. The Manns lived next door at 1408 West Oakland. The grocery store building no longer stands. A house still sits next door at 1408 West Oakland, but I am not sure if it was the William and Edna's original house or a newer house.

Edna and William were prominent members of their community. A grocery owner at the time likely would have extended credit and been generous to neighbors in need.

The Park

The original parkland was overgrown and had become a dumping ground. In the days before more advanced municipal trash collection and sanitation, it was not unusual for neighborhoods to have a dumping ground. Fell Park in Normal, for example, was used as a dump and for cattle grazing before being converted to a park.

An association was founded and Mann began raising private funds. Community members started construction in 1928. On July 30, 1928, friends recalled William being the first to trudge out on the old dump and pick up trash.

William died in July 1929, shortly before the park was completed. Later that month, members of the park association held a memorial for Mann at the park. It was decided at that meeting to name the park after Mann and to gather stones for a memorial fountain. The fountain was built over the 1929-1930 winter and dedicated in May 1930.




The park was the site of competitive adult intercity baseball games in the 1930's and 1940's. Buck Mann even had its own team, the Buck-Mann All Stars. The park was also a central location for vaudeville shows, races, picnics, and other gatherings. In those days, politicians competed over which area offered the best services and amenities to the people they served. If an area had the best school, park, college, or other service, it was something to brag about. A 1949 Pantagraph article, for example, highlights neighborhood parks competing to show free movies to citizens in their ward.

Eventually, the park was donated to the city by neighborhood citizens. I believe this occurred sometime in the late 1930's.

Today, the park probably has little resemblance to how it must have looked in its heyday. The playground equipment is new. The baseball field is gone, but there is a new backstop fence. The fountain is probably the only remnant from that time period. As of 2017, the top of the fountain has been cemented over and spigot removed.

After the Opening of the Park

William Mann suffered a series of debilitating injuries over his career. He was injured in coal mine accident in November 1894 and, and the time, "not getting along at all well and is worse rather than better." He also incurred a serious injury during a fall while working for the railroad in Lawndale. Considering that Mann's parents and grandparents all lived to their late 80's, these injuries might have contributed to his unnaturally early death at the age of 51. Mann is buried in Park Hill Cemetery.

In 1926, Edna had a close call of her own. While on a car ride with her daughter Florence and son-in-law, their car became stuck on the interrurban rail tracks at the Dry Grove crossing. They barely escaped before the rail car hit the automobile.

Edna married Robert F. Norbeck in June 1936. She died in 1949 and is buried next to Robert. Edna and William's daughter, Florence, died in 1944 and is buried right next to Edna and Robert. Florence's husband, James, remarried in 1962 and died in 1980. I do not know what happened to their other daughter, Anna May.

Wm. Buck Mann
Pantagraph, 7/30/1929, p. 3

Monument Location

• Township & Section: Bloomington, Sec. 5
• GIS (click on numbers to view on Google Maps): 40.474218, -89.015214

Appendix: Details About William Mann's Family

Conflicting Birth Dates of Edna and Florence

There is conflicting information about the birthdate of Edna May Johnson Mann Norbeck, William's wife. Her obituary and gravestone state she was born in 1884. That same obituary states two daughters proceeded her in death. However, the 1900 U.S. Census lists Edna's date of birth as June 1880. A 1898 Pantagraph article lists a baby girl born to Mr. and Mrs. William Mann in September 1898. This daughter may be Anna May. If born in 1884, Edna would have given birth at the age of 14 years old to a father who was 20. This seems like a large age gap and, even in 1898, a young age to give birth.

Florence, one of William and Edna's daughters, record is also confusing. Her obituary states she was born in 1899, but her gravestone states 1903. The U.S. Census for the Mann household also includes a daughter named Florence who was born in spring 1899. However, in the 1910 U.S. Census, Florence is reported as only 8, putting her date of birth at 1902 or even 1903.

Anna May

In all of the historical records I could find, there are few references to Edna and William having two daughters. A Pantagraph article references a daughter born to Mr. and Mrs. William Mann in September 1898, which could be Anna May. Edna's and William's obituaries mention two daughters proceeded them in death. 

A 1934 Pantagraph article mentions Edna's birthday party being arranged by her two daughters, Mrs. J.F. Bethea (Florence) and Mrs. T.J. Baughman, who could be Anna May. I find it strange that Anna May is never mentioned as a member of the Mann household in any of the U.S. Census reports, even when she was a child. Maybe it was an oversight? Or maybe she lived with relatives? Or, maybe the daughter mentioned in the 1898 Pantagraph article didn't live, and Anna May was an adopted or foster child?

William's Ancestory

William Mann's mother was Rose Stockdale Mann (1853-1943). She was born in Kent, England. Rose's parents were William Croft Stockdale (1822-1912) and Frances Coates Stockdale (?-1884).  

William's father, John Mann (1848-1936), was also born in England to David Mann and Mary Hardcastle. John immigrated in 1866. According to the 1930 U.S. Census, Rose immigrated to the U.S. from England in 1868, meaning she probably met and married John in Bloomington. The 1880 census lists John Mann's occupation as an engineer. John and Rose would eventually have six children.

John Mann died at the age of 87 in 1936. Rose Mann is listed in the 1940 U.S. Census as 87 years old and living with her daughter and son-in-law, probably at 1415 S. Main St. (In a 1938 Pantagraph article, her address is listed as 1403 Center St). Rose died three years later at almost 90 years old. John and Rose outlived several of their children.

Sources

• Aldermann Mann Narrates Anecdotes of Squire Hendryx; Former Justice. (1928, January 8). Pantagraph, p. 17.
• Annual Social Held at Mann Playground. (1930, July 30). Pantagraph, p. 3.
• Bethea Automobile Hit by Interurban. (1926, July 26). Pantagraph, p. 3.
• Bevan's Are Contenders for Buck-Mann Playground Crown. (1933, July 12). Pantagraph, p. 8.
• Ewing Park Seventh in City. (1956, July 26). Pantagraph, p. 3.
• "Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NQMR-Z61 : 27 December 2014), Rose Mann in entry for John Mann, 28 Jan 1936; Public Board of Health, Archives, Springfield; FHL microfilm 1,765,827.
• "Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NQMR-Z6T : 27 December 2014), John Mann, 28 Jan 1936; Public Board of Health, Archives, Springfield; FHL microfilm 1,765,827.
• "Illinois Marriages, 1815-1935," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2GW-6N8 : 29 December 2014), John Mann in entry for Wm. Mann and Edna May Johnson, 23 Mar 1898; citing Bloomington, Mclean, Illinois; FHL microfilm 1,401,959.
• "Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N3PZ-DBS : 27 December 2014), John Mann in entry for W. M. Mann, 24 Jul 1929; Public Board of Health, Archives, Springfield; FHL microfilm 1,643,317.
• July 30 Chosen as Dedication Date for Buck Mann Playground. (1930, June 8). Pantagraph, p. 3.
• Mrs. Robert Norbeck. (1949, March 28). Pantagraph, p. 8.
• Mrs. Stalter Dies After Long Illinois. (1941, December 22). Pantagraph, p. 6.
• Mrs. William Mann Given Surprise Party. (1934, April 24). Pantagraph, p. 8.
• Mrs. William Mann Improves. (1924, February 2). Pantagraph, p. 6.
• New Fountain Honors Man. (1930, May 6). Pantagraph, p. 3.
• Nominated for Community Service Award. (1929, December 17). Pantagraph, p. 3.
• Park is Named for Wm. Mann. (1929, July 30). Pantagraph, p. 3, 14.
• Park Movie Bid Sets Off New Council Wrangle. (1949, July 23). Pantagraph, p. 3.
• Pfc. Weed's Body Enroute for Burial. (1949, March 11). Pantagraph, p. 5.
• Playground Group to Make Plans for Fountain Dedication. (1930, June 1). Pantagraph, p. 3.
• Playground Holds Stage. (1929, December 31). Pantagraph, p. 21.
• Playground Report Made. (1929, November 24). Pantagraph, p. 26.
• Return Body of Padua Man for Final Rites. (1948, January 14). Pantagraph, p. 5.
• The Birth Record. (1898, September 29). Pantagraph, p. 8.
• Thomas Stockdale Funeral Today. (1938, January 22). Pantagraph, p. 3.
• Town Talk. (1894, November 26). Pantagraph, p. 5.
• "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXVV-F5G : 15 September 2017), William C Stockdale, Bloomington, McLean, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district ED 167, sheet 360B, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0230; FHL microfilm 1,254,230.
• "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXVV-TV7 : 15 September 2017), William Mann in household of John Mann, Bloomington, McLean, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district ED 167, sheet 359C, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0230; FHL microfilm 1,254,230.
• "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MS4C-37R : accessed 18 November 2017), Wm Mann, Bloomington township Bloomington City Ward 7, McLean, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 93, sheet 12B, family 257, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,322.
• "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MS4H-TJH : accessed 17 November 2017), Rosa Mann in household of John Mann, Blommington Township (excl. Bloomington city), McLean, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 79, sheet 3B, family 65, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,321.
• "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MK68-CG2 : accessed 18 November 2017), William Mann, Bloomington Ward 7, McLean, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 93, sheet 21B, family 489, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 306; FHL microfilm 1,374,319.
• "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJHW-C8K : accessed 17 November 2017), William Mann, Bloomington Precinct 14, McLean, Illinois, United States; citing ED 104, sheet 1B, line 77, family 20, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 387; FHL microfilm 1,820,387.
• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XSBG-83R : accessed 18 November 2017), John Mann, Bloomington, McLean, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 22, sheet 17A, line 29, family 422, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 535; FHL microfilm 2,340,270.
• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XSBG-83T : accessed 17 November 2017), Rose Mann in household of John Mann, Bloomington, McLean, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 22, sheet 17A, line 30, family 422, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 535; FHL microfilm 2,340,270.
• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XSBG-BHJ : accessed 18 November 2017), Edna N Mann in household of James F Bethea, Bloomington, McLean, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 13, sheet 3A, line 49, family 65, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 535; FHL microfilm 2,340,270.
• "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KWR6-Y3D : accessed 17 November 2017), Rose Mann in household of Albert J Stalter, Normal Town, Normal Township, McLean, Illinois, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 57-74, sheet 10B, line 78, family 243, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 842.
• Vote to Offer Park to City. (1937, July 8). Pantagraph, p. 8.
• Zeal Builds Mann Center. (1937, August 31). Pantagraph, p. 6.