...from the Saturday, November 29, 1913 issue of the Streator Daily Free Press. TOWN WAS MOVED Originally Planned Further North but Was Moved to Present Site Away back in 1870 a survey for a railroad was run through Amity township. Walter B. Cornell, a commissioner, W. D. Blake and Jeff Houston, the latter the supervisor, secured the right of way through the township and the railroad was known as the Fairbury, Pontiac and Northwestern railroad. It was then that Walter B. Cornell laid out a town, a few blocks north of the present town. His plat called for a public square, around which were to be grouped the business houses of the little village. Because of the land being owned by Mr. Cornell, the town was named after him. It was not long, however, until another site was picked for the business district, and the name applied to this offspring was Blake. Thus matters stood for a short time, but the proposition was finally put to a vote of the people, and the business district was changed to what was called Blake, but the name Cornell was given it. At Present fine residences occupy what was intended as the business district. All of the land within the corporate limits of Cornell was owned by Walter B. Cornell or Henry Cornell, the former owning the greater part. Joanie