Colfax

History

Colfax was laid out on March 22, 1880, by James E. Wood (1818 – 1908). Anderson was born in Indiana and had come to McLean County about 1855 as State Missionary for the Christian Church. He stayed and became a farmer, a banker, and a lifelong promoter of Colfax. To locals, Anderson was affectionately known as "Uncle Billy". The northeastern townships of the county were among the last to be served by railroads. After many false starts the Clinton, Bloomington, and Northwestern Railroad began making its way westward from Kankakee. It was aided by contributions in cash and land for the right-of-way by many local farmers. Cropsey, Anchor, and Cooksville were all laid out at the same time as Colfax. The first train arrived in Colfax on July 4, 1880. For two years the track extended only from Kankakee to Colfax, and a turntable was installed to send the trains back eastwards. Eventually the tracks were completed to Bloomington. The railroad soon became part of the Illinois Central system. Colfax is one of several communities in the United States named for Schuyler Colfax, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives during the terms of Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson and Vice President during the Ulysses S. Grant presidency. Others communities include Colfax, California; Colfax, Indiana; Colfax, Louisiana; Colfax, North Carolina and Colfax, Washington. The original town of Colfax was a rectangle on the north side of the railroad tracks. There were twelve blocks, each with eight or sixteen small lots, and an additional four blocks, each with a single larger lot, were located along the western edge of the original town, for a total of one hundred lots. These faced a widened area of railroad land, which ran the full length of the original town. No other public spaces…

Geography

Colfax is located in eastern McLean County. Illinois Route 165 runs along the northern border of the village, leading west-southwest to Bloomington, the county seat, and east to Sibley. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Colfax has a total area of , all land. The Mackinaw River, a west-flowing tributary of the Illinois River, crosses the southwest corner of the village. Colfax Creek, a tributary of the Mackinaw, flows through the middle of the village.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Ridgeview Elementary School
  Elementary · Colfax · 236 students · 11.8:1 ratio
• Ridgeview High School
  High · Colfax · 163 students · 16.3:1 ratio
• Ridgeview Jr High School
  Middle · Colfax · 133 students · 12.1:1 ratio