People

Norman J Bloomfield

Norman J. Bloomfield (December 20, 1818 – date of death unknown) was a New York-born mariner, educator, and businessman who settled briefly in Dundee, Illinois around 1860 before relocating to Elgin in 1866. He is notable for his early career as a steamship captain on Lake Erie and his later work as a real estate, insurance, and passage tickets agent in Kane County.

Known Activities

Bloomfield was born in Herkimer County, New York, and pursued a varied career before coming west. He served as a School Inspector and Superintendent in New York, positions that suggest a degree of civic standing in his home state. Between 1852 and 1855 he captained the steamer Great Western on Lake Erie, a period that represents the most distinctive chapter of his early life (Source: Past and Present of Kane County, Illinois (1878)).

Upon arriving in Illinois in 1860, Bloomfield located at Dundee, where he apparently established himself in commerce. The nature of his business activities specifically in Dundee is not recorded in detail, though his known trade — dealing in real estate, insurance, and steamship passage tickets — suggests he may have continued similar work during his Dundee years. By 1866 he had removed to Elgin, where the bulk of his documented Kane County career appears to have taken place (Source: Past and Present of Kane County, Illinois (1878)).

Bloomfield was a member of Monitor Lodge No. 522 of the Masons (Source: Past and Present of Kane County, Illinois (1878)).

Family

Bloomfield married Louisa M. Mills, though she reportedly died in March 1851, before his arrival in Illinois. He subsequently married Harriet A. Van Norman in October 1853. The couple had three children: Kate L., Frank L., and Sam B. (Source: Past and Present of Kane County, Illinois (1878)).

Timeline

Year	Event
Dec. 20, 1818	Born in Herkimer County, New York
1851 (March)	First wife, Louisa M. Mills, died
Oct. 1853	Married Harriet A. Van Norman
1852–1855	Captain of steamer Great Western on Lake Erie
1860	Came to Illinois; located at Dundee
1864	Date recorded in connection with Louisa M. Mills marriage — possibly a transcription anomaly in source
1866	Removed from Dundee to Elgin

> Note: The source records Bloomfield as having "married Louisa M. Mills 1864 (died March 1851)," which is internally contradictory. It is possible the 1864 date is a transcription or typesetting error in the original publication, and that the Mills marriage preceded her death in 1851. This detail should be treated with caution until additional records can be consulted.

Sources

The Past and Present of Kane County, Illinois (1878). Available at: https://archive.org/details/pastpresentofkan00peir#offset-2403624