Vandalia, Illinois
| Vandalia | |
| City | |
 |
|
| Motto: "Oldest Existing Illinois Capital City" | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | Illinois |
| County | Fayette |
| Coordinates | 38°58′5″N 89°6′7″W / 38.96806°N 89.10194°WCoordinates: 38°58′5″N 89°6′7″W / 38.96806°N 89.10194°W |
| Area | 8.12 sq mi (21 km2) |
| - land | 8.10 sq mi (21 km2) |
| - water | 0.02 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Population | 7,042 (2010) |
| Density | 1,231.3/sq mi (475/km2) |
| Timezone | CST (UTC-6) |
| - summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| Postal code | 62471 |
| Area code | 618 |
   Location of Vandalia within Illinois
|
|
Vandalia is a city in Fayette County, Illinois, United States, 69 miles (111 km) northeast of St. Louis, on the Kaskaskia River. It served as the state capital of Illinois from 1819 until 1839, when the seat of state government moved to Springfield (which remains the capital today). Vandalia was for years the western terminus of the National Road.
Today, Vandalia is the county seat of Fayette County and the home of the Vandalia State House State Historic Site (1836). The population was 7,042 at the 2010 Census.
Vandalia was founded in 1819 as a new capital city for Illinois. The previous capital, Kaskaskia, was unsuitable because it was under the constant threat of flooding. The townsite was hastily prepared for the 1820 meeting of the Illinois General Assembly.
The history of the name Vandalia is uncertain. Different theories can be found in almost all of the books written about Vandalia over the years. In her book Vandalia: Wilderness Capital of Lincoln's Land, Mary Burtschi tells of a conversation between one of the original surveyors of the town and a Vandalia resident. The surveyor, Colonel Greenup, explained that Van was suggested by one of the men. He recommended this as an abbreviation to the word vanguard meaning the forefront of an advancing movement. Another suggestion was made for the term dalia, derived from the Anglo-Saxon word dale which means a valley between hills. Greenup takes credit in the conversation for connecting the two terms to form the name Vandalia.
Another possible source of the name is the Vandalia colony, a failed attempt to establish a fourteenth colony in part of what is now West Virginia and Ohio. The Vandalia colony was named in honor of Queen Charlotte, who claimed descent from the Wendish tribe of Obodrites, also called the Vandals.
...
Wikipedia