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Fayette
County, Illinois
Fayette County,
organized in 1821, is named for the Marquis
de Lafayette, Gilbert du Montier, who helped
the colonists defeat the British in the
Revolutionary War. The 22,000 present-day
residents of Fayette County are spread among
its cities, which include Bingham,
Brownstown, Farina, Hagarstown, Loogootee,
Ramsey, Saint Elmo, Saint Peter, Shobonier
and Vandalia.
The
National Road, also known as the
Cumberland Trail, is the first byway heading
west across the United States, and runs from
Cumberland, MD, through Wheeling, WV,
Columbus, OH, Indianapolis and Terre Haute,
Ind., then through Vandalia on its journey
west. Vandalia is the Fayette County seat,
located about 70 miles northeast of St
Louis.
Vandalia
actually was the first capital of Illinois,
from 1819 to 1839. The Vandalia
Statehouse was constructed in
1836 in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent
the seat of state government from being
moved to Springfield. President Abraham
Lincoln served as a state representative at
the Vandalia Statehouse, the oldest existing
capitol in the state.
To further commemorate Lincoln’s impact on
Vandalia, a park is being constructed across
the street from the statehouse. The focal
point of Lincoln Park will be a life-sized
stature of the former president, sitting on
a bench reading a newspaper. Other sites for
Vandalia visitors: the Old
State Cemetery, the Fayette
County Museum, the Little
Brick House and the 18-foot Madonna
of the Trail statue, one of the
12 statues scattered across the United
States. It was erected in 1928 by the
National Society of the Daughters of the
American Revolution to mark national trails
created and used in this country's early
years. The Vandalia monument marks the
terminus of the National Road.
For outdoor enthusiasts, there’s Vandalia
Lake for water sports, and several golf
courses. Nearby outdoor recreation includes Carlyle
Lake, the Stephen
A. Forbes State Park, and the Vandalia
Country Club.
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