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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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