Vandalia

The Frontier Capital

Brent Wagner
Oregon High School, Oregon

Vandalia, the second site of the capital of Illinois, began in a vast frontier. The place chosen to be Vandalia was unpopulated, forested, and unsettled, but that changed quickly. Through the years the wilderness around Vandalia was pushed back as the city grew. Although Vandalia was created in the middle of nowhere, the city became an important part of Illinois history.

Vandalia had been created in the middle of the frontier, or in other words a place that had never seen an axe or plow before. There were three basic factors that shaped the frontier in Illinois: the natural environment, settlers and other human beings in Illinois, and outsiders—people who never lived in Illinois. William Ferguson, a Scottish scientist wrote of Vandalia, "the country around is finely varied and well timbered, that is, the trees are large and well grown." Glaciers had at one time covered most of Illinois, including the Vandalia area. These glaciers in return left Illinois with a very rich soil. By the early 1600s few Indians lived in the southern area of Illinois. The Indians who lived in that area were not hostile, and pioneers were soon attracted to the region. The influence from the British and French, along with the eastern states, also helped shape the Vandalia area.

Vandalia was created for the sole purpose of being the new capital of Illinois. As one historian described the choice, "A horseman had set out from the old French village of Kaskaskia on a May Day in 1819. His horse carried him slowly north alongside the Kaskaskia River. Behind the rider, spread out on a low flat between the Mississippi and Kaskaskia rivers, lay the largest settlement and temporary capital of the new state of Illinois." Thomas Cox, an Illinois senator, was the rider on a mission to find a new location for the Illinois capital. The actual site chosen for the capital was known as Reeve's Bluff and was located on the Kaskaskia River's west bank about ninety miles northeast of Kaskaskia.

How the name of the city came to be is not known. However, one story has it that Vandalia was created when someone convinced the committee to select the name of a once-great tribe of Indians, the Vandals, who had lived in Illinois. The committee decided that the new town should be called Vandalia in honor of the mythical tribe.

When Vandalia was the capital city, three different buildings were used for the government. The first capital burned down in 1823. In 1824 the capitol building was rebuilt quickly to insure that Vandalia would remain as the capital city. However, this building was built very poorly and was replaced in 1836. The third and final building was larger and remained the capital until the government's move to Springfield.

The capital city of Vandalia began to grow once the railroads and the National Road connected it to the nearby rivers and distant eastern cities. The National Road reached Vandalia in 1836. The National Road, also known as the Cumberland Road, played an important part in Vandalia's history by producing an easier means to travel. Although this government-built road was quite bumpy and had not been totally cleared of debris, it opened up the interior of the country for development. During the years 1835-1836 Senator Ninian Edwards wanted to extend the railroad from Decatur via Springfield to Vandalia where it would connect with the Wabash, Mississippi, and Kaskaskia rivers creating a huge trade route. This plan attempted to connect waterways and railroads to create better trade conditions for Vandalia. Finally, in 1850 a charter was made to lay track on government land.

The developing township of Vandalia was grouped in three economic sections. The first of these sections was the outer ring, where there were farms. The acreage on these farms ranged from sixty or eighty acres to several hundred, the average being around one hundred. Factories were built on the western edge of town. The center of the town was where all the businesses were located. Vandalia had created profit for its citizens and was seen as a future progressive city.

Though the town was growing, Abraham Lincoln and citizens from areas north of Vandalia thought the capital should be more centrally located. Lincoln, along with other members of the legislature, used their power as politicians to relocate the capital to Springfield. Moving the capital to Springfield cost the Illinois taxpayers about six million dollars. Half that sum would have purchased all the real estate in Vandalia. Vandalia lost its capital status on July 4, 1839. The city nonetheless remained prosperous, and by 1855 the population reached around one thousand. The surrounding area was fairly settled and the wilderness was cleared quickly.

Development of Vandalia from the frontier to a prosperous settlement was largely due to the assurance of the capital being there for twenty years. The development of roads, railroads, and waterways helped bring people and businesses to the area. Although the capital was removed, Vandalia continued to thrive and grow, and, thus, the frontier changed to a city that contained factories, businessess, and historic value.—[From John W. Allen,

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Legends and Lore of Southern Illinois; Paul M. Angle, Prairie State; Mary Burtschi, Vandalia; William E. Baringer, Lincoln's Vandalia; James E. Davis, Frontier Illinois; Thomas Ford, A History of Illinois; Theodore Calvin Pease, The Story of Illinois; Vandalia Chamber of Commerce, Vandalia Illinois Historic Lincoln Site.]

20 ILLINOIS HISTORY/ DECEMBER 2000