Driving Around Small Town Vandalia, Illinois in 4k Video

Filmed on Friday, June 16 2023, I drive around the village Vandalia, Illinois to see what's going on.

Vandalia was founded in 1819 and served as the state capital of Illinois from 1819 to 1839.

Abraham Lincoln assumed the first statewide office of his political career at Vandalia. He arrived in the capital city in late November 1834, and the freshman legislator took his seat on December 1, 1834, in the dilapidated second statehouse. He began his second term in December 1836 in the third capitol building that stands today, which is also where he made his first public speech against slavery in 1837.

The last session of the Illinois General Assembly to meet in the Vandalia Statehouse closed on March 4, 1839. In 1856, Vandalia sold its interest in the building for $3,150.

On August 5, 1918, the State of Illinois purchased the old statehouse and public square in order to ensure its preservation for future generations. Though owned by the state, the building continued to serve as the Fayette County Courthouse until 1933, when county offices moved to new quarters. In the 1930s and 1940s the State of Illinois carried out a major effort to restore the building to its Lincoln-era appearance.

As of the census of 2020, there were 7,458 people residing in the city.

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