Timeline of Vermilion County, Illinois history

This article is a timeline of Vermilion County, Illinois history.

19th century

1800s

• 1809 – The Illinois Territory is formed.

1810s

• 1818 December 3 – Illinois is admitted to the Union.
• 1819 November – Salt Springs becomes the first European settlement in what is to become Vermilion County.

1820s

• 1826 January 18 – Vermilion County is created.
• 1826 March – The county is divided into two townships, Carroll in the south and Ripley in the north.
• 1826 – James Haworth plats the town of Georgetown.
• 1827 January – Salt Springs, at the mouth of the North Fork of the Vermilion River, is made the county seat.
• 1827 January 31 – The future site of Danville is identified as the new county seat.
• 1827 April 10 – Lots in the new town of Danville go on sale.
• 1827 May – Post office at Danville opens in the home of Amos Williams.
• 1828 – Post office at Georgetown opens.

1830s

• 1833 – Champaign County is founded to the west, taking a strip ten miles wide from the west side of Vermilion County.
• 1833 – Iroquois County is founded to the north, and Vermilion County is extended by 6 miles on the north side.
• 1835 – Daniel Beckwith (after whom Danville was named) dies of pneumonia following a horseback ride from Washington.
• 1837 – The town of Franklin is founded near the future site of Bismarck, but only lasts a few years.
• 1838 September 17–20 – The Potawatomi Trail of Death camps at Sandusky Point near what became the town of Catlin.
• 1839 – Post office at the future site of Rossville opens.

1840s

• 1843 – The town of Myersville is founded near the future site of Bismarck.

1850s

• 1851 – Vermilion County is divided into eight townships: Danville, Georgetown, Elwood, Carroll, Ross, Middlefork, Newell (first called Richland), and Pilot.
• 1851 – B. E. Conkey founds Conkeytown.
• 1856 – Blount Township is created.
• 1857 – Mann's Chapel is constructed south of the future site of Rossville.
• 1858 – Catlin Township is created.
• 1858 – Abraham Lincoln gives a speech in Danville at the home of Dr. William Fithian (now the Vermilion County Museum) while campaigning for U.S. Senator against Stephen A. Douglas.
• 1859 – Ford County is created from an unorganized territory that had been attached to Vermilion County.

1860s

• 1862 – Grant Township is created.
• 1862 – The town of Rossville is founded.
• 1864 – Butler Township is created.
• 1866 – Vance Township is created.
• 1866 – Josiah Hunt and Guy Merrill plat the town of Catlin.
• 1867 – Sidell Township is created.
• 1868 – Oakwood Township is created.

1870s

• 1870 September – Danville High School is established.
• 1871 – The town of Hoopeston is founded.
• 1872 – Construction on the Pumpkin Vine Railroad begins, to carry coal from south of Covington, Indiana to the Bismarck area.
• 1872 – The town of Gilbert is founded south of the future site of Alvin.
• c. 1873 – The town of Bismarck is founded.
• 1873 – William P. and E. A. West lay out the town of Westville.
• 1875 – The town of Alvin is founded at a new railroad intersection just north of Gilbert, supplanting the earlier town.

1880s

• 1883 – The Danville Public Library is formed.

1890s

• 1897 – An Old Soldiers' Home is established on the southeast side of Danville.
• 1899 – Jamaica Township is created.

20th century

1900s

• 1900 August 2 – Helen Morgan is born in Vermilion County.
• 1902 – Love Township is created.
• 1904 November 7 – Danville's Carnegie Library opens.^[1]
• 1905 January – Hoopeston's Carnegie Library is dedicated.^[2]

1910s

• 1912 – McKendree Township is created.
• 1919 – The first Grab It Here grocery store opens.

1920s

• 1924 – Danville High School moves to the current building.
• 1924 September 15 – Bobby Short is born in Danville.
• 1925 December 13 – Dick Van Dyke is born in West Plains, Missouri.
• 1927 – South Ross Township is created.

1930s

• 1931 July 27 – Jerry Van Dyke is born in Danville.

1940s

• 1942 March 16 – The town of Alvin is hit by a tornado at 11:40 AM, killing six people and causing much destruction.
• 1946 – The University of Illinois establishes an extension center at Danville High School.
• 1949 – The University of Illinois extension becomes Danville Community College.

1950s

• 1950 January 21 – Joseph R. Tanner is born in Danville.
• 1951 – Danville Community College is renamed Danville Junior College.

1960s

• 1965 – Danville Junior College moves to buildings acquired from the Veterans Administration at 2000 East Main Street.
• 1966 – Danville Junior College becomes an independent two-year college.

1970s

• 1979 – Danville Junior College is renamed Danville Area Community College.

1980s

• 1980 September 20 Danville's David S. Palmer Civic Center opens.^[3]

1990s

• 1994 November 3 – Joe Tanner flies aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-66.
• 1995 November 7 – The new Danville Public Library building opens.^[1]
• 1997 February 11 – Joe Tanner flies aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-82, performing two space walks.

21st century

2000s

• 2000 November 30 – Joe Tanner flies aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour on mission STS-97, performing three space walks.
• 2004 February – Several historic buildings in downtown Rossville are destroyed by fire.^[4]

• 2005 March 21 – Bobby Short dies at the age of 80.
• 2006 August 26 – Chittick's Family Eye Care is destroyed by fire.^[5]
• 2006 September 9 – Joe Tanner flies aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-115, performing a space walk.

References

1. "About Danville Public Library". Retrieved 2007-10-09.
2. "Hoopeston Public Library History". Retrieved 2007-10-09.
3. "David S. Palmer Arena History". Retrieved 2007-10-08.
4. "Rossville in Flames". freelists.org. Retrieved 2007-10-08.
5. "Fire consumes Chittick’s Family Eye Care". Commercial-News. Retrieved 2007-10-08.

Unless otherwise cited, much of the information from the 19th century and first half of the 20th century is drawn from these works:

• Stapp, Katherine; W. I. Bowman (1968). History Under Our Feet: The Story of Vermilion County, Illinois. Danville, Illinois: Interstate Printers and Publishers, Inc.
• Jones, Lottie E. (1911). History of Vermilion County, Illinois (volumes 1 and 2). Chicago, Illinois: Pioneer Publishing Company.