Timeline of Vermilion County, Illinois history facts for kids

Welcome to the history of Vermilion County, Illinois! This page shares a timeline of important events that happened in this county, from its very beginning to recent times.

The 19th Century

The 1800s

• 1809 – The Illinois Territory was created. This was a big step towards Illinois becoming a state.

The 1810s

• 1818 December 3 – Illinois officially became a state in the United States.
• 1819 November – The first European settlement in the area that would become Vermilion County was established at a place called Salt Springs.

The 1820s: Vermilion County Begins!

• 1826 January 18 – Vermilion County was officially created!
• 1826 March – The new county was divided into two main areas, called townships: Carroll in the south and Ripley in the north.
• 1826 – James Haworth planned and laid out the town of Georgetown.
• 1827 January – Salt Springs, located where the North Fork of the Vermilion River meets the main river, was chosen as the first county seat (the main town for county government).
• 1827 January 31 – Soon after, a new location was picked for the county seat: the future site of Danville.
• 1827 April 10 – Land lots in the brand new town of Danville went on sale.
• 1827 May – Danville's first post office opened inside the home of Amos Williams.
• 1828 – A post office also opened in Georgetown.

The 1830s

• 1833 – Champaign County was formed to the west. This meant Vermilion County lost a strip of land about ten miles wide on its western side.
• 1833 – Iroquois County was created to the north. To balance things out, Vermilion County gained about six miles of land on its northern side.
• 1835 – Daniel Beckwith, the person Danville was named after, passed away from pneumonia.
• 1837 – The town of Franklin was started near where Bismarck is today, but it only lasted a few years.
• 1838 September 17–20 – The Potawatomi Trail of Death, a forced march of Native Americans, camped at Sandusky Point, near what is now the town of Catlin.
• 1839 – A post office opened at the future site of Rossville.

The 1840s

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

The 1850s

• 1851 – Vermilion County was divided into eight townships: Danville, Georgetown, Elwood, Carroll, Ross, Middlefork, Newell (first called Richland), and Pilot.
• 1851 – B. E. Conkey started a town called Conkeytown.
• 1856 – Blount Township was created.
• 1857 – Mann's Chapel was built south of the future site of Rossville.
• 1858 – Catlin Township was created.
• 1858 – Abraham Lincoln gave a speech in Danville. He spoke at the home of Dr. William Fithian (which is now the Vermilion County Museum). Lincoln was campaigning to become a U.S. Senator against Stephen A. Douglas.
• 1859 – Ford County was created from land that had been connected to Vermilion County.

The 1860s

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

The 1870s

• 1870 September – Danville High School was established.
• 1871 – The town of Hoopeston was founded.
• 1872 – Construction began on the Pumpkin Vine Railroad. This railroad was built to transport coal from south of Covington, Indiana to the Bismarck area.
• 1872 – The town of Gilbert was founded south of the future site of Alvin.
• c. 1873 – The town of Bismarck was founded.
• 1873 – William P. and E. A. West planned the town of Westville.
• 1875 – The town of Alvin was founded at a new railroad crossing, just north of Gilbert. This new town soon replaced the older town of Gilbert.

The 1880s

• 1883 – The Danville Public Library was formed.
• 1884 – The Grand Opera House, which later became the Fischer Theatre, opened its doors.

The 1890s

• 1894 – The Danville Training School for Nurses, which later became Lakeview College of Nursing, opened.
• 1897 – An Old Soldiers' Home was established on the southeast side of Danville.
• 1899 – Jamaica Township was created.

The 20th Century

The 1900s

• 1900 August 2 – Famous singer Helen Morgan was born in Vermilion County.
• 1902 – Love Township was created.
• 1904 November 7 – Danville's Carnegie Library, a library built with money from Andrew Carnegie, opened.
• 1905 January – Hoopeston's Carnegie Library was officially dedicated.

The 1910s

• 1912 – McKendree Township was created.
• 1919 – The first Grab It Here grocery store opened.

The 1920s

• 1924 – Danville High School moved to its current building.
• 1924 September 15 – Famous musician and singer Bobby Short was born in Danville.
• 1925 December 13 – Actor and comedian Dick Van Dyke was born in West Plains, Missouri.
• 1927 – South Ross Township was created.

The 1930s

• 1931 July 27 – Actor and comedian Jerry Van Dyke, Dick Van Dyke's brother, was born in Danville.

The 1940s

• 1942 March 16 – The town of Alvin was hit by a tornado at 11:40 AM. Six people tragically lost their lives, and the town suffered a lot of damage.
• 1946 – The University of Illinois started an extension center at Danville High School.
• 1949 – The University of Illinois extension became Danville Community College.

The 1950s

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

The 1960s

• 1965 – Danville Junior College moved to new buildings that were bought from the Veterans Administration.
• 1966 – Danville Junior College became an independent two-year college, meaning it could run on its own.

The 1970s

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

The 1980s

• 1980 September 20 – Danville's David S. Palmer Civic Center opened.
• 1988 – Lakeview College of Nursing became a separate school when the hospital it was part of changed ownership.

The 1990s

• 1994 November 3 – Joe Tanner, who was born in Danville, flew into space aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-66.
• 1995 November 7 – The new Danville Public Library building opened.
• 1997 February 11 – Joe Tanner flew into space again aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-82. During this mission, he performed two spacewalks!

The 21st Century

The 2000s

• 2000 November 30 – Joe Tanner made his third trip to space aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour on mission STS-97. He performed three more spacewalks on this mission.
• 2004 February – Several old, historic buildings in downtown Rossville were destroyed by a fire.
• 2005 March 21 – Bobby Short, the famous musician, passed away at the age of 80.
• 2006 August 26 – Chittick's Family Eye Care building was destroyed by fire.
• 2006 September 9 – Joe Tanner flew into space for the fourth time aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-115. He performed another spacewalk.

The 2010s

• 2017 September 30, October 1 – The Vermilion Regional Airport hosted its first air show since 1987, featuring exciting aerial displays.
• 2018 January 5 – Jerry Van Dyke, the actor and comedian, passed away at age 86.