VANDALIA, Ill. (WAND)- The small town of Vandalia is known for its rich history.
"I don't know that there is any other city that was actually formed by the state of Illinois, but Vandalia was,” said Dale Timmermann the town historian. “There was no city here and a group of people commissioned by the state legislature went out and picked this out to be the city of Vandalia"
The Capitol was built in 1836 and served as the official Capitol Building of Illinois until 1839. Vandalia is where Lincoln started his political career.
"Something that happened in 1837 is the United States House of Representatives in Congress abolished slavery in the District of Columbia,” added Timmermann. “You would think Illinois being a free state they would be in supportive of that, well they were not. Illinois passed legislation condemning the action of the District of Columbia abolishing slavery.
Lincolns vote lead to a historic speech that shaped his future.
"An interesting political thing that happened here was Lincoln's first public protest against slavery," says Timmermann.
However, Lincoln wasn't a fan of Vandalia, and wanted the Capitol to be moved.
"Lincoln was an important part of the legislature, he was not very fond of Vandalia and he was interested in moving the capitol to his home area of Sangamon County,” stated Timmerman.
The Capitol moved to Springfield at the end of 1839. However, the Capitol in Vandalia remains intact to this day.
"What's significant about this building is that it's not a reconstruction," says Timmermann.
While Lincoln's legacy continues to live on, history buffs hope those who attend take more away from Lincoln's story then just his political career.
"Lincoln is a good example of you should not give up,” says Timmermann. “Lincoln took the opportunity of serving the legislature here to becoming acquainted with more sophisticated people. That really set the stage for the rest of his life. It just proves you shouldn't overlook any opportunities that you have."
If you are interested in visiting the Vandalia Old State Capitol, you can call (618) 283-1161 to schedule a tour, or you can visit the site Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. You can also visit the Old State Capitol's website.
