# 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 – The Salt Works, on the Salt River the west of the mouth of the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River, is the first settlement. Lottie Jones VC History
* 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.
* 1884 – The Grand Opera House (later the Fischer Theatre) opens.

### 1890s

* 1894 – The Danville Training School for Nurses (later Lakeview College of Nursing) opens.
* 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.
* 1905 January – Hoopeston's Carnegie Library is dedicated.

### 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.
* 1988 – Lakeview College of Nursing becomes a separate entity when the hospital changes hands.

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

### 2010s

* 2017 September 30, October 1 – Vermilion Regional Airport hosts its first air show since 1987.
* 2018 January 5 – Jerry Van Dyke dies at age 86.