History
On August 17, 1838, Benjamin Wilhelm, a settler from Pennsylvania, settled in Vandalia on his way to Vandalia, Illinois near the intersection of U.S. Route 40 and US Route 25-A. He stopped here and named his new town after his original destination. He built his home and a small general store as a stop and resting place for travelers heading west. The small town began to attract travelers and entrepreneurs, and on February 7, 1848 the town was incorporated as "The Village of Vandalia" with Benjamin Wilhelm as its first mayor. The village was laid out in 38 lots including a church, hotels, blacksmiths shops, a steam sawmill, meat markets, and a carriage shop. The first church was started by the United Brethren congregation.
By 1959, Vandalia was outgrowing its "village" status, and its citizens voted to make it a council-manager form of government, effectively making the village into a municipal corporation. On January 2, 1960, Vandalia became a Charter City of the State of Ohio.
Read more about this topic: Vandalia, Ohio
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