The Way We Were

15 Years Ago

1997 – A crew from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency came to St. Elmo for an anhydrous ammonia spill caused when tanks broke loose from a truck pulling them.
Parents of seniors at Ramsey High School were fighting to keep prayer at commencement exercises.
Outgoing Vandalia Mayor Rich Walker and other city officials hosted a reception for the incoming mayor, Sandra Leidner, and other newly elected officials.
Mr. and Mrs. Burt Powell of Brownstown were celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary.
The construction of a new surgical department and renovation of the existing radiology department at Fayette County Hospital were announced at a meeting of the FCH Board of Directors.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources announced the release of 20 more eastern wild turkeys in Fayette County.
The Depot Restaurant was the latest recipient of a Community Improvement Award from the Vandalia Chamber of Commerce.

20 Years Ago

1992 – Connie and Ronnie Eakin were announced as the 1992 winners of the Vandals Sports Booster's Super Vandal Fans Award.
Members of the Vandalia Junior High School track team qualifying for the state track meet were Julie Hester, Lisa Beckett, Jennifer Wehrle, Lora Culbertson, Jeremy Durbin and Jeremy Gelsinger.

25 Years Ago

1987 – Pat Perry, a relief pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, was the guest speaker at the VCHS sports banquet.
Bill Huff was the new interim administrator at Fayette County Hospital.
Darrell Fesser, an agriculture teacher at the Okaw Area Vocational Center, was hired as the new director of the OAVC.
Vandalia upset Mt. Olive, 3-0 in regional baseball action. Sophomore Michael Whitten tossed a two-hitter, and Robert Garrison led the hitting attack for the Vandals.

35 Years Ago

1977 – A new sign dedicating William Floyd Sonnemann Park was dedicated by the Vandalia Park District Board.
A grand opening was held for the Senior Citizens Center at 110 S. Sixth St. in Vandalia.
St. Elmo paid tribute to the memory of Charles A. Lindbergh 50 years after his historic flight in the "Spirit of St. Louis." Lindbergh was a visitor at St. Elmo Airport on various occasions.
Vandalia Clothiers celebrated 50 years of operating in Vandalia.
Mr. and Mrs. Bus Forbes observed their 50th anniversary.
Julia Landrum of Vandalia and Kay Williams of St. Elmo were awarded the Nettie Bingham Award at a luncheon held by Alpha Oi.

45 Years Ago

1967 – The Rev. S. L. Young resigned as pastor at Parkview Free Methodist to accept a pastorate in Arizona.
A blood drive netted 192 pints of blood.
William Quick, principal at Brownstown, resigned to accept a position in the office of the registrar at Eastern Illinois University.
Dr. Edward Greer informed the Vandalia City Council that a great health hazard would be eliminated if the dumping of sewage into the town branch was ceased.
In   his   talk   for   the Brownstown PTA, Regional Superintendent of Schools Jim Staff stressed vocational education.

55 Years Ago

1957 – A 125th anniversary was  celebrated   by  local Methodists. Bishop Ivan Lee Holt of St. Louis was the speaker.
Brownstown and Vandalia tied in the county track meet.
First Methodist Church held its first mother-daughter banquet. Eighty mothers and daughters attended.
James Murphy, who was stationed with the First Army Band at Governor's Island in New York, was leaving for a tour in Europe with the band.
Mrs. Harry Huffmon was installed as president of the Vandalia Woman's Club.

65 Years Ago

1947 – Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Schwarm celebrated their golden wedding anniversary.
The Vandalia Lions Club honored 30 students for having the best averages in school work at a dinner held at the Methodist Church.
The Chicago Motor Club sponsored a picnic at Ford Fellowship for school safety patrol workers.
A meeting was held in Vandalia to try to interest the women of Fayette County in forming a home bureau.

75 Years Ago

1937 – Franklin Delano Roosevelt  passed  through Vandalia on a train while traveling from St. Louis to Washington, DC.
Kaskaskia approved $15,000 in bonds for road graveling.
The First Presbyterian Church was being redecorated.
Vandalia doctors agreed to close their offices on Thursday afternoons in June, July and August.