Columns

I am often asked where the ideas come for my articles that are published weekly in this newspaper. Often the idea comes from a question that someone asks me that I am unable to answer.
One of these was asked some years back by the late John Leander of Vandalia, who volunteered at the Fayette County Museum. John told me he had a visitor in the museum who asked what he knew about the two Miller brothers of Ramsey who were both doctors. One of the brothers participated in the Oklahoma land rush.

In my last column I wrote about the founding of Vandalia as capital of Illinois, and the construction and destruction of the first capitol building.
As daylight dawned on Dec. 23 and all of Vandalia’s residents discovered that the capitol building had burned to the ground in the middle of the night, a subscription list to rebuild was started and $3,000 was raised within six days.

20 Years Ago

1996 – The Vandalia City Council voted 5-4 to approve water and sewer rate increases, which averaged about 16 percent.
The city council voted 6-2 to allow local taverns to have outside beer gardens.
Arthur and Marie Buchanan of Vandalia planned to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Joe and Evelyn Faggetti also planned a golden anniversary celebration.