Opinion

Nathan Burgess was hanged at half past 1 o’clock on Friday, June 18, 1875.

The gallows was erected on the front portico of the Effingham County Courthouse for carrying out the sentence because the trial had been moved to Effingham County on a change of venue. 

Found guilty of the murder of Joseph Robbins, Burgess mounted the 13 steps leading to the gallows platform, accompanied by three clergymen of his choice.

There are many cemeteries scattered about Fayette County – more than 230 at last count. 

Thanks to the work of volunteers from the Fayette County Genealogical & Historical Society, headstone readings from all known county cemeteries have been recorded and published. This leaves about 30 cemeteries that are known to exist, but their location has been lost over the years. 

It was more than a decade ago that Sandy Leidner, while serving as Vandalia’s mayor, had a vision to improve the community’s downtown business district. On Monday, we will celebrate that vision becoming a reality.

Leidner, and others, realized that Vandalia’s downtown would never be like it was prior to the introduction of large retail department stores. But she also realized that the downtown would suffer even greater damage by letting the streetscape, and the infrastructure beneath it, continue to age and deteriorate.

 The 1878 History of Fayette County makes mention of all the “firsts” to occur in each township in the county – the earliest settlers, first birth, first death, first marriage, first mill, first school, first burying ground and, in the case of Pope Township, the first murder.

Any time a new company comes to town, we're ready to celebrate and welcome them with open arms.

We ought to welcome growth by existing local firms with the same enthusiasm. After all, both types of growth bring valuable jobs and expanded opportunities to our community. 

This week, we have reason to celebrate. Rural King's plans to move into the former home of Orgill and significantly expand its business here was given approval by the Vandalia Planning Commission. The issue now goes before the Vandalia City Council for its approval.

In March 1969, the five-story Evans Hotel in downtown Vandalia was destroyed by fire. More than four years later, the northwest corner of Fourth and Gallatin streets was still filled with rubble.

That’s what city officials are trying to prevent now, six weeks after a fire destroyed four downtown buildings and caused major damage to a fifth.

This situation is not unlike any others when fire destroys property; the city has guidelines to follow in requiring property owners to take care of the damage.

A little more than a year after workers dug up the first section of Gallatin Street, there’s light at the end of the tunnel or, more specifically, light at the east end of Vandalia’s downtown business district.

The 400 block of Gallatin Street was opened to traffic on Tuesday afternoon, and city officials say the 300 block – the final block of the downtown enhancement project – could be opened up as early as Friday.

In 1893, after living on a farm and teaching school for 38 years in Christian County, Thomas N. Lakin purchased The Vandalia Union newspaper. 

His son, Ira, was only 18 years old when his father sent him to Vandalia, in March 1893, to take over publication of the weekly newspaper.

Accompanying him in the move to Vandalia were his wife, Rebecca, sons, Jesse and Ira, and daughters, Lulu, Minnie and Ara. A third son, Will, stayed behind in Christian County, where he died in 1914.

Once every decade, the U.S. government asks us to stand up and be counted.

It’s not some effort to make us feel important. Nor is it an exercise to solicit our opinion on some issue.

No, it’s more basic than that. The government bean counters want a head count. Yes, it’s census time.