DANVILLE — Vermilion County residents have double reason to celebrate history this year. Besides the country’s 250th birthday, it’s also the 200th anniversary of the county’s founding.
Of course, the county’s history is older than 200 years, Todd Lee told members of the Danville Lions Club recently. Native Americans inhabited this area for thousands of years, including being home to the Kickapoo, Miami, and Piankeshaw tribes. The county was established in 1826, and Danville was accepted by the state as the county seat.
Lee, co-chair of the 200th Anniversary Celebration, told the Lions Club that several events have already happened this year, and more are coming up. A complete list can be found on the Vermilion County Museum’s website at https://vermilioncountymuseum.org/.
A popular attraction has been driving tours of surrounding communities. Upcoming tours include the Bismarck area, Sidell area and Hoopeston. People are encouraged to call the museum at 217-442-2922 to sign up.
Another event that’s sure to attract a lot of interest will happen in August when Danville native and astronaut Joe Tanner speaks on “Mastodons to the Moon.” He’ll speak Aug. 8 at Danville High School, and on Aug. 9, he’ll greet visitors to a Vermilion County Museum open house. Check the museum website for more details.
Throughout this year, Lee said, “we’ve got all kinds of history stories to tell.”
Many of those stories revolve around how this area grew into a place of commerce with the Salt Works, and how Guerdon Hubbard had an impact on trading posts as an employee of the American Fur Co. Several places were considered for the county seat, including Denmark (now at the bottom of Lake Vermilion), which was “a wild town,” Lee said, and thus, unsuitable.
Lee encouraged anyone who enjoys history to get involved in the events. Even if you aren’t interested in the early settlers, he said, local history involves recent activities, too. “They can learn how people traveled to this part of the country,” he said, and learn more about the railroad and coal industries.
Lee is treasurer of the Vermilion County Museum Board, retired director of the Danville Sanitary District, and former chairman of the Vermilion County Board.