1835
On June 12, 1823, the Third General Assembly, meeting in the newly formed city of Vandalia, conveyed one and one-half acres of land to the city of Vandalia, with the proviso that the land be used as a burial ground. This is the location of that original cemetery property. One-half acre was reserved for members of the legislature who might die while serving at the capital. During this time period, weather conditions could prevent the transfer of a body home for burial. The body could easily decompose in the withering summer heat - or suffer further indignities from the crude forms of transportation currently available. The most humane and practical solution, then, was to bury the body as quickly as possible on nearby land. In point of fact, churches and cemeteries were some of the first landmarks to appear in the recently settled villages and towns on the Illinois prairie. Life and death existed side by side in this oftentimes harsh and demanding environment.HM Number | HMSGL |
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Series | This marker is part of the Illinois: Looking for Lincoln series |
Tags | |
Year Placed | 2008 |
Placed By | Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition |
Marker Condition | No reports yet |
Date Added | Monday, September 29th, 2014 at 6:15pm PDT -07:00 |
UTM (WGS84 Datum) | 16S E 318660 N 4314137 |
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Decimal Degrees | 38.95745000, -89.09283333 |
Degrees and Decimal Minutes | N 38° 57.447', W 89° 5.57' |
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds | 38° 57' 26.82" N, 89° 5' 34.20" W |
Driving Directions | Google Maps |
Area Code(s) | 618 |
Closest Postal Address | At or near 484-506 S 2nd St, Vandalia IL 62471, US |
Alternative Maps | Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap |
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