The first claim made by a settler in the vicinity of this village was that taken by John Q. Deakin, in 1845, who removed from Henry County in the following year. Not long after his settlement he was joined by his wife's parents, Henry Shearer and wife, and George Anderson and wife.

During the first year of his settlement, Mr. Deakin was supposed to be within the limits of Polk County, and his vote was cast at the election at Apple Grove, in that county, in the Fall of 1846. He also served as a Polk County grand juror about the same time.

The first birth in the settlement was a child to the Andersons, some time in 1849.

The first religious service was conducted at the house of John Q. Deakin, by a Methodist minister, who preached occasionally for a few months, when the Presiding Elder, finding that the settlers were nearly all Baptists, transferred his subordinate to another point. Rev. Thompson Bird, a Presbyterian preached a few times during the following year, and Elder Gill, a Christian minister, held services occasionally till 1850.

The first wedding in the settlement was that of Jacob Booher to Maria Weston, some time in 1848. The couple were living in Mr. Deakin's family and were married in his house. Mr. Deakin accompanied Booher in his journey to Newton for the license. The nearest Justice of the Peace was Charles Hamlin (one of the victims in the Knisely affair), and on their return they went by Hamlin's to engage his services at the wedding ceremony, which was performed by Hamlin a few days afterward.

It was during this year that Mr. Deakin built a saw-mill on Camp Creek, near the western limits of the country, which, he says, did a large business, people coming for many miles around. Two years afterward, he began to build a flouring-mill and carding factory where Vandalia now stands, and in digging the well for the carding factory a vein of coal was discovered about twenty feet below the surface. This was found to be four feet thick, and was used for heating his buildings during the winter.

The first school house built in the township was in the Summer of 1850; but a school was taught by George Rees in the Winter previous, the building used being one belonging to Mr. Deakin. The patrons of this first school were Elias Prunty, Abner Ray, George Anderson, Alex. Black and J.Q. Deakin. A Sabbath school was started the same year, with Frank Anderson as Superintendent.

The town of Vandalia was laid out in 1851, as mentioned elsewhere, and at first it was expected that it would only be a corollary of the milling business. The first building erected after the town was established was for a store, in which Henry Shearer, Deakin's father-in-law, started a store.

A Baptist society was organized in 1852, by Elder J.A. Nash, now a resident of Des Moines. The first members were Henry Shearer and wife, J.Q. Deakin and wife, George Anderson and wife, and Ira Sellers and wife. The first Pastor was Elijah Evans, who removed to Vandalia about 1854, and remained about ten years. A building was erected by the society within a few years after its formation, which was the only house of worship ever built in the place.

A school house was built in the town in 1856.

The town outgrew the expectations of its founder for several years. About 1861, it was a larger and more flourishing town than Monroe, and it held this superiority till 1865.

For several years, one of the hotels in Vandalia was a favorite resort of the young people for many miles around, who came here to attend the holiday balls gotten up by the landlord. It is said that couples have frequently attended from Red Rock, Newton, and Green Castle. Often a hundred couples have come here for the all-night balls that were so common in the small towns before the war. During the progress of a Christmas or New Year's dance, about twenty years ago, some miserable scoundrel, who succeeded in escaping detection, surreptitiously introduced some croton oil to all who drank of the coffee, and a dozen or more were made very ill for several days.

In 1865, the town had a population of nearly five hundred people. There were four general stores, two mills, two hotels, three blacksmith shops, two wagon shops, and a plow factory. Prior to this time, both the Presbyterians and Christians had societies here.

During the preliminary movements that attended the building of the Des Moines Valley Road, a survey was made through Vandalia, from which incident the people drew strong hope of securing the road; but in this they were doomed for disappointment, for the settled policy of the projectors of the enterprise, which was an outgrowth of the Des Moines Navigation Company, was not so much to build railroad track as to get land. The first was only incident to the latter, and the more miles of track meant the more "alternate sections" of land. Hence the road found a route on the segment of a circle around the town, whose business gradually left it and sought abiding place in the other towns.

It would not be very strange if, in the near future, the past prosperity of Vandalia should return. The farming region surrounding the town is not surpassed in the State. Coal of the best quality underlies the whole township. The town is remote from any other village, and the railway managers will yet appear who will lay an iron track through the limits of the place, and rouse it to the stir and life that comes only from the shriek of the iron horse, and the future historian will be called on to describe a town busy with the industry carried on by a thousand people. ~ Pages 495-497