Vandalia and Streeter

Vandalia is a word related to, not only West Virginia history, but also the history of Streeter. I made several posts in the past about the history of Streeter's name and name change, but, in brief, no one I spoke to years ago, including Vernon or Jack Pack, seemed to know the origin of the name Streeter. I was told that it was "someone's friend's name who lived in Streeter".  No one by the name of Streeter lived in the area (not in census records). There was a presidential candidate in the late 1800s by the name, but there didn't appear to be a connection (see my posts). 

Before 1889, Streeter was called Vandalia, and that name has a complicated and long history. The name Vandalia is connected with an early proposed colony in what is now West Virginia and parts of Kentucky in the 1770s (before the Revolution). Land speculators -- including Benjamin Franklin -- wanted to call the colony Vandalia. The choice of the name was meant to gain favor with King George III. His wife, Queen Charlotte, was believed to be a descendant of ancient Germanic Vandal tribes. The title "King of the Vandals" was a title that many European monarchs used over the centuries. The proposal for the colony was abandoned as tensions between Great Britain and the American colonies escalated before the Revolutionary War.  Also, the plan was opposed by the colony of Virginia, which had its own claims to the land and was afraid of losing political influence over what might become a new colony. 

The name Vandalia became an important symbol of the distinct culture of people in this region that set them apart from the culture of the more coastal colony of Virginia. In the 1860s, it was even considered as a name for our state, however, "West Virginia" won out. 

It's no wonder that Streeter was once named Vandalia. By the way, there is a Vandalia in Lewis County, West Virginia. There is also the annual Vandalia Gathering in Charleston.