Danville. 1 City (1990 pop. 33,828), seat of Vermilion co., E Ill., on the Vermilion River at the Ind. line; inc. 1839. It is a commercial and industrial center in a dairy, farm, and coal area. Coal was once a central industry; agriculture and manufacturing have become predominant. Abraham Lincoln maintained a law office in Danville for five years. Nearby is Kickapoo State Park, with a number of lakes.
2 City (1990 pop. 12,420), seat of Boyle co., central Ky.; settled 1775, inc. 1836. One of the oldest settlements in Kentucky, Danville is a manufacturing center in an agricultural region. Of note is the Dr. Ephraim McDowell House, scene (1809) of the first ovariotomy. Centre College and the first state-supported school for the deaf (opened 1823) are also there.
3 City (1990 pop. 53,056), S central Va., on the Dan River; politically independent of, but surrounded by, Pittsylvania co.; founded 1793, inc. 1870. It is a market and processing point for bright leaf tobacco. The city is also known for its huge Dan River textile mill (begun 1883). During the Civil War, Danville had a Confederate quartermaster depot, a hospital, and a prison camp. In Apr., 1865, Jefferson Davis and his cabinet fled there from Richmond. The Sutherlin Mansion, the "Last Capitol of the Confederacy," is a historical landmark. Other points of interest include the home of Lady Nancy Witcher (Langhorne) Astor, who was born in Danville; the National Tobacco and Textile Museum; and Averett Univ.
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