The city of Urbana turned 182 years old on Sunday.

Urbana was founded on June 21, 1883, after Isaac Busey and Thomson Webber donated 40 acres of land to establish the town. Urbana became the county seat of Champaign County.

The town was named after the city of Urbana, Ohio, located in a county also called Champaign County. John Vance, state representative for Vermillion County at the time, chose the name because he grew up in Urbana, Ohio.

Urbana, Ohio, was founded in 1805 by William Ward, who supposedly named the city after the word “urbanity.” Researcher Tad Boehmer suggests that it was actually named after the city of Urbanna, Virginia.

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