In the National Spotlight

In the National Spotlight. . Bagelfest, After Kraft purchased the Lender's Bagel Company in 1984, the local plant shifted production. Not only did Mattoon become one of the world's leading producers, but bagels became an important part of the City's national identity. Mattoon hosted its first Bagelfest in 1986 and it quickly became one of the most popular annual festivals in east central Illinois., Political History, (photo captions:), ·Abraham Lincoln passed through Mattoon in 1856 on his way to Charleston for one of a series of now-famous debates with Senator Stephen A. Douglas., ·Teddy Roosevelt campaigns from the back of an ICRR car stopped at the Essex House in 1912., ·President Harry S. Truman gives his final campaign speech from the back of a New York Central train in 1948. Pictured with the President is Senator Scott Lucas of Illinois., Local Legends, In 1957, Gene and Betty Hoots fixed up a two-car garage behind their Frigid Queen ice cream stand and created the original Burger King. Although they predated the fast food giant, the Hootses had to fight to protect their name. After a fierce lawsuit in 1968, they emerged victorious, with exclusive naming rights for 20 miles around Mattoon., (photo captions:), ·Born in Mattoon in 1924, Patricia Harris was the first African American woman to hold a Cabinet position, serving as both Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (1977-79) and Health and Human Services (1979-81). She also served as Ambassador to Luxembourg (1965-67)., ·Arland D. Williams, Jr. was a Mattoon native who died heroically saving five fellow passengers during a plane crash into the icy Potomoc River on January 13, 1982., The Mad Gasser, In the late summer of 1944, the national spotlight shone on Mattoon after numerous reports of alleged "gas attacks" by an unknown assailant. The national media descended. After investigation failed to apprehend the mysterious "Mad Gasser" the case was closed. Today, the event is widely believed to have been an episode of mass hysteria. Or was it?, Sports Legacies, (photo captions:), ·Duane Purvis was regarded by many as the best Illinois high school football player of 1930. Named to the all-state team, he went on to be an All-American at Purdue University., ·Bill Tate, a 1949 graduate of MHS, was a two-time all-state fullback and went on to play at the University of Illinois, where he was chosen the "Most Outstanding Player" of the Rose Bowl game against Stanford in 1952., ·Members of the Mattoon Athletic Association are pictured with legendary Chicago Cubs announcer Harry Caray (third from the left), then radio announcer for the St. Louis Cardinals, and the legendary Cardinal Stan "The Man" Musial, ca. 1950.