Historical Markers and War Memorials in Mattoon, Illinois
Charleston is the county seat for Coles County
Mattoon is in Coles County
Coles County(45) ► ADJACENT TO COLES COUNTY Clark County(31) ► Cumberland County(12) ► Douglas County(5) ► Edgar County(18) ► Moultrie County(5) ► Shelby County(18) ►
Touch name on this list to highlight map location. Touch blue arrow, or on map, to go there.
Perryville, KY
Middle Tennesse Campaign
Hoover's Gap, TN
Chickamauga Creek, GA
Farmington, TN
Atlanta Campaign
Resaca, GA
Kennesaw Mountain, GA
Selma, Al
Columbus, GA — — Map (db m188557) WM
Growth of a Railroad Town
"Where a great way from the northern plain
Meets one from the deltas of cotton and cane;
…
Where the steeds of those great iron highways meet
To unload the wealth of the world at her feet,
The Queen of . . . — — Map (db m189025) HM
The Big Dig and Beyond
In 1914, to eliminate congestion and travel delays, the Illinois Central Railroad began construction of the subway. ICRR demolished several buildings, including the landmark Essex House and Union Depot. They laid the . . . — — Map (db m189034) HM
This mural embraces the landscape, history and people of Mattoon. For years after the completion of the rail, many trains a day would meet at the intersection of the tracks at the center of town and determine right of way in polite fashion. This . . . — — Map (db m188431) HM
With the fortunes of conventional warfare turning rapidly against the Confederate States of America in early 1864, the Confederate government chose to embark on a formal campaign of behind-the-lines insurrection, subversion and sabotage in the . . . — — Map (db m188422) HM
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. . . . — — Map (db m189056) HM
May 1861 - Captain, Illinois Adjutant General's office
April 1865 - General-in-chief armies of the United States
"The art of war is simple enough. Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can. Strike as hard as you can . . . — — Map (db m188543) HM WM
From 1831 to 1834 Thomas and Sarah Lincoln, father and stepmother of Abraham Lincoln, lived in a cabin which stood a short distance to the north. It was their first home in Coles County, and their second home in Illinois. — — Map (db m188282) HM
Side OneTop Section
Abraham Lincoln’s last visit to Cole County was indeed of a personal nature. Lincoln was described as he left Springfield by Henry C. Whitney, who accompanied him part of the way on the train: “. . . . . . — — Map (db m30840) HM
In 1859 the Mattoon Union Agricultural Fairgrounds, encompassing a 90-acre rectangle north and west of this location, was established by the Union Agricultural Fair Association, an organization of Mattoon men. The Union Fairgrounds consisted of . . . — — Map (db m188562) HM
Oil Boom
In the 1940s, Mattoon became a hub for the oil industry. Companies large and small opened offices here, attracted by the developing oil fields, the business environment, and the quality of life. The oil business brought new people . . . — — Map (db m189055) HM
Site of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church
constructed 1859, reconstructed 1895 with elements of the old building included.
In 1863, the church basement was used as a Civil War hospital. Mattoon served as an exchange point for soldiers on . . . — — Map (db m188425) HM
On this spot stood the Clapboard Inn, General Store, and Post Office of the early settlers, including the Lincoln family.
The survey of the Village shows thirty-seven lots. Main Street, sixty feet wide, ran immediately with the State Road and . . . — — Map (db m10991) HM
The Buckle on the Corn Belt
In the early 1920s Mattoon was proclaimed "The Buckle on the Corn Belt." This slogan was used to encourage people and businesses to settle here. Like any developing city, Mattoon met its share of challenges, . . . — — Map (db m189054) HM
A Prairie Landscape Heritage
Tribes of Pottawatomie, Kickapoo, and Winnebago were known to have inhabited the region, but the first settlers of Mattoon found mostly open prairie. Timber was scarce and early settlers could see for miles, . . . — — Map (db m188951) HM
For those who fought & died in Vietnam
Van Gundy, Nelson Earl - USMC
Rathe, Philip Henry -USMC
Shields, Gary Don - USMC
Butler, Benny Lee - USMC
Overmyer, Robert Joe - USMC
Shumbarger, Dale Earl - USMC
Hutchison, Stanley Robert - . . . — — Map (db m188949) WM
