War veterans were given land grants in the Macomb area, which was part of the "Military Tract" set aside by Congress.

Ulysses S. Grant, Andrew Johnson, Rutherford B. Hayes, William McKinley, and Theodore Roosevelt have all made short addresses in Macomb.

On two occasions, Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama addressed large audiences prior to their election as president.

Obama was stumping for the U.S. Senate at the time, meaning a president or presidential nominee has not visited Macomb in 109 years and counting.

[8] The WIU campus and its Hanson Field Stadium were home to the St. Louis Rams' football summer training camp from 1996 to 2004.

In 2005, the Rams decided to move summer training to their own facilities in St. Louis, Missouri, ending the nine-year relationship.

[11] The nine-time Drum Corps International (DCI) World Class Finalist, from Dubuque, IA are a group of 160 high school- and college-aged musicians, plus 40 staff members and support team members.

The Potters began play after local fans raised funds to start the team.

[13][14] On Friday, June 18, 1909, the Macomb Potters hosted an exhibition game against the defending World Series Champion Chicago Cubs.

After the game, each team split the gate money minus expenses and each club received $971.50.

[13] The East Fork Lamoine River flows past the northern part of the city.

Major Manufacturers: Macomb is home to the annual McDonough County Fair, which typically runs for a week in the summer.