An early historian described the geography: "Away from the timber to the north, the face of the country is generally quite level, broken only by long undulations.

It was largely used for pasturage during this period, and often presented signs of great animation as the herds of cattle, under the care of their drovers, moved about over its grassy, slightly undulating surface.

Since the vast majority of early settlers came from wooded areas of Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee (by way of the Ohio and Wabash River valleys), the forests also provided a sense of familiarity.

Within a year, a few families very quickly settled around Sawyer in the area of Paradise Township, including Dr. John Epperson, the county's first physician.

[4] The first school was established in 1827–28 in the Paradise Township, taking place in a makeshift cabin and taught by James Waddill.

Another trail, the Kaskaskia Pass, traveled past what was known as "The Lone Elm Tree", a natural landmark that helped guide visitors and newcomers.

The community that had grown in the area of swamp grass and prairie came to be known as "Pegtown", which referred to the pegs (stakes) used to demarcate lots to be sold at public auction.

Also in 1857, ordinances passed forbidding drunkenness, working on Sunday, disturbing public or religious meetings, gaming, leaving carcasses on the streets, littering, obstructing sidewalks, and driving fast horses.

On the night before the fourth Lincoln-Douglas debate of September 18, 1858, at the Coles County Fairgrounds, both Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas slept in nearby Mattoon.

The Essex House, the third brick building in town, opened on the southwest corner of the railroad intersection with Union Station located on the lower story.

Today, the mural "Civility" (2009), located in Progress Square, commemorates the arrival of the railroad and depicts the Essex House and both Lincoln and Douglas.

Others say he beat other claimants in a card game, or that Pegtown residents hoped the wealthy Mattoon would invest in the town if they named it after him.

On June 17, 1861, General Ulysses S. Grant took his first post of the American Civil War when he assumed command of the 21st Illinois Infantry in Mattoon.

Amish farm stands and horse-drawn buggies are not uncommon sights in the northern part of Mattoon today.

In the 1890s, Mattoon led the successful campaign to have a proposed college in eastern Illinois located in Coles County.

[8] In 1932, the Kuehne Manufacturing Co. began producing dinette sets at their new plant on the south side of Mattoon.

The 1940 discovery of petroleum reserves near Mattoon led to a small "oil boom" over the next two decades, bringing with it economic benefits and increased civic pride.

In 1968, they sued the national chain Burger King, producing a well-known case in United States trademark law.

On December 18, 2007, the U.S. Department of Energy chose the city as the site of its FutureGen project, a zero-emissions coal-fueled power plant that was to make hydrogen and electricity while using carbon capture and storage.

[9] Three years later, the city rejected the proposal after DoE announced its intention to retrofit an existing power plant in Meredosia instead of building a new one in Mattoon.

Hood and accomplices bought businesses in the Mattoon area, including the Blue Bird Diner, a longtime family favorite in the small town.

Home to the world's largest bagel, the town holds a weeklong family festival, "Lenders Bagelfest", at the end of July.

The main event is a 3-day weekend festival held in Peterson Park near downtown, featuring food and craft vendors, local organizations, rides such as the Ferris wheel and the Tilt-A-Whirl, and morning community events such as The Big Bagel Breakfast and Bagel Bingo.

A beauty pageant crowns winners in various age groups, who ride in the parade held on the Saturday morning of the event.

The small oil field to the south of the moraine is also attributed to glacial activity: The weight of the glacier to the north created cracks in the underlying bedrock.

Rural King, which is a large retailer for agricultural supplies, has its headquarters located on the west side of town off of Dewitt Avenue.

It opened in 1971 and it features Rural King, Marshalls, Jo-Ann Fabrics, and Dunham's Sports as its anchor locations.

Much of the major commercial development in recent years has occurred along Interstate 57, which crosses the eastern edge of Mattoon.

Amtrak Train 59, the southbound City of New Orleans, is scheduled to depart Mattoon at 11:13pm daily with service to Effingham, Centralia, Carbondale, Fulton, Newbern-Dyersburg, Memphis, Greenwood, Yazoo City, Jackson, Hazlehurst, Brookhaven, McComb, Hammond, and New Orleans.

Amtrak Train 58, the northbound City of New Orleans, is scheduled to depart Mattoon at 5:23am daily with service to Champaign-Urbana, Kankakee, Homewood, and Chicago.