Re: Namesake of Mattoon, Ill.
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In reply to:
Namesake of Mattoon, Ill.
8/21/01
The Mattoon Family Genealogy (1965) has the following info:
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Mattoon, Ill was named for William Mattoon, b. May 16, 1814,Vienna, NY. He settled in Springfield, Mass. in 1843. He built the foundations of the Bay State Mills in Lawrence, Mass., and the Worcester (Mass.) and Nashua (N.H.) R.R. In 1850, he became a partner in the firm of Phelps, Mattoon, and Barnes. In ten years, they built several railroads.
The Associated Press carried this item in July 1939:
"W.P.A. workers on a Federal Writers Project, collecting historical data for an Illinois Guide Book, discovered this early narrative explaining the origin of the name MATTOON.
In 1850-52, just after railroad lines were extended into the area embracing Coles County, three men met to discuss plans for founding a town that would serve as a shipping point for the rich agricultural area.
They agreed to play a hand of poker to determine which would have the honor of naming the community. One of the men was William Mattoon, supervisor of construction for the railroad.
Mattoon won the game and announced: 'This thriving and beautiful metropolis shall be called MATTOON.'"
In 1861 William Matton retired to a farm near Springfield, Mass., where he had a prize winning herd of Devon cattle, said to have taken more premiums than any herd in the U.S.
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Yes, his family line reaches back to Deerfield. His decendency from Philip Mattoon of Deerfield is as follows:
1. Philip Mattoon
+ Sarah Hawkes
2. John Mattoon
+ Jerusha Hall
3. David Mattoon
+ Phebe Curtis
4. Amasa Mattoon
+ Elizabeth Dayton
5. William Mattoon
+ Sarah Hungerford
6. William Mattoon
Regards,
Glenn Hoppe
7G Grandson of Philip Mattoon.