MACOMB, p-v, capital of MacDonough co. Ill, 86 n. w. Springfield, 859 W. Situated in a fertile prairie, 2 ms. s. of the Drowning Fork of Crooked cr. It contains a court house, 4 stores, and about 125 inhabitants. (Haskell's Complete Descriptive and Statistical Gazetteer of the the United States...,1840)
MACOMB The city of Macomb, the county seat of McDonough county, is situated on the Quincy branch of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad, 80 miles north-west from Springfield and 220 miles south-west from Chicago. It was located by the commissioners in 1831, but until 1850 its progress was slow, the population, at that time, not exceeding 800, having few institutions of a public character, but since then a new impulse has been given to the place, which is now one of considerable importance. It is laid out on a beautiful rolling prairie, the streets corresponding to the cardinal points of the compass, and the scenery is diversified by plane and woodland. The land in the vicinity is watered by several small creeks, on whose banks are belts of fine woodland and timber. The soil is very rich and well cultivated. The manufactures of the city are of considerable importance, and comprise a large woolen factory, an extensive machine shop, three flour mills, two steam saw-mills, two cabinet wore factories and two blacksmith shops. There are also two plow and agricultural implement manufactories doing a large amount of business. The city contains six churches of various denominations, a college, and four district schools, all well attended. The buildings are mostly built of brick after the most approved modern style, and are of themselves ornaments to the city. The principal hotels are the Randolph, American, and French Houses; the first has recently been erected, is large and commodious, and will compare favorably with those of larger cities and towns in the state. There are also two newspaper offices having weekly issues, namely, McComb Eagle and McComb Enterprize. This city is one of the largest shipping points on the line of the railroad. Population. 2,900. J.W. Westfall, Postmaster. (Hawes' Illinois State Gazetteer...,1859)