County of city: McDonough County
Location of station: Lafayette St., Calhoun St. & Railroad St., Macomb
Location of city: Center of relative square county
Location of city hall: 232 East Jackson St.
Phone: (309) 833-2575
Founded: 1830
Named After: Alexander Macomb
Elevation: 643 ft (196 m)
Population: 15,052 (2021)
The Person:
Memorial text:
In Memory of Major General
Alexander Macomb
Commander-in-Chief of the United States Army
1825 - 1841
Hero of the Battle of Plattsburg, N.Y.
September 9, 1814.
Born April 8, 1782
Died June 25, 1841.
He served his country for a period of more than forty years.
Alexander Macomb, Junior (3 April 1782 – 25 June 1841) was the commanding general of the United States Army from 29 May 1828
to 25 June 1841 Macomb was commissioned in the Army Corps of Engineers in 1802 and spent five years in charge of coastal fortifications in the Carolinas and Georgia. He won acclaim during the War of 1812 as brigadier-general in command of the frontier of northern New York. At the Battle of Plattsburg on September 11, 1814 with only 1,500 regular troops and some detachments of militia, he was opposed by a British force of 10,531 men under Lieutenant-General Sir George Prevost. Macomb's heavily-outnumbered troops fell back before the British columns in a series of skirmishes as Prevost advanced towards the American defensive works. The British were about to launch an assault on the American defenses when the news came through of the defeat of the British naval squadron on Lake Champlain. Prevost had needed the British Lake Champlain squadron to supply his planned advance into Vermont. Without it, he had no choice but to abandon the Expedition: so the British invaders marched off back to Canada. Although Commodore Thomas Macdonough's sailors and not the Army had been responsible for stopping the British invasion, Macomb was nevertheless showered with praise and styled "The Hero of Plattsburgh" by some of the American press. He was promoted major-general for his conduct at this battle, receiving both the thanks of Congress and a Congressional Gold Medal.
When Major General Jacob Brown, the Army’s commanding general, died in February 1828, President John Quincy Adams could have chosen as Brown's successor one of the Army's two brigadier generals. But the two — Winfield Scott and Edmund P. Gaines — had denounced each other publicly and for months had been contesting for the position. Their quarrels scandalized the Army and drove Adams to nominate Alexander Macomb, the Chief of Engineers, who by then had reverted rank to colonel, as the Army’s top general.
A curious feature of Macomb's career is that, like Dwight Eisenhower, he became a military hero without ever actually coming under enemy fire in his life.
The Place:
History of Macomb:
"Macomb was first settled in 1829 on a site tentatively named Washington. Officially founded in 1830, it was given the name Macomb after General Alexander Macomb of the War of 1812. With a population boom brought on by the emerging railroad industry, Macomb is still a proud Amtrak community to this day bringing local and visitors alike to the heart of Downtown Macomb.
"More than just a rich agricultural area or a vibrant university town, Macomb and the McDonough County region are filled with rich history and notable figures. Macomb archives are packed full of stories of famous visitors, such as Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and Barak Obama, who have all made significant stops in Macomb as part of their political careers.
"Macomb is known for our Midwest hospitality and there is no greater example of our hometown pride than Macomb native, minister, author, and civil rights pioneer, Rev. Dr. Cordy Tindell “C.T.” Vivian. A distinguished leader and organizer in the Civil Rights Movement, Vivian paved the way for future activists and opportunities for justice through sit ins, educational speeches, and a lifelong passion for equality. His likeness is commemorated on a 75-foot mural depicting his legacy, along with a city street bearing his name, and future plans for a community center and park at his childhood home.
"Besides hosting several dignitaries, Macomb is also a great place to play. Macomb born actress, writer, poet, inventor, and pioneering feminist, Elizabeth “Lizzie” Magie-Phillips created what has now become the most popular board game in the world, known as Monopoly. Her original 1903 Landlord’s Game was later sold to Parker Brothers and has become a global sensation. Macomb has officially proclaimed May 9th, Lizzie’s birthday as “Lizzie Magie Day.”
"Macomb is also a community with a unique sense of humor. In the late 1960s, a group of concerned citizens dubbed a sixteen-county section of west-central Illinois “Forgottonia” in protest of the lack of state and federal investment in highways and other infrastructure in the region.
"What started as a tongue-in-cheek name grew into a satirical movement by the early 1970s, when Forgottonia leaders appointed a governor, selected a capital, and threatened secession so they could declare war, immediately surrender, and then petition for foreign aid. They even had their own flag: the white flag of surrender.
"Thanks in part to these efforts, our region now enjoys a passenger train route to Chicago and an improved system of bridges and highways that allow for easier access to our little slice of Illinois.
"Over the years, Forgottonia has come to stand for the deep connection the people of west-central Illinois feel to our region and the playful and irreverent refusal to let ourselves be forgotten.
"These are just a few examples of the many people, places, and stories who have worked their way into the culture of the community that is now called Macomb. We invite you to explore our city streets, rural areas, and famed landmarks to get the change to embrace the past and admire how it continues to shape our region for years to come." ~ Macomb Area Chamber of Commerce
MAJORS MESSAGE:
"Welcome to Macomb, the home of Western Illinois University! You will find that Macomb is a diverse community with an interesting blend of agriculture, industry, service, retail, education and culture. We would like to think that we have the best of all worlds in Macomb. You can visit a wonderfully rural Farmers Market and experience the excitement of a major university community, all supported by strong aggressive industries, a progressive medical community, a broad and varied retail service sector, and an abundance of cultural events and talent.
"Located in the west central part of the state and directly in the center of McDonough County, Macomb serves as the county seat and has assumed the position of the regional center for the area, by providing not only retail and manufacturing opportunities, but also by providing health care, entertainment and cultural services as well.
"We hope you find Macomb to your liking. Along with this welcome is an invitation and a challenge that as you look to our city as the potential for new business, as a student at one of our two institutions of higher learning, as a new family looking to move to a new home or a retiree searching for the ideal location to spend your golden years , please help us make Macomb an even better place than it is today.
"Please contact my office or any of the other offices or staff listed on this website, so we can make Macomb the best it can be!" ~ City of Macomb