Home of the Elephant Ear Tenderloin and our famous hand-cut and breaded made to order Fried Mushrooms!

What do you know about the history of the city of Mattoon? Did you know that one of the main factors determining the settlement of Mattoon and Coles County, in general, was the topography? Coles County straddled a timberline in the southern half and prairie in the north. The forested areas were primarily fed by two major rivers: the Embarras River in the east and the Kaskaskia in the west. The prairie, known as the “Grand Prairie”, was generally wet and swampy. It was almost entirely prairie land in this part and was allowed to remain uncultivated until after the opening of the railroads.

In 1861, the town was officially named after William B. Mattoon, the chief construction engineer working for the Terre Haute and Alton Railroad and partner of the Massachusetts firm “Phelps, Mattoon, and Barnes.” The reason for the honor is unclear; some say he won the naming rights because his rail crew arrived first. 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. With its combination of excellent transportation and remarkably fertile prairie soils, Mattoon expanded rapidly and continues to expand to this day.