Decatur, city, seat of Macon County, central Illinois, on the Sangamon River (dammed here to form Lake Decatur); platted 1829, incorporated as a city 1855. Among its many manufactures are processed soybeans and corn, motor-vehicle parts, rubber products, and glass items. Coal is mined in the area. Millikin University (1901) and a community college are in the city. Of interest in Decatur is the log courthouse in which Abraham Lincoln (who had settled nearby with his family in 1830) practiced as a circuit lawyer. It was here in 1860 that the Republican state convention gave Lincoln his initial endorsement for the presidential nomination. The first post of the Grand Army of the Republic, a veterans organization, was organized at Decatur in 1866. The city is named for the American naval officer Stephen Decatur. Population 94,081 (1980); 83,885 (1990); 81,860 (2000).Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Decatur Information info
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