Mattoon topographic map

Name: Mattoon topographic map, elevation, terrain.

Location: Mattoon, Coles County, Illinois, 61938, United States (39.41045 -88.41922 39.52085 -88.26652)

Average elevation: 722 ft

Minimum elevation: 659 ft

Maximum elevation: 794 ft

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. An early historian described the geography:

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