Effingham

Effingham, city, seat (1860) of Effingham county, east-central Illinois, U.S. It lies near the Little Wabash River, about 65 miles (105 km) southeast of Decatur. Settled about 1814 by farmers, the community grew slowly as pioneers moved westward along the Cumberland (National) Road, which had been extended through the area in 1831. Rapid growth began in 1854 with the arrival of the Illinois Central Railroad. Originally called Broughton, it was renamed in 1859 for Thomas...