Macon, a city and the capital of Bibb co., Georgia, situated on both sides of the Ocmul-gee river, here crossed by a bridge, at the head of steamboat navigation, 80 m. S. E. of Atlanta, and 160 m. W. by N. of Savannah; pop. in 1850,5,720; in 1860, 8,247; in 1870, 10,810, of whom 5,183 were colored. It occupies an elevated and healthy site, is well laid out, most of the streets being 180 ft. wide and adorned with shade trees, and has many handsome buildings. The central city park, combining pleasure and fair grounds, was laid out in 1870 at a cost of $125,000, and possesses great beauty. Rose Hill cemetery, near Macon, is one of the most beautiful burial grounds in the United States. It is situated on the Ocmul-gee, about half a mile below the city, mostly on elevated ground, the highest point being 142 ft. above the bed of the river, and comprises about 50 acres. Macon has ample means of communication by the Central, Southwestern, Macon and Augusta, Macon and Brunswick, and Macon and Western railroads, which centre here, and carries on an important trade. These roads have workshops in the city, and there are also three iron founderies and machine shops, a cotton factory, several flouring mills, and manufactories of sash and blinds, brick, etc.
The banking capital amounts to $1,032,000, distributed between one national and five state banks. Macon is the seat of the state academy for the blind, which occupies an imposing brick edifice four stories high, and has a library of 2,000 volumes. Mercer university (Baptist) was organized in 1838, and in 1871-'2 had 5 professors, 82 students, and 9,000 volumes in its libraries, including those of the college societies. A theological department is connected with it. The Wesleyan female college, organized in 1839, in 1872-'3 had 13 instructors and 190 students. A daily, a semi-weekly, and two weekly newspapers are published, and there are seven churches. Macon was settled in 1823.
Macon, a city and the capital of Macon co., Missouri, at the intersection of the Hannibal and St. Joseph, and the St. Louis, Kansas City, and Northern railroads, 170 m. N. W. of St. Louis, and 80 m. N. of Jefferson City; pop. in 1870, 3,678, of whom 920 were colored. It has a wagon factory with a capital of $50,000, a savings bank, a private bank, two public school houses (one for white children, costing $20,-000, and one for colored, costing $5,000), four weekly newspapers, and 12 churches. It is the seat of Macon academy, formerly Johnson male and female college.
S. E. of Paris, and 37 m. N. of Lyons; pop. in 1866, 18,382. It has a college, a normal school, an agricultural and scientific society, and manufactories of clocks, watches, machinery, casks, earthenware, copperware, woollen coverlets, velvet, etc. Macon is the centre of a great trade in Burgundy wine. The best sorts are the growths of Thorins and Moulin a Vent, which are red, and of Pouilly, a white wine. The commerce in grain, hoops, horns, and cattle is considerable. Lamartine was a native of Macon. It was the seat of a bishopric from the 5th century till the revolution. (See Maconnais.)