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History of Elgin, Illinois, USA
Journey back in time to Elgin, Illinois, USA
Explore Elgin, Illinois, USA! Uncover its rich history and discover the stories of the people who once called it home. Dive into old newspaper articles, vintage pictures, postcards, and genealogy to learn more about this fascinating town.Do You Have Elgin Ancestry? Share YOUR Family Story!
Elgin, Kane, IL
"In 1835, James T. and Hezekiah Gifford, along with Samuel Jewett Kimball, settled a city that they would name "Elgin" in the state of Illinois, 38 miles west of Chicago. Situated on the Fox River, Elgin is directly between the lead mines of Galena and Chicago. Gifford, being a devoutly religious man, named his new city after a Scottish psalm. "I had been a great admirer of that tune from boyhood", he once stated, "and the name Elgin had ever fallen upon my ear with musical effects". Over the next 165 years, Elgin would be music to the ears of a great many people and industries, including one of the largest watch making factories in the world, the largest producers of dairy products in the Midwest, including the home of The Borden Milk Company, as well as the manufacturing of cars, shoes, bicycles and religious printed material." – Author James McDunn
cityofelgin.org
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Elgin Nostalgia: Vintage Photos, Ads, and Postcards
Elgin, Illinois, USA
Postcard
![Pinterest](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3a%2f%2fgreenerpasture.com%2fPlaces%2fDetails%2f1700&media=https%3a%2f%2fgreenerpasture.com%2fContent%2fancestorimages%2felgin_il_1.jpg&description=Elgin, Illinois, USA - Elgin National Watch Factory
"The Elgin National Watch Company, commonly known as Elgin Watch Company, was a major US watch maker from 1864 to 1968. The company sold watches under the names Elgin, Lord Elgin, and Lady Elgin.
For nearly 100 years the company's manufacturing complex in Elgin, Illinois, was the largest site dedicated to watchmaking in the world." wikipedia){kind=small}
Elgin National Watch Factory
"The Elgin National Watch Company, commonly known as Elgin Watch Company, was a major US watch maker from 1864 to 1968. The company sold watches under the names Elgin, Lord Elgin, and Lady Elgin.
For nearly 100 years the company's manufacturing complex in Elgin, Illinois, was the largest site dedicated to watchmaking in the world." wikipedia
Elgin, Illinois, USA
Postcard
Pavilion in Lord's Park, Elgin, Ill.
Elgin, Illinois, USA
Postcard
Chicago Street
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Discover Elgin: History, News, Travel, and Stories
1854 - Elgin
Elgin, a post-township in the N. E. part of Kane county, Illinois. Population, 2859.
Elgin, a thriving post-village in the above township, on Fox river, and on the railroad between Chicago and Galena, 42 miles W. S. W. from the former, and 138 miles from the latter. The river affords water-power, which is employed in mills of various kinds. Elgin is situated in a fertile and populous country, and has an active business. It contains several churches, 1 academy, and a number of stores.
A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States: Giving a Full and Comprehensive Review of the Present Condition, Industry, and Resources of the American Confederacy ... Thomas Baldwin (of Philadelphia.) Joseph Thomas January 1, 1854 Philadelphia : Lippincott, Grambo & Company 1854.
Elgin, a post-township in the N. E. part of Kane county, Illinois. Population, 2859.
Elgin, a thriving post-village in the above township, on Fox river, and on the railroad between Chicago and Galena, 42 miles W. S. W. from the former, and 138 miles from the latter. The river affords water-power, which is employed in mills of various kinds. Elgin is situated in a fertile and populous country, and has an active business. It contains several churches, 1 academy, and a number of stores.
A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States: Giving a Full and Comprehensive Review of the Present Condition, Industry, and Resources of the American Confederacy ... Thomas Baldwin (of Philadelphia.) Joseph Thomas January 1, 1854 Philadelphia : Lippincott, Grambo & Company 1854.
1864 - August 1 – The Elgin Watch Company is founded in Elgin, Illinois
wikipedia.org
August 1, 1864
wikipedia.org
August 1, 1864
1878 - City of Elgin
With some unimportant changes in the relative positions of the savage hordes who occasionally made it their hunting ground, the land now occupied by the city of Elgin remained, in the early Spring of 1835, as it had been since the discovery of the continent.
Early explorations had been confined to the east and south, and, though Scott's army had cleared the way three years previously, the vast resources of this valley were at that date undeveloped; no cabin appeared with the curling smoke from the fire of the pioneer, and no claim lines betokened the earliest settlement. Desolation reigned in the midst of the "Garden of the World," and silence, interrupted only by the chirp of some feathered songster, the bark of the prairie wolf or the triumphant yell of the dark hunter, as he brought down the vigilant buck.
But the settlers were on their way, and in order to fully comprehend the immediate causes which led to the peopling of Elgin, it will be necessary to retrace our steps to... Read MORE...
With some unimportant changes in the relative positions of the savage hordes who occasionally made it their hunting ground, the land now occupied by the city of Elgin remained, in the early Spring of 1835, as it had been since the discovery of the continent.
Early explorations had been confined to the east and south, and, though Scott's army had cleared the way three years previously, the vast resources of this valley were at that date undeveloped; no cabin appeared with the curling smoke from the fire of the pioneer, and no claim lines betokened the earliest settlement. Desolation reigned in the midst of the "Garden of the World," and silence, interrupted only by the chirp of some feathered songster, the bark of the prairie wolf or the triumphant yell of the dark hunter, as he brought down the vigilant buck.
But the settlers were on their way, and in order to fully comprehend the immediate causes which led to the peopling of Elgin, it will be necessary to retrace our steps to... Read MORE...
1880 - Suffrage Protection
Chicago, Ill., March 12, 1880
Judge Blodgett rendered an interesting decision to-day in the nature of advice to the United States Commissioner upon an election point.
At the recent municipal election at Elgin, Ill, about seventy voters employed in the mild condensing works were notified by their superintendent to vote the no-license ticket. The license nominee thereupon applied to Commissioner Hoyne for a writ of arrest, who, being in doubt, referred the matter to Judge Blodgett, who to-day advised him that the United States Court, in a similar case, had held that the fifteenth amendment and Revised Statute 5, 507 contemplate the protection in the right of suffrage only of former slaves, and that free or white men do not come within the legal safeguards. The writ for arrest will therefore not issue.
New York Herald
New York, New York
March 13, 1880
Chicago, Ill., March 12, 1880
Judge Blodgett rendered an interesting decision to-day in the nature of advice to the United States Commissioner upon an election point.
At the recent municipal election at Elgin, Ill, about seventy voters employed in the mild condensing works were notified by their superintendent to vote the no-license ticket. The license nominee thereupon applied to Commissioner Hoyne for a writ of arrest, who, being in doubt, referred the matter to Judge Blodgett, who to-day advised him that the United States Court, in a similar case, had held that the fifteenth amendment and Revised Statute 5, 507 contemplate the protection in the right of suffrage only of former slaves, and that free or white men do not come within the legal safeguards. The writ for arrest will therefore not issue.
New York Herald
New York, New York
March 13, 1880
1895 - Elgin
Eigin, El'jin, a city of Kane co., Ill., on Fox River, at the junction of two railroads, 36 miles W.N.W. of Chicago. It contains 15 churches, 3 national banks, 1 other bank, an academy, a high school, public schools, and a manufactory of watches (the Elgin National Watch Company), which employs 3200 hands and produces watches valued at about $4,000,000 annually. It has also manufactures of carriages, shoes, watch-cases, condensed milk, and other articles. Elgin has an extensive trade in butter and cheese, its sales in these articles amounting to about $2,500,000 a year. Nine newspapers are published here. The river is here spanned by several bridges, and affords extensive water-power. Pop. in 1880, 8787; in 1890, 17,823.
Lippincott's Gazetteer of the World: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World Containing Notices of Over One Hundred and Twenty-five Thousand Places ... Joseph Thomas January 1, 1895 J.B. Lippincott
Eigin, El'jin, a city of Kane co., Ill., on Fox River, at the junction of two railroads, 36 miles W.N.W. of Chicago. It contains 15 churches, 3 national banks, 1 other bank, an academy, a high school, public schools, and a manufactory of watches (the Elgin National Watch Company), which employs 3200 hands and produces watches valued at about $4,000,000 annually. It has also manufactures of carriages, shoes, watch-cases, condensed milk, and other articles. Elgin has an extensive trade in butter and cheese, its sales in these articles amounting to about $2,500,000 a year. Nine newspapers are published here. The river is here spanned by several bridges, and affords extensive water-power. Pop. in 1880, 8787; in 1890, 17,823.
Lippincott's Gazetteer of the World: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World Containing Notices of Over One Hundred and Twenty-five Thousand Places ... Joseph Thomas January 1, 1895 J.B. Lippincott
1902 - Switch Left Open.
Elgin, Ills., Aug. 4 - In a streetcar collision here two cars were telescoped and several persons seriously injured. A switch to a siding upon which stood three empty cars was left open, and the car from Elgin to Dundee crashed into the standing cars, two being telescoped. The passengers were imprisoned for nearly an hour, and every one of the 15 on the car was more or less seriously injured. Those most seriously hurt were: Frank Warner, motorman, leg broken, badly cut and injured internally, may die; Franks Minard, Carpentersville, both legs broken, internally injured, serious; Mrs. D. C. Hunter and two children; Mrs. M. Eborlein and daughter, badly cut and bruised.
Mansfield News
Mansfield, Ohio
August 4, 1902
Elgin, Ills., Aug. 4 - In a streetcar collision here two cars were telescoped and several persons seriously injured. A switch to a siding upon which stood three empty cars was left open, and the car from Elgin to Dundee crashed into the standing cars, two being telescoped. The passengers were imprisoned for nearly an hour, and every one of the 15 on the car was more or less seriously injured. Those most seriously hurt were: Frank Warner, motorman, leg broken, badly cut and injured internally, may die; Franks Minard, Carpentersville, both legs broken, internally injured, serious; Mrs. D. C. Hunter and two children; Mrs. M. Eborlein and daughter, badly cut and bruised.
Mansfield News
Mansfield, Ohio
August 4, 1902
1904 - Elgin Factory Burned
Elgin, Ills., Aug. 12. - Fire of unknown origin started in a pile of excelsior back of the brick vault on the second floor of the factory of the Fauber Manufacturing company, and an hour later only the walls of the building were standing. The factory plant was valued at $400,000 and $50,000 worth of finished automobiles were on hand.
The Daily Review
Decatur, Illinois
August 12, 1904
Elgin, Ills., Aug. 12. - Fire of unknown origin started in a pile of excelsior back of the brick vault on the second floor of the factory of the Fauber Manufacturing company, and an hour later only the walls of the building were standing. The factory plant was valued at $400,000 and $50,000 worth of finished automobiles were on hand.
The Daily Review
Decatur, Illinois
August 12, 1904
1911 - 2 KILLED IN ELGIN AUTO RACE - GRANDSTAND COLLAPSES
Elgin, Ill., Aug. 26 - The death of a driver and his mechanician[sic] when their big racing car turned a somersault going at eighty miles an hour and the injury of scores of spectators when a section of the grandstand collapsed, marked the second day of speed madness and record smashing at the great Elgin national road races to-day.
Crowd Wants Excitement.
One hundred thousand people treated death as a spectacular incident and the sport continued until the finish of the races, with LEN ZENGEL, driving a National car, winner of the Elgin national trophy and the thousands of dollars prize money. ZENGEL covered the 305 miles at an average speed of 66.45 miles an hour.
It was on one of the closing laps of the race that DAVE BUCK and his mechanican, SAM JACOBS, driving in the Pope-Hartford car, attempted to negotiate the northern turn at terrific speed, JACOBS swinging out like a lever to balance the machine.
BUCK struck a rut and the car threw a front tire. The huge machine dug... Read MORE...
Elgin, Ill., Aug. 26 - The death of a driver and his mechanician[sic] when their big racing car turned a somersault going at eighty miles an hour and the injury of scores of spectators when a section of the grandstand collapsed, marked the second day of speed madness and record smashing at the great Elgin national road races to-day.
Crowd Wants Excitement.
One hundred thousand people treated death as a spectacular incident and the sport continued until the finish of the races, with LEN ZENGEL, driving a National car, winner of the Elgin national trophy and the thousands of dollars prize money. ZENGEL covered the 305 miles at an average speed of 66.45 miles an hour.
It was on one of the closing laps of the race that DAVE BUCK and his mechanican, SAM JACOBS, driving in the Pope-Hartford car, attempted to negotiate the northern turn at terrific speed, JACOBS swinging out like a lever to balance the machine.
BUCK struck a rut and the car threw a front tire. The huge machine dug... Read MORE...
1916
Elgin, a city of Kane and Cook cos., Ill., on the Fox River, 36 miles WNW. of Chicago, on the Chicago and Northwestern and the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Rs. It has manufactures of watches and watch-cases, carriages, farm-machinery, shoes, silver-ware, condensed milk, and other articles. There is an extensive trade in butter, cheese, and agricultural produce. The Northern Hospital for the Insane, Elgin Academy, and St. Mary's Academy are located here. The river is here spanned by several bridges and affords extensive water-power. Pop. in 1890, 17,823 ; in 1900, 22,433.
Lippincotts New Gazetteer: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World, Containing the Most Recent and Authentic Information Respecting the Countries, Cities, Towns, Resorts, Islands, Rivers, Mountains, Seas, Lakes, Etc., in Every Portion of the Globe, Part 1 Angelo Heilprin Louis Heilprin - January 1, 1916 J.B. Lippincott - Publisher
Elgin, a city of Kane and Cook cos., Ill., on the Fox River, 36 miles WNW. of Chicago, on the Chicago and Northwestern and the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Rs. It has manufactures of watches and watch-cases, carriages, farm-machinery, shoes, silver-ware, condensed milk, and other articles. There is an extensive trade in butter, cheese, and agricultural produce. The Northern Hospital for the Insane, Elgin Academy, and St. Mary's Academy are located here. The river is here spanned by several bridges and affords extensive water-power. Pop. in 1890, 17,823 ; in 1900, 22,433.
Lippincotts New Gazetteer: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World, Containing the Most Recent and Authentic Information Respecting the Countries, Cities, Towns, Resorts, Islands, Rivers, Mountains, Seas, Lakes, Etc., in Every Portion of the Globe, Part 1 Angelo Heilprin Louis Heilprin - January 1, 1916 J.B. Lippincott - Publisher
1920 - EIGHT KILLED, 100 HURT AT ELGIN IN STORM CAUSING $4,000,000 LOSS. TORNADO WRECKS BUSINESS SECTION AND DAMAGES VIRTUALLY EVERY HOME - WORSHIPPERS CRUSHED IN CHURCH - CITY PARALYZED - NOW UNDER MARTIAL LAW.
Special to The New York Times.
Elgin, Ill., March 28. - Eight people are known to have been killed and a hundred were injured when a tornado swept over this city shortly after noon today. The financial loss is estimated to be upward of $4,000,000. Virtually every building in Elgin was struck by the storm.
Late this afternoon a rumor came to Elgin that six persons thought to have been Chicagoans, who were motoring at the time the cyclone passed, were killed on a country road three miles east of town. Ambulances were immediately rushed to the location.
The entire city was paralyzed by the storm, which came at 12:10 P.M. In less than three minutes it had passed. Martial law was declared by National Guard troops at 4 o'clock.
Entire Business Part Wrecked.
The entire business section of the town was wrecked. Hardly a home was left with whole windows and roofs. Most of the people in Elgin were in church when the tornado swept down.
Three women and a little girl were buried in... Read MORE...
Special to The New York Times.
Elgin, Ill., March 28. - Eight people are known to have been killed and a hundred were injured when a tornado swept over this city shortly after noon today. The financial loss is estimated to be upward of $4,000,000. Virtually every building in Elgin was struck by the storm.
Late this afternoon a rumor came to Elgin that six persons thought to have been Chicagoans, who were motoring at the time the cyclone passed, were killed on a country road three miles east of town. Ambulances were immediately rushed to the location.
The entire city was paralyzed by the storm, which came at 12:10 P.M. In less than three minutes it had passed. Martial law was declared by National Guard troops at 4 o'clock.
Entire Business Part Wrecked.
The entire business section of the town was wrecked. Hardly a home was left with whole windows and roofs. Most of the people in Elgin were in church when the tornado swept down.
Three women and a little girl were buried in... Read MORE...
Here's a mix of attractions and activities to check out in Elgin:
Grand Victoria Casino:
Feeling lucky? Grand Victoria Casino is a great spot to try your hand at some games and enjoy some entertainment.
Fox River Trail:
If you're into outdoor activities, the Fox River Trail is a fantastic place for hiking, biking, or just taking a leisurely stroll along the river.
Elgin History Museum:
Dive into Elgin's past at the Elgin History Museum. Learn about the city's rich history and its role in shaping the region.
The Hemmens Cultural Center:
Check out a show or event at The Hemmens Cultural Center. It hosts concerts, plays, and other performances throughout the year.
Lord's Park:
Lord's Park is not only a beautiful green space but also home to the Elgin Public Museum. Perfect for a day out with family or a peaceful walk.
Bluff Spring Fen:
Nature lovers should explore Bluff Spring Fen, a nature preserve known for its diverse plant and animal life. It's a great spot for bird watching and hiking.
Santa's Village Azoosment... Read MORE...
Grand Victoria Casino:
Feeling lucky? Grand Victoria Casino is a great spot to try your hand at some games and enjoy some entertainment.
Fox River Trail:
If you're into outdoor activities, the Fox River Trail is a fantastic place for hiking, biking, or just taking a leisurely stroll along the river.
Elgin History Museum:
Dive into Elgin's past at the Elgin History Museum. Learn about the city's rich history and its role in shaping the region.
The Hemmens Cultural Center:
Check out a show or event at The Hemmens Cultural Center. It hosts concerts, plays, and other performances throughout the year.
Lord's Park:
Lord's Park is not only a beautiful green space but also home to the Elgin Public Museum. Perfect for a day out with family or a peaceful walk.
Bluff Spring Fen:
Nature lovers should explore Bluff Spring Fen, a nature preserve known for its diverse plant and animal life. It's a great spot for bird watching and hiking.
Santa's Village Azoosment... Read MORE...
Discover YOUR Roots: Elgin Ancestry
Ancestors Who Were Born or Died in Elgin, Illinois, USA
We currently have information about 3 ancestors who were born or died in Elgin.View Them Now (sorted by year of birth)
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