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Elgin IL

Elgin IL is a city in the northwestern region of Illinois, just 50 miles from Chicago. It is known for its historical past and artifacts, including a historic home that has been turned into a museum.

Elgin's name comes from the Scottish word for "little hills." The city was once planned to be called "Hogtown," but this did not work out.

The town of Elgin began when George Wellington Zachary turned his land into fields that produced grain. Some people believe that Zachary paid workers to build log cabins on his land so he would have people living there and guarding his crops from theft. In 1835, when Elgin was first named as a town by Joshua Hathaway, it had only one permanent structure: a blacksmith shop. The population of the village grew rapidly and in 1849, Elgin became an incorporated city.

By the mid 19th century, Elgin had become a major producer of farm implements and was home to about 20 different business related to these implements. For example, Tostenson & Company made wagons and other wooden items. In 1862 during the Civil War, many men from Elgin fought for the Union army and one company (the "Elgin Zouaves," made up of young boys) went off to fight bravely wearing red flannel underwear because they did not have uniforms.

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