Echoes of Elgin: Timeless Tales from the Elgin History Museum

Women were always well-represented in the workforce at the watch factory, making up about half the employees. This echo from June 9, 2003 gives good detail on what their working life was like. 

Alice Byrd Potter, first woman to drive from Chicago to New York, is an Elginite you should know.  Allow this December 26, 1999 echo to introduce you.

This echo from January 30, 2000 tells the story of Hans Massaquoi, Elgin Community College graduate and editor of Ebony magazine.  His biography, Destined to Witness, recounts his experiences growing up Black in Nazi Germany and then emigrating to the U.S.  It is available at the Gail Borden Public Library. 

From 1937 to 1995, Gromer's was the place to get groceries, or to follow your parents around the store at least. This echo from January 22, 2004 may make you wish for a $.25 ice cream cone. 

The weather this week hasn't been so bad...comparatively speaking.  This echo from January 16, 2000 will warm you up a bit.

An echo from September 29, 1985 reveals some interesting tidbits about Elgin homes.

A list of firsts and several mistakes of the past are revealed in this echo from February 24, 1991.

Schools are among a community's oldest institutions and they give rise to many interesting factoids.  This echo from September 1, 1996 lists a bunch.

Just when did the chewing gum and cough drop factory close?  This echo from February 4, 1990 will give you that answer and many other February news items.

Elgin has many stories to tell.  How about his one from June 30, 1985 that details Elgin's past as a "cow town"?