HISTORY OF ELGIN
HISTORY OF ELGIN
Elgin was platted on June 20, 1887 when its name was chosen randomly from a postal guide. The random point chosen was Elgin, Illinois.
On May 5, 1890, the earliest minute book was discovered.
The first meeting ordinance was passed stating the time and location of the meeting for the board of trustees on April 16, 1891.
On January 1, 1897, The Elgin Review became the first real live newspaper.
In 1901, saloons were approved in Elgin.
In 1909, a water-works system contract was signed.
Also in 1909, Elgin created a dumping station for sanitary purposes.
In February of 1911, an ordinance was passed stating all buildings built within a certain area of Elgin must be made of brick, stone, or fireproof material.
On January 14, 1912, a vote had been taken to build a new St. Boniface Church.
In March of 1915, schools, churches, and halls were closed for weeks due to the Scarlet Fever epidemic.
In October of 1918, the Spanish Influenza appeared, closing schools, churches, halls, shows, etc. until further notice. The draft call for 4,000 men was also called off.
In 1924, the new Elgin High School was set to be located on the ”South Site.”
On January 19, 1926, an ordinance was passed to create a business paving district.
In 1926, the Elgin Fire Department saved Elgin from a disastrous fire.
On November 7, 1930, The First National Bank of Elgin closed due to the embezzlement of funds.
On May 4, 1931, an ordinance was passed to create the Elgin Public Library.
On July 1, 1940, the Beaver Bus Line was established, transporting people from Elgin to Columbus and back each day.
In 1945, the Elgin Post Office advanced to second class.
In 1946, Val Peterson, former Superintendent of Elgin Public Schools, was elected governor.
In 1959, excavation for the St. Boniface Auditorium began.
On September 29, 1959, voters approved the construction of the Elgin pool.
On May 29, 1960 the Elgin Pool opened for business.
Elgin’s new post office opened in March 1962.
In 1962, dial telephones were put into use.
The Pines Motel opened in 1964.
In 1966, construction began on the new Pope John XXIII Central Catholic School.
The Plantation Manor was forced to close July 1, 1972.
In 1973, a tennis court was added to the Elgin municipal park.
Pollock Redimix Inc., located south of Pope John, began operation in 1974.
In 1974, the Elgin FFA built a steel shelter in the park for gatherings.
In 1975, HUD granted Elgin $65,000 to attain four to eight acres for a retirement home.
On October 3, 1977, the Village of Elgin became the City of Elgin.
In 1977, the new Union Oil Company station, located a mile north of town, was open for business.
In 1980, welcome signs were placed on the North, South, and West edges of town.
In 1983, installations began for cable television.
On September 2, 1986 handicapped parking was added to the downtown area.
In September of 1987, the Elgin City Office had moved downtown.
In 1988, the City Office modernized with the use of computers.
The beautiful Centennial Gardens was also landscaped in 1988.
In 1992, a surcharge was added to water bills.
August 1, 1993 was the official closing date for the city landfill west of Elgin.
In 1994, a new maintenance shop was built. In that same year, Randy Henn joined the staff.
In December of 1997, the city office moved back to the old senior center.
In 1997, Antelope Memorial Family Practice opened its clinic in Elgin.
On May 18, 2000, ERPPD took over as the sole electrical provider in Elgin.
In 2004, security cameras were installed.
In 2004, a 1% local sales tax was established.
In 2008, a disinfection system was installed in the wastewater system.
On January 16, 2008, the City of Elgin purchased a building from Alan Reicks for $50,000.
In 2009, the school boards from District #18 and Pope John Central Catholic approved the sports cooperation for winter and spring sports. The new mascot would be the Wolfpack, sporting the colors of red, black, and silver.
In 2009, a new campground was formed in Elgin. It contained water, sewer, and electrical services.
In 2011, a new water line was placed along North Street.
In February 2011, the Elgin Police Department was disbanded.
In 2012, Elgin’s cemeteries were the scene for the Hollywood film “Nebraska.”
In 2013, Elgin City Council passed an ordinance for regulating dogs.
In 2014, Elgin had their Q125 celebration.
In June 2017, the newly renovated Elgin Municipal Pool was open for business.
In March 2020, local schools were shut down for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In September 2020, the new water line project was complete. A new line was installed along with new curbs and gutters. The sidewalks were also replaced to be handicap accessible and new decorative lights were placed in the downtown area.
In February 2022, Stealth Broadband entered Elgin providing fiber internet service throughout town to homes & businesses.
In the spring of 2024, all water meters in Elgin were replaced with automatic read meters.