Elgin
a city in Kane co., Ill., on both sides of the Fox river; at the junction of the Chicago and Northwestern, and the Chicago and Pacific railroads; 36 miles W. of Chicago. The river at this point is spanned by a handsome iron bridge and affords excellent water power. Elgin is noted for its varied and extensive manufactures, and contains the Elgin Watch Works, the Borden milk condensing works, butter and cheese factories, boiler works, bicycle and sewing machine works, shoe, silver plated goods, and lumber factories. It has the Elgin Academy public high school, St. Mary's Academy, Illinois Northern Hospital for the Insane. Gail Borden Free Library, several parks, electric lights and street railways, waterworks, 4 National and several savings banks, daily and weekly newspapers. Pop. (1910) 25,976; (1920) 27,431.