Elgin History Museum

10/16/2026

1015 Douglas Avenue was built for William and Mathilda Abelmann in 1922. They commissioned Ralph Elliot Abell, son of noted architect William Wright Abell. Ralph was born in Elgin in 1880 and after graduating from the University of Illinois, he continued his studies at Cornell University where he earned his master’s degree. He began practice as an architect in 1905 with his father. He designed many public buildings in Chicago and Elgin including the Masonic Temple at 310 E. Chicago St, the Elleana Apartments at 398 E. Chicago Street, and an addition to the Elgin High School. He also designed the previously demolished Crocker Theater and two homes in the district including 1015 and 1025 Douglas Avenue.

William Henry Abelmann was born in Palatine, in 1883 and was an insurance agent in Elgin specializing in insurance for fire and tornado damage. He married Mathilda Meyer and they resided in this home for 35 years before moving to California. The Abelmann’s sold the home to Virginia Libby, a widow who was married to Jules Libby, a prominent business man in Elgin who was the President of the Libby Neon Product Company which was located in what is now the Shoe Factory Apartments. She remained in the home only four short years before selling it to Dr. Richard Whitlock who was an obstetrician having delivered over 9,000 babies. He was also a World War II Army veteran and served as a battalion and regimental surgeon during the war. Dr. Whitlock remained in the home for 33 years.

10/15/2026

Last week we asked you if this was a tower or a turret? 🤔

If you answered tower, you are correct!! It is a tower because it touches the ground. A turret projects from the edge of a building but hangs out over blank space not touching the ground. You can see an example in town at 201-203 E. Chicago Street, original home of Leitner Brothers Meat market and current home of Stoll Real Estate.

Keep an eye out for our next trivia question 👀

10/09/2026

260 Gifford Place's history started when the lot of land was first purchased by Caroline, the daughter of James T. Gifford. In 1853, Samuel E. Gregory and his wife Mary bought the land for $70. The Gregory family held onto the land for 17 years until they sold it to William and Sophie Rundquist, who began building on the property.

The house at 260 Gifford first shows up on the city directories in 1871, suggesting that William and Sophie built the property in 1870. After residing in the new home for three years, the Rundquist family sold the home to Myron and Mary Elliott. William Rundquist and Myron Elliott were both employees of the watch factory where Elliott was an innovator. When Elliott resigned from the watch factory, he moved out west and the house was re-sold to William Rundquist. Shortly thereafter, Charles Lehman purchased 260 Gifford and lived there for the next 33 years, from 1880 to 1913. Lehman worked in the main spring department, where he served as their foreman.

Frank D. and Josephine Wilcox then purchased the home from the Lehman family, living at 260 from 1913 to 1917. Frank Wilcox worked in the jewel department, the escape department and was a job master of the pallet stone at the Elgin Watch Factory. When William T. and Rose Naughton bought the house from the Wilcox's in 1917, they were the first family to not have a connection to the Watch Factory, working as a driller for C. H. Woodruff & Company. By 1923, the home was back in the hands of a Watch Factory employee in the family of Charles and Louisa Smith.

10/08/2026

🏠 THINK YOU KNOW ELGIN? 🤔

Anna and Dr. Ora Pelton built their home at 214 S. State Street in 1889 for $20,000. Dr. Pelton was a renowned surgeon who operated the Pelton Clinic at 102 N. Spring Street.

Designed by Elgin architect Gilbert M. Turnbull, the home is one of only two homes in Elgin listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It has been home to just two families since 1889—and it’s currently on the market!

One of the home’s most distinctive architectural features is marked by the red arrow. 👀

So, what do you think—is it a tower or a turret?

👇 Drop your answer in the comments! We’ll reveal the answer next Wednesday!

10/07/2026

Thank you Lourdes Duarte for visiting Elgin and covering the Elgin Area Hispanic Heritage project and shining a light on our great historic city.

Travel 38 miles northwest of Chicago along the Fox River and you'll reach Elgin, once home to the largest watch manufacturer in the world and now one of the largest Mexican communities in Illinois.

Full story: https://wgntv.com/hispanic-heritage-month/documenting-elgins-latino-history/

10/07/2026

📻 Have you been listening to Elgin 100 Years Ago?

All of our September episodes are now available on our website and ready to listen to anytime! 🎧

Elgin 100 Years Ago is an award-winning program featuring articles printed in Elgin’s newspapers 100 years ago, brought to life through one-minute vignettes. From city hall politics and police news to sports, society news, and everyday life in Elgin, each episode gives us a glimpse into what was happening in our community a century ago.

🎙️ Tune in every morning throughout October to hear a new episode!

📻 Listen at 7:30 a.m. every morning on WRMN AM 1410, or catch up on past episodes anytime on our website.

👉 Listen to the September episodes and learn more about Elgin 100 Years Ago with the link in bio

10/07/2026

🧩 We still have Dowdle puzzles in stock! 🧩

Can you spot all of Elgin’s high school flags? 🎓 Or maybe you’ll find your favorite Elgin restaurant tucked into the puzzle! 👀🍽️

These puzzles are a fun way to celebrate the places, people, and landmarks that make Elgin special—and they make a great gift for any Elgin history lover!

📍 Stop by the Elgin History Museum Store Wednesday–Saturday, 11 AM–4 PM, to grab yours today!

🛍️ You can also shop online at https://elginhistory.org/product/puzzle-elgin-dowdle-artwork/

10/05/2026

🎙️ Ever wonder where some of Elgin’s most familiar names come from?

What’s the story behind St. Ed’s, Kiwanis Park, and the Fox River? 👀

Tune in to our Echoes of Elgin episode from September 18 to learn more about the history behind these Elgin names and the stories that shaped our community. 🏛️📖

🎧 Give it a listen and discover a little more about the history behind the places and names we know so well!

Listen here ➡️ https://echoesofelgin.podbean.com/e/where-did-the-names-come-from/

10/02/2026

Completed in 1930, 309 Wing Park Boulevard was built by John Kienzle. In 1930, upon its completion, the Elgin Courier-News published an article stating that it would be open for a number of days to allow for the public to view.

Eventually, John moved to 855 Wing Street with his second wife Verna. Together, they enjoyed tending to their extensive rose garden. So skilled and renowned, the pair has a two page feature on the front page of the “Neighborhood News and TV” section of the Chicago Sunday Tribune in 1962. The pair gardened year-round and John is listed as the chief rose tester for the Men’s Garden Club of America, and a member of the Elgin Men’s Garden Club, a club recently celebrating 100 years of existence in 2015.

In the 1930s, Kienzle and his brothers owned a woodworking company in the building that is now State Street Market on North State Street. When the John Kienzle and his first wife, Marjorie, divorced, the two sold the 309 Wing Park Boulevard to Otto Jens. Jens was the owner of the O. A. Jens Potato Chip Company.

When the Jens family sold the home in 1951, the next family stayed for 38 years. Stewart and Mary Bond moved to 309 Wing Park Boulevard and raised a family while Stewart served the community as a dentist for many years.