Elgin was founded in 1835 in the state of Illinois, 38 miles west of Chicago. Situated on the Fox River, Elgin is directly between the lead mines of Galena and Chicago.

Over the past 173 years, Elgin would be music to the ears of many great people and industries, including one of the largest watch making factories in the world, the largest producers of dairy products in the Midwest, including the home of The Borden Milk Company, as well as the manufacturing of cars, shoes, bicycles and religious printed material. Elgin would be the home for many colleges, including Judson College, Elgin Community College and The Elgin Academy, which at one time was affiliated with Northwestern University."