This building was originally a residence. An early photograph identifies it as the home of E.D. Huntoon, an early settler who came from Maine in 1837. Remnants of that building were found in the form of rough-hewn timber walls (the axe marks are . . . — — Map (db m170199) HM
The Aurora Hotel was the City's first large hotel, and for many years, its tallest building. It was erected in 1917 on the site of a mill race and swimming hole. The Georgian style, fireproof building was designed by H. Ziegler Dietz and . . . — — Map (db m94232) HM
The Aurora Public Library had modest beginnings. Two small groups, "The Young Men's Literary & Historical Society" and "The Young Men's Association" merged in 1859 to become "The Young Men's Literary Association of Aurora". "The Aurora Library . . . — — Map (db m170246) HM
The nationally known Aurora Silverplate Manufacturing Company was a producer of fine silver-plated dishes, ornaments, and tableware. Founded in 1869. Directed by many of Aurora's pioneer businessmen including Joseph Stolp, this company was one of . . . — — Map (db m69822) HM
For those who fought and died
We cry with loving pride
For those who are not yet home
We won't let you stand alone
For those who are called survivor
We pledge our honor
For those who are named here
We will forever hold dear
Charles . . . — — Map (db m94259) WM
Before the birth of strip centers and shopping malls, many major department stores were located in downtown Aurora. Among these was the Block & Kuhl national department store. It became part of the Carson Pirie Scott chain in 1961, and continued as . . . — — Map (db m299057) HM
Easily one of the most unusual buildings in Aurora, this 1926 structure designed by the firm of Zimmerman, Saxe & Zimmerman is one of the few examples of Mayan Revival design. The architects altered their original, more traditional design when they . . . — — Map (db m69823) HM
Dedicated in memory of ”Our Fathers” Grand Army of the Republic, by the Illinois Department, Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War 1861 ☆ 1865 ”Let us have faith, that right makes might and in that . . . — — Map (db m170252) WM
Aurora's east/west rivalry dates back to its beginnings. Arriving in 1834 from New York state, town founder Samuel McCarty constructed two mills on the east bank of the river, and the settlement of "McCarty Mills" grew up around them. The settlement . . . — — Map (db m170200) HM
Architect - George Grant Elmslie
Prairie style with terra cotta
ornamentation.
——————————
Prior to the late 1860s, a grand three-story Italianate style building, the H. H. Evans . . . — — Map (db m148600) HM
This glacial boulder, a landmark from the Mendota College campus, was brought here by the Class of 1914, of which Clarence R. Smith was a member. Alumni have installed this marker to honor the 60th anniversary of that class, and Dr. Smith's many . . . — — Map (db m299043) HM
Architect - George Grant Elmslie
Prairie style with terra cotta ornamentation.
Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, 1982. — — Map (db m299054) HM
The Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Hall was built in 1877-1878, and is one of Aurora's most widely recognized landmarks. The hall served as a meeting place for Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) or "Union" veterans of the Civil War. After the . . . — — Map (db m170248) HM
Architect - George Grant Elmslie
Prairie style with terra cotta ornamentation.
Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, 1980. — — Map (db m299056) HM
This property has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior.
Designed by Anker Sveere Graven and Arthur Guy Mayger in 1928, it was the tallest building in Illinois outside of Chicago. . . . — — Map (db m94241) HM
Be this memorial forever dedicated to the defenders of American ideals; as a reverent memory to the departed; as a vivid tribute to the living; and as a patriotic challenge to posterity, that these ideals shall not perish. Anon. — — Map (db m299052) WM
Be this memorial forever dedicated to the defenders of American ideals; as a reverent memory to the departed; as a vivid tribute to the living; and as a patriotic challenge to posterity, that these ideals shall not perish. Anon. — — Map (db m299053) WM
We dedicate Millennium Plaza to the generations whose toil and faith built Aurora, to those who now strive to meet today's challenges, and to future generations, who will ensure Aurora's greatness. — — Map (db m299125) HM
Millennium Tower stands as Aurora's Salute to the third millennium. It has brought the business and private sectors of the community together to leave a lasting gift to future generations of Aurora citizens.
Millennium Tower is constructed in a . . . — — Map (db m299055) HM
This 1924 building is one of the significant Prairie style designs by George Grant Elmslie. It reflects some of the best features of the Prairie style, such as openings with terra cotta ornament, and the incorporation of sculpture into the design, . . . — — Map (db m170249) HM
Theatres designed in the early 20th century featured deep stages for vaudeville and other live entertainment. When silent movies became popular, vaudeville acts frequently preceded the movie, so the deep stages were still necessary. With the . . . — — Map (db m94216) HM
Dr. Samuel Bedrosian initiated Aurora University's softball program in 1976 and was the head coach for 18 years. His teams won 12 Northern Illinois Intercollegiate Conference championships and were in nine NCAA Division III playoffs. In 1979, AU . . . — — Map (db m299049) HM
Aurora was the first city along the Lincoln Highway with street lights and was among the first in the nation to have them also. Yet again, enhancements to the highway spawned new commerce for communities along the road. With street lights, stores . . . — — Map (db m170198) HM
The first Europeans to enter what is now Illinois were the French-trappers, traders, explorers, and missionaries. The first official contact was in 1673 when the Jesuit Jacques Marquette and trader Louis Jolliet set out from Sault Ste. Marie in . . . — — Map (db m299059) HM
The Great States theatre chain erected the Tivoli Theatre in 1929. In the wake of the devastating 1928 fire at the Rialto Theatre, architects George and C.W. Rapp designed a fireproof building with about one thousand seats and a shallow stage. The . . . — — Map (db m299063) HM
Given to Aurora, in 1857.
By Roswell Wilder, 1784-1860;
Soldier in the War of 1812.
Landlord of the Wilder Hotel,
pioneer stage house;
Builder of first school
in West Aurora, 1839.
Public Benefactor. . . . — — Map (db m94246) HM
The Hobbs Building was constructed in 1895 by Levi Hull Waterhouse, from a design by James E. Minott. It is an excellent example of the Romanesque Revival architectural style. Dominated by a unique corner turret and onion dome (which was originally . . . — — Map (db m299061) HM
1939 - Farm
Before this land was converted to a like and park, it was utilized as farmland from the late 1800s until the 1950s. With its rich and fertile soil, this land produced corn, soy beans, and other vegetables, much like the . . . — — Map (db m273473) HM
Watch Us Grow
This area is part of the Fox Valley Park District's natural grasslands program. These grassland areas improve animal habitat, help control undesirable species, save energy, reduce pollution, absorb storm water and reduce maintenance . . . — — Map (db m276927) HM
Established in 1854 as Batavia Institute, a private school. In 1867 it became a rest home and sanitarium. In the summer of 1875, Mary Todd Lincoln, the widow of President Abraham Lincoln, was a patient at Bellevue Place. — — Map (db m265458) HM
This monument erected in honor and in commemoration of the loyal patriotic men who enlisted from the Township of Batavia Illinois in the War for the Preservation of the Union 1861-1865.
"On fame's eternal camping ground
Their silent tents are . . . — — Map (db m94260) WM
Evangelist William "Billy" Sunday and his wife Helen "Ma" Sunday owned this farm, 1899-1913, and spent their summers here. Ma was born on the farm. Billy was born in Ames, Iowa, in 1862. He played outfield for Chicago and other National League . . . — — Map (db m55486) HM
Near this spot on June 2, 1974, Captain Stanley Balsis and Firefighter Michael Whalen launched a rescue craft to save a man trapped in the boiling backwash at the base of the Kimball Street Dam. The frightened man, who rode an inflatable raft over . . . — — Map (db m300020) HM
This 1/3-mile path is on the former Channing Street Cemetery or Old Cem, the city's first public cemetery from 1844-1906. The site contained as many as 3,500 graves. Following the opening of Bluff City Cemetery in 1888, many of the bodies were moved . . . — — Map (db m299981) HM
Artist Name: CJ Hungerman
Title: Communication Station
Medium: Acrylic
"The basic concept for my mural is sound and positive communication between people. The variety of vessel colored shapes abstractly represent the diversity of people . . . — — Map (db m299881) HM
James T. Gifford, Elgin's founder, erected his log cabin in 1835 just north of this park. Gifford's home served as the City's first school, first church and first post office. — — Map (db m300001) HM
Built for horse-drawn apparatus in 1896, in anticipation of city growth, Barn No. 3 was designed by Smith Hoag. It reflects the turn-of-the-century "Storefront Style" of fire barn architecture. Designated a local landmark in 1992. — — Map (db m55596) HM
Omnia Reliquit Servatum Rem Publicam.
Memorial tribute to Elgin Academy's patriotic sons who served in the Great Civil War
18611865
Haec Olim Meminisse Juvabit.
John O. Adams Mark W. Adams Samuel Anderson Thomas G. Anderson . . . — — Map (db m300033) HM
The Elgin Historic District is one of the city's oldest residential areas and includes the site of the founder's log cabin. Lots in the district were first platted in 1842. Here once lived leaders of the watch and dairy industries. Large homes with . . . — — Map (db m299998) HM
The Elgin Historic District is one of the city's oldest residential areas and includes the site of the founder's log cabin. Lots in the district were first platted in 1842. Here once lived leaders of the watch and dairy industries. Large homes with . . . — — Map (db m300042) HM
Gail Borden, pioneer in the food preservative industry, established a milk condensing plant on this site in 1865. His discovery incorporated a process by which water was evaporated from milk, and sugar added as a preservative. This process, patented . . . — — Map (db m63650) HM
Built in 1910, the observatory's purpose was to record and transmit precise time from the stars to the Elgin National Watch factory. This structure was deeded to School District U-46 in 1960. Designated a local landmark in 1992. — — Map (db m299967) HM
From 1866 to 1966 this site was occupied by the Elgin National Watch Company. This was the first watch factory built west of the Alleghenies and grew to become the world's largest. During its lifetime over 60 million 'Elgin' watches were . . . — — Map (db m55455) HM
The Factory - 1867
Pocket watch production began in 1867. The factory, located on National Street at the south end of Grove Avenue, grew in stages until by 1920 it was the largest watchmaking complex in the world, ultimately producing more . . . — — Map (db m63436) HM
Elgin Pocket Watches Protect Train Travel
A few seconds off could mean disaster, so conductors and engineers carried Elgin's "railroad grade" pocket watches. Built to strict standards, models like the B.W. Raymond were adjusted and . . . — — Map (db m299897) HM
This marker is along the south leg of the Elgin road races. Beginning in 1910, many leading drivers and mechanics competed here in grueling tests of speed and endurance that contributed to the development of the modern automobile. . . . — — Map (db m55454) HM
Did you know that windmills were manufactured in Elgin for more than 60 years?
Elgin windmills were built on this site beginning in 1887. The company gained fame in 1906 as the first company to patent an automatic oiler, invented by Richard . . . — — Map (db m299819) HM
The First Congregational Church of Elgin was organized May 12, 1836 in the log cabin home of James T. Gifford and his wife, Laura Raymond Gifford.
This was the first religious body organized for worship in the new community of Elgin. The . . . — — Map (db m299988) HM
In 1926 a grand hall was erected as the new home for two local Masonic organizations -- the Elgin Lodge #117 and the Monitor Lodge #552. At the time, the new Masonic Temple was Elgin's largest indoor meeting space. In addition to lodge functions, it . . . — — Map (db m63331) HM
Commissioned on Jan. 1, 1904, Elgin's last fire barn was designed by Smith Hoag in the classical revival style. The first floor housed the horses and fire fighting equipment. The second floor was occupied by firefighters. Decommissioned, Dec. 13, . . . — — Map (db m299979) HM
The Fremont Recreation Center and Second Baptist Church were the two social, educational, and spiritual hubs for Elgin's first African American community.
Fremont Center
An average of 50-60 youth of all races participated in . . . — — Map (db m299983) HM
Behind Every Elgin Watch Were Skilled Hands
Behind every Elgin watch was a skilled pair of hands. At its peak, the Elgin National Watch Company employed more than 4,000 men and womenmachinists, engravers, jewelers, dial painters, . . . — — Map (db m299904) HM
Elgin's first parkgiven to the settlement of Elgin, November 9th, A.D. 1844, by the honored pioneer citizens, James T. Gifford and his wife, Laura Raymond Gifford. Only one of their many gifts to Elgin — — Map (db m300041) HM
Gifford Park is Elgin's first park. The park was laid out in 1844 by Elgin's founder, James T. Gifford. The park was the location for early political rallies and band concerts, and was enjoyed by generations of high school students and neighborhood . . . — — Map (db m300043) HM
The Firefighters Memorial Plaza stands as a monument to those firefighters who have given their lives protecting the residents of Illinois. We dedicate this plaza and bronze statue to those who have served their communities and to those who are . . . — — Map (db m299924) HM
For more than 70 years this site was occupied by the Illinois Watch Case Company. The firm was a leader in the domestic watch industry and by the 1920s had produced more than 30 million watch cases.
A subsidiary produced jewelry goods, lockets, . . . — — Map (db m55458) HM
One hundred feet from this spot stood James T. Gifford's log house, the first home in Elgin, built in the spring of 1835, where was organized the First Congregational Church, May 12, 1836, of the following members.
George McClure Sarah . . . — — Map (db m299992) HM
La Verne Newsome graduated from Elgin High School in 1925, where he became a track and field star and received the nickname "Eight Ball." He studied music at Northwestern University, earning bachelors and masters degrees.
Following graduation, . . . — — Map (db m299985) HM
The Elgin factory offered its workers amenities few companies could match: its own fire department, a brass band, a baseball team, and even social clubs that brought families together. These programs built pride and loyalty, turning coworkers into . . . — — Map (db m299907) HM
Mary Newsome Wheeler was only two years old when she and her mother, Minerva Newsome, boarded a boxcar in Mississippi and braved the nearly 600-mile train ride to Elgin as refugee slaves or "contraband."
She attended the old Brook Street school . . . — — Map (db m299986) HM
Dedicated in loving memory of Mawlana Nadeem Al-Wājidi (1954-2024), whose spiritual devotion and unwavering commitment to Burhan Academy transformed a vision into reality — — Map (db m300039) HM
Among Elginites who served in the Civil War, there were 153 students, teachers, administrators and trustees from Elgin Academy.
Academy student Leverett Kelley was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for heroic action in combat at Missionary . . . — — Map (db m63437) HM WM
Mother Skye was inspired by the ancient Egyptian goddess of the sky stars, cosmos, and the universe, Nut (pronounced newt). She is seen here as a woman arching over the earth with her fingers and toes in the horizon. In ancient Egyptian mythology . . . — — Map (db m299883) HM
The School District U-46 Planetarium, located at 312 Watch Street in Elgin, opened its doors in September 1963 for students to learn about astronomy under the dome. The planetarium is an addition on the back of the 1910 Elgin National Watch Company . . . — — Map (db m299945) HM
"Old Main", completed in 1856, is the original Elgin Academy building. This Greek Revival structure was the first building in Elgin listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building exterior was restored in 1979-1980 as Elgin's . . . — — Map (db m300024) HM
Miss Tilley" was born at 460 Hill Avenue and attended Sheridan Elementary School (Now O'Neal Elementary. After her father died, her mother remarried and moved the family to Springfield. She often visited her grandparents, Francis and Fanny Johnson . . . — — Map (db m299984) HM
This smaller-scale reproduction represents the type and style of the log cabin built by the first settlers of Elgin beginning in 1835. The cabin illustrates the sturdy construction of the day, including the half-dovetail notch joints at the corners . . . — — Map (db m300035) HM
In 1937, at the age of 21, Sherman Hunter came to Elgin by boxcar from Mississippi, much like the original contrabands had done 75 years earlier. It was the Great Depression and he came north to find work.
Shortly after his arrival, Sherman . . . — — Map (db m299987) HM
In 1865, the Elgin National Watch Company began construction of a factory just west of here. The shopping center now stands on that site.
The success of the watch company lead to the factory being enlarged several times. By 1910 the building . . . — — Map (db m299892) HM
Where Was the Windmill Originally Located?
The 1921 "Giant Suburban" windmill pumped well water for a house on Elgin's west side, at the corner of Larkin and McLean. George Peck owned the windmill company and constructed the windmill for his . . . — — Map (db m299821) HM
The National House, or "Nash" as it was referred to, was constructed in 1866 to house watch factory employees. The building was enlarged in stages to eventually accomodate 300 boarders, a large dining room, tennis courts and recreational facilities. . . . — — Map (db m299906) HM
Who are the people looking at you?
The "Promise of Elgin" mural serves as a constant reflection of who we are and a reminder of where we hope to go. Do you see yourself reflected in the Elgin community?
The "Making Space" project was . . . — — Map (db m299885) HM
This Elgin historic district was established in 1997 connecting the neighborhood with the history of the Elgin National Watch Company. Over 100 years, the plant made 50,000,000 watches! Many watch workers lived in buildings near the factory. For the . . . — — Map (db m299908) HM
This memorial is erected in grateful remembrance of the patriotic heroism of the 443 members of Veteran Post 49, Dept. of Illinois, Grand Army of the Republic, who, at the call of their country, served in the four years War of the Rebellion . . . — — Map (db m299991) WM
In 1926, a young entrepreneur. W.R. "Bob" Meadows, followed his vision and launched a new concept and company on this Kimball Strest site. He knew that energy forces related to seasonal conditions caused concrete to expand and contract, resulting in . . . — — Map (db m300010) HM
This tablet is made to preserve the memory of pioneers, God fearing people from Scotland and Ireland who organized this church in 1841, as a place to meet together and worship
Andrew McCornack Robert Shedden
William Fraser
George . . . — — Map (db m59171) HM
Constructed in 1883, this is the last remaining example of the small, wood framed chalet-style depots that were used along the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad lines. The depot was primarily for passengers, many of whom worked at the Elgin National . . . — — Map (db m299902) HM
These panels showcase African American leadership when the community lived in the "Settlement". This area consists of the neighborhood between Hickory, Dundee, Fremont and Hill, just a few blocks northeast of Newsome Park.
The park was . . . — — Map (db m299982) HM
Designed by Thomas Bendelow, the "Johnny Appleseed" of American golf course design, Wing Park Golf Course is the oldest, municipally owned, 9 hole golf course in Illinois.
The golf course was designated a local historic landmark in May, 2008 by . . . — — Map (db m299968) HM
These 32 acres and buildings were purchased by the Kane County Board and the Forest Preserve Commission in October 1972 A.D. from The Society of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. — — Map (db m94262) HM
To honor all men and women from
Kane County who served
in the United States Armed Forces
To detail and reflect on the sacrifices made by Veterans of this nation who defended freedom in the 20th century.
To permanently inscribe the names of . . . — — Map (db m94309) WM
Fox River Chapter #14
Royal Arch Masons
Chartered September 2, 1852
Geneva Lodge #139
Ancient Free and Accepted Masons
Chartered October 5, 1854 — — Map (db m94268) HM
Instrumental in bringing minor league baseball to Kane County, Philip B. Elfstrom has served as chairman of the Kane County board, President of the Forest Preserve District of Kane County, President of the National Association of Counties, and was . . . — — Map (db m232225) HM
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