Elgin Tickets

Elgin is a city situated northwest of Chicago on the Fox River. The population of the city is large around 94,487 turning it into the eighth largest city in Illinois and the 241st largest city in United States.The population of the city was found to be 104,288 in year 2007.The Black Hawk Indian War of 1832 led to the expulsion of the Native Americans who had settlements and burial mounds in the area, and set the stage for the founding of Elgin. Thousands of militiamen and soldiers of Gen. Winfield Scott's army marched through the Fox River valley during the war and accounts of the area's fertile soils and flowing springs soon filtered east.

The city of Elgin was founded after the Black Hawk Indian War of 1832. This war led to the settlement of Native Americans. The city came into being after James T. Gifford and his brother Hezekiah Gifford in the city of New York heard stories about this area ready for settlement and started their journey towards west. On their way, they chose to stop at the site where Fox River flowed. In April 1835, they laid the foundations of the city and named it after a Scottish hymn ?The Song of Elgin?. The Elgin originally gained recognition for butter and dairy goods which began to be sold to the city of Chicago. This was later followed by the factory of condensed milk established in 1866. Elgin gained fame for the Elgin Watch Company. It became the producer of the world?s finest watches in the United States.

In 1872, Elgin attracted a major state institution, the Northern Illinois State Mental Hospital and later a Veterans Administration Hospital. Elgin has earned a big name in the field of manufacture and education. The oldest school, Elgin Academy was started here. The school until date has produced five naval admirals, a Nobel Prize winner, a Pulitzer Prize winner, a Tony Award winner, two Academy Award-winning producers, Olympic athletes and a General Motors CEO among its graduates. People come to this city to see the remains from the Victorian times. The most worth seeing are the homes built in the Queen Anne style. Some of the most beautifully designed houses still stand here, which were then owned by the executives of the National Watch Company.

The homes at that time were built of cobblestone. Elgin is famous for having the maximum number of homes built of cobblestone. Few of these houses still stand here and were owned by settlers from the early times.One of the ancient buildings of Elgin is the Public Museum at Lords Park. Tourist comes from far-flung areas to watch the display here.The government of Elgin takes concrete steps to preserve the historic building of the city. This is mainly why the architecture of the city stand till date.You will find one of the largest Orchestra in Illinois namely the Elgin Symphony Orchestra. People come here to listen to the live music. There are various theatres around the city of Elgin, which shows the people living around are talented. Among the popular names of theatre, groups include the Janus Theatre Company, Children's Theatre of Elgin, the Hemmens Auditorium, Elgin Theatre Company and the Elgin Community College of Visual and Performing Arts. Many shows and live concerts are hosted in these theatres, thus creating recreation opportunities for the public.

Elgin is rich in parkland, stretching over a huge area. The biggest park is the Lords Park which is spanned on an area of 112 acre land. This park boasts a public museum, zoo for children and a golf course. You will find many other golf courses including Rolling Knolls Country Club, Elgin Country Club and the Highlands of Elgin. One of the biggest centers of recreation is the Center of Elgin, which features an aquatic park for children and a huge wall for climbing. Children love to come here for recreation. Besides this, you will find the Elgin Sports Complex, which has fields for soccer, ball fields and a track for walking. Various tournaments are held here each year. Despite the fact the city area has developed and new complexes have been made, but the city still maintains its natural beauty. The old forest, valleys and trails exist until date.Elgin today is changed with a lot of development in all areas. It has grown rapidly and has developed to support a huge population. The downtown area is popular. Tourists come here for shopping and for recreation. The city is enriched with libraries, recreational centers, sports center and well designed residential areas. You will certainly be impressed with how this city has grown so fast.