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1870's Free Public Library of the Town of Elgin
1872 State law enacted March 7, 1872, which authorizes tax-supported libraries.
1872 Voters approve establishment of a public library by a vote of 473 to 317.
1873 Library trustees are elected April 1.
1874 Library formally opens on March 19 on the third floor of the Home Bank on East Chicago Street.
1874 The library’s collection of 2,000 books came from private collections and donations. Board member Edward C. Lovell bought books for the library while touring Europe. -
1870's Pop Culture
First public telephones. First American zoo opens in Philadelphia. -
1870's Elgin History
1874 Public library opens.
1874 First daily newspaper, The Daily Bluff City.
1874 Major watch factory expansion National Watch Co. name changes to Elgin National Watch Co. -
1870's Library Statistics
Collection: 2,000 Books People Served: 6,730 (1870) -
1870's U.S. History
1876 Alexander Graham Bell invents the telephone.
1877 Thomas Edison invents the phonograph.
1879 Thomas Edison invents the light bulb. -
1870's Books
1871 Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll
1871 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
1876 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
1877 Black Beauty by Anna Sewell -
Period: to
Louis Yarwood, Director
-
1880's Library Statistics
Collection: 10,008 Books (1889) People Served: 10,057 (1880) -
1880's U.S. History
1881 President James A. Garfield is shot and dies 11 weeks later.
1887 George Eastman invents the Kodak Camera.
1889 Jane Addams founds Hull House in Chicago. -
1880's Pop Culture
Coca Cola is introduced in 1886 as a “brain and nerve tonic.” Song Oh My Darling Clementine is popular. Gilbert and Sulllivan operettas and Vaudeville. Statue of Liberty greets guests to the United States starting in 1883. -
1880's Elgin History
1881 First commercial telephone exchange begins operation in Elgin.
1882 David C. Cook Publishing Co. moves from Chicago to Elgin.
1884 First issue of The Elgin Daily Courier published.
1885 Bridge built at Kimball Street.
1887 St. Joseph Church founded.
1888 Sherman Hospital opens. -
1880's Free Public Library of the Town of Elgin
1880 Within six years the library collection doubles to 4,000 books. Because of overcrowding and a leaky roof, the library moves. Rooms are rented over the stores at the east end of the bridge on the south side of Chicago Street.
1882 Miss Cecil C. Harvey becomes the librarian. She was the daughter of early Elgin settlers and a teacher at Geneva Street School.
1884 German residents circulate a petition for the purchase of more German Language books. -
1880's World History
1887 The first Sherlock Holmes story, A Study in Scarlett, is published.
1888 Jack the Ripper makes headlines in London.
1889 Eiffel Tower built in Paris. -
1880's Books
1880 Heidi by Johanna Spyri
1880 The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
1881 The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain
1883 Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson -
1880's Free Public Library of the Town of Elgin cont.
1886 The library subscribes to 26 newspapers and 34 magazines. The most popular books are fiction, travel and adventure, and juvenile fiction. -
Period: to
Cecil C. Harvey, Director
-
1890's Pop Culture
First Sears and Roebuck mail order catalog. First Campbell’s Condensed Soup sells for 10 cents in 1897. The song Happy Birthday to You debuts in 1898. Bicycles, the waltz and two step dance. -
1890's Elgin History
1891 City limits are extended into Cook County.
1892 Lord Park is donated to the city.
1896 Peak year for local bicycle production. -
1890's Gail Borden Public Library
1893 The Library outgrows its home on Chicago Street. The library board considers purchasing the Scofield House on Spring Street in downtown Elgin but does not. Alfred B. Church and Samuel M. Church, stepsons of Gail Borden, purchase the Scofield property on Spring Street for $12,000. They donate the building to the library With the stipulation that it always be known as the “Gail Borden Public Library.” The board spends about $15,000 to convert the Scofield home into a library. -
1890's Library Statistics
Collection: 14,000 Books (1893) People Served: 19,183 (1890) -
1890's U.S. History
1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago.
1894 Pullman strike.
1898 Spanish American War. -
1890's World History
1896 First modern Olympic Games in Athens. -
1890's Books
1894 The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
1898 The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells -
1900's Gail Borden Public Library
1905 Library adds a two-story addition to the west side of building on Spring Street. Illini, by C. E. Carr, a well-known politician, is the most popular book. It is a history of the State of Illinois. Many of the ladies’ societies of the city are studying art and science. Books on these subjects are in great demand. Books on the history of Japan, Russia and China are in demand, perhaps due to interest in the Japanese-Russian war. There are few “blood and thunder” books in the library. -
1900's Pop Culture
Teddy Bears. Nickelodeons show silent movies for five cents. 1904 World’s Fair introduces popcorn, burgers on buns and ice cream cones. -
1900's U.S. History
1901 President William McKinley is shot and dies eight days later.
1903 Henry Ford’s first Model A car (Model T in 1908).
1903 Wright brothers’ first airplane flight.
1906 San Francisco Earthquake. -
1900's World History
1904 – 1905 Russo-Japanese War. -
1900's Elgin History
1902 St. Joseph Hospital established.
1903 Wing Park deeded to the city.
1905 Electric interurban rail service to Chicago’s Loop begins.
1907 Globe Nickelodeon Theater on Grove Avenue, Elgin’s first movie house, opens. -
1900's Library Statistics
“March is our heaviest month of the year,” said Miss Abbott. “Last March we circulated 18,800 books.” “As a rule the books are returned to the library in good condition . . . very few books are lost and in nearly every instance the loser makes satisfactory settlement for the same.” In January, 17,555 books were circulated; 17,333 the year prior People Served: 23,600 (1900) -
1900's Books
1900 The Wizard of Oz by Frank Baum
1903 Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggan
1906 The Jungle by Upton Sinclair -
Period: to
Katherine L. Abbott, DIrector
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1910's Elgin History
1910 Local Jewish congregations unite to form Kneseth Israel.
1913 Women vote for the first time in local elections.
1914 First motorized patrol wagon.
1915 Motorized fire trucks begin replacing horse-drawn fire apparatus.
1918 Thirty-five from Elgin die in the First World War. -
1910's U.S. History
1919 18th Amendment is ratified, beginning Prohibition. -
1910's Books
1910 The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
1911 Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie
1918 My Antonia by Willa Cather -
1910's Pop Culture
Erector Sets and Lincoln Logs. Ballroom Dancing. George Gershwin songs. Oreo Cookie and Life Savers Candy are introduced in 1912. -
1910's Gail Borden Public Library
1916 2,004 German language books circulate but the U.S. entrance into World War I causes that number to decline in future years. 1918 German author and Harvard professor Hugo Munsterberg’s books that defend German war aims are removed from the library by resolution of the board of directors on May 7. -
1910's Library Statistics
People Served: 27,246 (1910) -
1910's World History
1912 Titanic sinks.
1914 – 1918 World War I.
1918 – 1919 Great Influenza Epidemic. -
1920's U.S. History
1920 19th Amendment gives women the right to vote.
1929 Stock Market Crash and the start of the Great Depression. -
1920's Pop Culture
Wonder Bread, Popsicles and Wheaties first sold. Silent movie star Rudolph Valentino dies at age 31 in 1926 and is mourned by thousands. First Oscars held in 1927. Dance Marathons, magician Harry Houdini and Flapper dresses are all the rage in the “Roaring Twenties.” -
1920's Elgin History
1920 Palm Sunday tornado kills seven in Elgin.
1924 Elgin High’s basketball team wins the state championship and wins again in 1925.
1927 Kindergarten starts in public schools.
1927 First stop-and-go traffic light. -
1920's Gail Borden Public Library
1921 Separate children’s space is created. -
1920's Library Statistics
The library’s collection is 55,000 volumes with 600 circulating each day. More than 5,000 books are loaned to public schools. People Served: 28,741 (1920) -
1920's World History
1922 Tomb of Tutankhamen discovered in Egypt.
1927 Charles Lindbergh’s transatlantic flight. -
1920's Books
1926 Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne
1925 The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
1928 Millions of Cats by Wanda Gág
1929 A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway -
1930's Gail Borden Public Library
1931 – 1932 Second floor of the library (still located on Spring Street) extended to ease overcrowded conditions.
1934 A rental collection of bestsellers was established during the Depression to meet the demand of books and to help cover the cost of new selections. Extra copies of the more popular books were purchased by the library and loaned at three cents per day. Popular books in the rental collection included The Grapes of Wrath, Rebecca and Gone With the Wind. -
1930's Pop Culture
Skippy Peanut Butter first sold 1933. Girl Scout Cookies first sold in 1934. Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and Spam introduced in 1937. Stamp collecting. Radio shows The Lone Ranger, Green Hornet and The Shadow. Movies Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz. -
1930's Library Collection
Collection: 78,120 (1931) Items Borrowed: 320,564 (1931) People Served: 37,622 (1930) -
1930's U.S. History
1930’s The Great Depression causes economic hardship in America and around the world.
1931 Empire State Building opens.
1933 The 21st Amendment repeals Prohibition. -
1930's World History
1936 England’s King Edward VIII abdicates to marry Wallis Simpson.
1939 World War II begins in Europe. -
1930's Elgin History
1931 Elgin National Watch Co. layoffs begin.
1931 Soup kitchen, The Canteen, opens for the unemployed.
1934 City streetcars replaced by buses.
1937 Walton Island, a WPA project, completed. -
1930's Books
1937 The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
1938 Caps for Sale by
1939 Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
1939 The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck -
1940's Pop Culture
Big Band Music and Jitterbug dancing. Rosie the Riveter, pin-up girls. Frozen dinners and Tupperware. M&M’s debut in 6 colors in 1941. Television show Howdy Doody. Movies Casablanca. -
1940's Elgin History
1940 Elgin National Watch Co. begins defense work.
1941 St. Edward Central Catholic High School opens.
1945 Six from Elgin die in Iwo Jima campaign; more than 100 lost in World War II.
1949 Elgin Community College established. -
1940's Gail Borden Public Library
1940 Remaining German Language materials removed from collection.
1942 Library reopens after remodeling.
1942 Open stacks are initiated. Library patrons can now browse through and pick out books on their own. Miss Abbott was opposed. In the library board minutes, it states "The Directors will not tolerate any employee who knowingly attempts to discredit the open shelf system just inaugurated."
1944 Thelma Sowers hired as head librarian.
1948 Fluorescent lights installed. -
1940's Library Statistics
Collection: 90,000 Books (1942) Items Borrowed: 245,000 (1942) People Served: 41,939 (1940) -
1940's U.S. History
1941 Attack on Pearl Harbor prompts United States to enter World War II.
1947 Jackie Robinson plays for the Brooklyn Dodgers, becoming the first African American to play Major League Baseball.
1947 Pilot Chuck Yeager breaks the sound barrier. -
1940's World History
1945 World War II ends.
1946 Winston Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” speech marks the beginning of the Cold War.
1947 Marshall Plan to aid Europe.
1948 Israel is created. -
1940's Books
1941 Curious George by H.A. Rey
1947 Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
1947 Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank -
Period: to
K. Thelma Sowers, Director
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1950's Books
1951 Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
1952 Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White
1957 The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss -
1950's Library Statistics
Circulation increases by 77%. Items Borrowed: 161,370 (1957) People Served: 46,732 (1950) -
1950's Pop Culture
Fast food franchises established for McDonald’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Peanut M & M’s first sold in 1954. Disneyland opens in Anahiem, California on July 17, 1955. Hula Hoops, poodle skirts, blue jeans and saddle shoes Rock ‘n Roll and Elvis Presley. Television shows The Honeymooners and The Mickey Mouse
Club. -
1950's Elgin History
1950 Civic Symphony organized.
1953 One-way east-west downtown traffic system in effect.
1957 McDonald’s restaurant opens. -
1950's Gail Borden Public Library
1952 The Elgin Daily Courier and Gail Borden establish an agreement to microfilm newspapers, Including the Courier and other Elgin newspapers dating back to the 1800’s. Filming is done by the University of Chicago.
1953 Elsie the Cow, Borden Milk mascot, and her son Beauregard visit the library in 1953.
1956 LP (long playing) records added to collection.
1957 Basic remodeling of the interior of library starts, doubling seating capacity.
1958 Children’s Room moves to the second floor in 1958. -
1950's U.S. History
1954 Salk Polio Vaccine.
1954 Supreme Court rules against “Separate but Equal” schools in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas.
1957 Desegregation in Little Rock, Arkansas, Central High School.
1959 Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper die in a plane crash.
1959 Quiz Show scandal. -
1950's World History
1950 – 1953 Korean War.
1957 Vietnam War begins. -
1950's Books
1951 Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
1952 Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White
1957 The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss -
Period: to
Ida G. Wilson
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1960's Gail Borden Public Library
1960 Gail Borden, Dundee and Roselle libraries work together to establish a bookmobile, bringing books to Dundee and Bloomingdale Townships and parts of Hanover Township.
A plan forms to levy taxes and form a Hanover Township Library but the referendum fails. Ultimately, library districts were organized, merging tax revenues with a logical service area.
1962 Bernard Oppenneer resigns after disagreement with board on pay, personnel policies and work conditions. -
1960's Library Collection
Collection: 86,471 printed materials (1962) Items Borrowed: 175,483 (1962) People Served: 52,640 (1960) -
1960's Pop Culture
Gatorade and Tang. Motown, The Beatles and The Beach Boys. TV shows The Flintstones, StarTrek and Bonanza. Go-Go boots, Nerf Balls and the Barbie Doll. -
1960's Elgin History
1962 Larkin High School opens.
1963 Judson College (now Judson University) opens.
1969 Hemmens auditorium opens in the Civic Center. -
1960's Gail Borden Public Library cont.
1965 Current library building on Spring Street is so overcrowded on Saturdays that only those with a Gail Borden Library cards can enter. A bond referendum for $980,000 for a new building passed.
1966 Gail Borden Library joins North Suburban Library System.
1968 The new library building at 200 N. Grove Ave., right on the Fox River, opens October 7. The previous library was 17,500 square feet and the new 74,000. Now the library had room for 250,000 books, up from 75,000 books. -
1960's U.S. History
1963 Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
1963 President John F. Kennedy is assassinated.
1969 Moon Landing. -
1960's World History
1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Vietnam War escalates. -
1960's Books
1963 Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
1964 Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
1967 One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez -
Period: to
Bernard Oppenneer, Director
-
Period: to
Edna Holland, Director
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1970's Gail Borden Public Lirary
1970 Failure of referendum for increased operating rate results in freezes on salaries and cut in library hours.
1970 Library began participating in the reciprocal borrowing program.
1973 First security guards hired.
1974 First Automated Circulation System installed in Illinois.
1974 Library begins lending framed art prints.
1974 Friends of Library formed. -
1970's Library Statistics
People Served: 58,972(1970) -
1970's Pop Culture
The Smiley Face, Lava Lamps, Pet Rocks. Platform shoes and mood rings. Disco, The Bee Gees and Stevie Wonder. Movies Grease, Star Wars and The Godfather. V shows All in the Family, Mash and Roots. American swimmer Mark Spitz wins seven gold medals at the 1972 Summer Olympics. -
1970's Elgin History
1971 New automobile dealership row on Highway 19.
1971 First woman elected to the City Council.
1973 First African American elected to the City Council.
1976 Lao refugees began arriving in Elgin.
1979 Last performance of the Song of Hiawatha Pageant, a community institution for more than fifty years. -
1970's Gail Borden Public Library cont.
1974 Referendum to form district and thereby serve Hanover Township/Cook County portion of Elgin failed on first attempt; excluded Plato & Rutland Townships on second attempt and
passed.
1974 Library becomes library district July 1.
1978 Children’s Center opens.
1979 Parlasca Memorial unveiled and remains at library until 1991, when it is moved to the Elgin Area Historical Museum. -
1970's U.S. History
1970 Shootings at Kent State.
1970 First Earth Day.
1972 Watergate Scandal begins.
1974 Sears Tower opens.
1976 Apple Computer is founded.
1976 United States Bicentennial—200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. -
1970's World History
1975 Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War.
1979 Iranian Hostage Crisis. -
1970's Books
1970 Are you there God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
1972 Watership Down by Richard Adams
1976 Roots: The Saga by Alex Haley -
1980's Library Statistics
Collection: 311,993 items (1984) Items Borrowed: 442,993 (1984) People Served: 75,136 -
1980's World History
1980 John Lennon killed.
1985 Live Aid concert. -
1980's Books
1981 Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg
1982 The Color Purple by Alice Walker
1989 Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault -
1980's Pop Culture
Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, and Madonna. Movies E.T., Indiana Jones, Flashdance and Back to the Future. Cabbage Patch Kids, walkmans. The Jane Fonda Workout Video. Members Only jackets and leg warmers. -
1980's Elgin History
1985 Pace bus terminal opens downtown.
1985 St. Edward girls wins Class A state basketball championship.
1986 Modern Dairy, Elgin’s last milk plant, closes.
1986 Metra station opens at Big Timber Road. -
1980's Gail Borden Public Library
1982 Videotapes become a new library collection with a donation from Friends of Library.
1983 Automated public catalog added to circulation system.
1987 Director Edna Holland retires after 25 years.
1989 Electronic security system installed.
1989 Referendum to increase operating rate (from $0.15 to $0.26) passes. It funds improvements such as a new computer system, carpeting and new HVAC system.
1989 Circulation record of 501,000+ in August -
1980's U.S. History
1980 U.S. Hockey Team wins Olympic Gold Medal.
1981 IBM introduces the PC.
1986 Challenger Space Shuttle Explosion.
1986 Chicago Bears win Superbowl XX.
1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. -
1890's Gail Borden Public Library
1894 Formal opening on February 22.
1897 – 1898 Books in the library catalogued according to the Dewey Decimal Classification system. -
Period: to
Daniel Zack, Director
-
1990's Gail Borden Public Library cont.
1997 Lewis Gordon retires from the library board after 26 years. The newly elected president is Rick McCarthy.
1998 F.A.N. club begins.
1999 ReaderShip van is a gift from the Kiwanis. -
1990's U.S. History
1990 Hubble Space Telescope launched into space.
1991 World Wide Web debuts.
1992 Riots in Los Angeles in response to the beating of Rodney King.
1993 ATF siege of the Mount Carmel center outside Waco, Texas.
1995 Oklahoma City Bombing. -
1990's Pop Culture
Tattoos, body piercing, Beanie Babies, Tae-bo and in-line skates. Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, New Kids on the Block and Garth Brooks. TV shows Beverly Hills 90210, ER, Friends, X-Files, The Simpsons. Movies The Blair Witch Project, The Matrix, Pulp Fiction and Titanic. -
1990's Elgin History
1990 First Card (Chase) occupied new building near Randall Rd. and I-90.
1991 911 emergency phone service started.
1994 Grand Victoria riverboat casino launched. -
1990's Books
1993 The Giver by Lois Lowry
1996 Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
1998 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling -
1990's Gail Borden Public Library
1992 Card catalog closed for good.
1993 Cassette tapes replace records in the library collection.
1993 Library foundation is formed.
1994 Elgin Image Award given to library.
1994 Elsie the cow visits to celebrate Gail Borden Library’s birthday.
1995 Self-checkout machine is installed; receipts replace due-date stamps.
1995 Telecirc system allows library customers to renew books by phone.
1997 Referendum to build new building fails (passes in 2000). -
1990's Library Statistics
Collection: 247,897 items (1998 – 1999) Items Borrowed: 617,169 (1998 – 1999) People Served: 90,471 -
1990's World History
1991 Operation Desert Storm. -
2000's Pop Culture
Steve Jobs introduces the iPod in 2001 and the iPhone in 2007. TV shows Survivor, The Real Life, 24, Breaking Bad and Downtown Abbey. Facebook 2004 and YouTube 2005. Twitter debuts in 2009. The Twilight Saga and Hunger Games movies . 2010 iPad is introduced. Ebooks and streaming are new forms of entertainment. Selfies. -
2000's Gail Borden Public Library cont.
2010 Gail Borden Library receives the 2009 National Medal for Museum and Library, the nation’s highest honor for museums and libraries.
2010 Circulation reaches 2 million for the first time in May. -
2000's Library Statistics
Collection: 531,893 items (includes books, eBooks, recorded books, digital video discs, video games) (2012 – 2013) Items Borrowed: 2,302,410 (2012 – 2013) People Served: 144,597 -
2000's U.S. History
2001 Terrorists attack the United States.
2005 Hurricane Katrina.
2008 First African-American elected President, Barack Obama.
2011 Occupy Wall Street movement begins. -
2000's World History
2004 Tsunamis in Thailand and Indonesia.
2011 Arab Spring uprisings begin.
2011 Osama bin Laden killed.
2011 Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
2012 Swimmer Michael Phelps’ Olympic medals total 22 after the London Summer Olympics. -
2000's Books
2000 Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan
2003 The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown
2007 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling
2008 The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins -
2000's Elgin History
2001 First Hispanic elected to the City Council.
2004 Metra opens at National Street station.
2007 Festival Park opens.
2009 New west side Sherman Hospital opens at a cost of $325 million.
2011/2012 Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club open.
2013 The Wall that Heals visits as part of the Big Read.
2013 Larkin Center closes. -
2000's Gail Borden Public Library
2000 DVDs, e-book readers, virtual reference and email notices.
2000 Building referendum passes.
2003 New automation system.
2003 New building at 270 N. Grove Ave. opens October 19 with 139,980 square feet Mike Alft is last patron to use the old building and opens new building, October 19.
2005 GIANTS African Dinosaurs Exhibit at the library.
2007 SPACE Dare to Dream Exhibit at the library.
2009 The library’s first branch, the west side Rakow Branch, opens August 15. -
Period: to
Carole Medal, Director