City Stats & History

City Stats

Elgin is located in Fayette County, Iowa.

• Population: 685 (as of 2020)
• Density: 1,010.32/sq mi (389.88/km2)
• Elevation: 807 ft (246 m)

Additional information can be found on Wikipedia.

History

The area had previously been the home of Sioux and Winnebago Indians. After the 1846 Winnebago Treaty, Indians were forcibly removed from the area by the US military and moved to Minnesota. In the summer of 1848, a flood of white settlers arrived. Matthew Conner built a log cabin and general store and the settlement was first called "Shin Bone Valley." Surveyor M. V. Burdick renamed the town "Elgin" in 1851 in honor of his hometown, Elgin, Illinois. Benjamin Dimond became the postmaster at Elgin in 1852, the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Minnesota Railway came through in 1872, and the Elgin Times newspaper was established in 1875. The town subsequently became a major destination for Swiss immigrants.

Source: "The History of Fayette County, Iowa, Containing a History of the County, its Cities, Towns, &c.." Western Historical Publishing Company.