Elgin History Quiz

This is a somewhat challenging quiz that I put together on Elgin history. This quiz will be difficult and you probably will not get all of the answers correct, but I hope that you will learn something about Elgin that you didn't know before.

How well do you know your Elgin History? Do you have what it takes to complete this extensive survey about the history of one of the oldest cities in Illinois? This survey covers over 170 years of Elgin history. Good luck.

What is your age?
Under 18 Years Old
18 to 24 Years Old
25 to 30 Years Old
31 to 40 Years Old
41 to 50 Years Old
51 to 60 Years Old
Over 60 Years Old
What is your gender?
Male
Female
1. When was Elgin founded? (be careful)
Feb. 28, 1854
Apr. 3, 1835
Oct. 7, 1871
Mar. 20, 1920
2. Who founded the City of Elgin?
Ralph W. Crocker
Moe Howard
James T. Gifford
Perry D. Wells
3. What happened on March 20, 1920
The Elgin airpory opened
Elgin Tower Building was completed
The Kimball Street Dam collapsed
Elgin was hit by a major tornado.
4. What mode of transportation was introduced to Elginites in 1878?
streetcars
ferry boats
monorail
subway
5. How many downtown buildings were razed to make way for the Civic Center Plaza in the 1960's?
28
60
47
34
6. The largest theater ever built in Elgin had a seating capacity of about 1,600. Which theater is this referring to?
Hemmens Auditorium
Elgin Fox Theater
Crocker Theater
Grove Theater
7. What was the Elgin Tower Building originally called?
Home Banks Building
Professional Building
City Hall
Fosgate Hotel
8. In 1912, how many movie theaters were operating in Elgin?
two
five
six
eight
9. When was the Elgin National Watch Company established?
1864
1902
1966
1893
10. Elgin's oldest existing structure was built in what year?
1862
1871
1856
1846
11. Elgin native Max Adler is noted for what?
Being Elgin's first doctor
Donating the Adler Planetarium to the City of Chicago
incorporating the City of Elgin
Founding the Elgin National Watch Company
12. When Elgin was founded, it was located in which county?
Cook
Kane
LaSalle
Lake
13. Which of these was invented in Elgin?
motorized street sweeper
automatic gum wrapping machine
both are correct
none of the above
14. Elgin native William H. Cloudman is noted for what?
inventing the wheel
demonstrating the worlds first camera
Elgin's first police chief
making the Transcontinental Railroads "Golden Spike"
15. Who is Gail Borden?
A famous architect
A librarian
A manufacturer/inventor of dairy products
An Elgin nurse
16. What architectural style is the Elgin Tower Building built in?
Gothic Revival
Colonial
Queen Anne
Art Deco
17. What was the name of Elgin's first movie theater?
Globe
Star
Crocker
Lyric
18. Who was Elgin's first mayor?
James T. Gifford
Mike Alft
Ed Schock
Joseph Tefft
19. Who is W. W. Abell?
An Elgin mayor
A noted Elgin architect
A name I just made up
An Elgin City Attorney
20. Which of these movies were partially filmed in Elgin?
Denice the Menice
Primal Fear
Hoffa
All of the above
21. What is the Columbia Block on Grove Ave. named after?
A country
The 1893 World Columbian Exposition
A ship
The builder
22. Elgin's first mayor, Joseph Tefft, was also Elgin's first what?
Teacher
Alderman
Doctor
Florist
23. The worlds first _______ was built at Trout Park on the city's northeast side? fill in the blank.
circle-dip roller coaster
miniature railroad
ferris wheel
merry-go-round
24. How many museums are there in Elgin?
none
1
2
3
25. On May 12, 1908, Elgin Fire Marshall David W. Sharp died from injuries he sustained when a _________ collapsed on top him. Fill in the blank.
three-story fire escape
dilapitated building
damaged telephone pole
glass dome
26. Who visited Elgin in October 1960?
The Pope
Queen of England
John F. Kennedy
Edmund Fitzgerald
27. A ship that patrolled the European seas during World War II was named after Elgin. What was the name of the ship?
S.S. Elgin
Elgin Victory
City of Elgin
Lady Elgin
28. What year was Elgin High School established?
1911
1892
1869
1858
29. When was the Elgin Fire Department established?
1908
1854
1874
1867
30. What street used to be known as Milwaukee Street?
E. Highland Ave.
Dundee Ave.
Larkin Ave.
W. Highland Ave.
31. How many fire stations served Elgin between 1903 and 2005?
3
5
7
9
32. How many fire stations currently serve Elgin?
3
4
7
9
33. About how many Elgin watches were produced by the Elgin National Watch Company?
10 million
30 million
40 million
60 million
34. What massive/forgotten event happened in Elgin in 1874?
The light bulb was introduced
A fire destroyed most of downtown
The river flooded
train derailment
35. In 1849, the first steam train pulled into Chicago, that same year, it was the first to pull into Elgin. What was the name of the steam engine?
The Pioneer
The General
The Zepher
The Union Pacific
36. What Elgin landmark burned to the ground in December of 1956?
watch factory
City Hall
Rialto Theater
Borden Dairy Building
37. When was Elgin incorporated?
Apr. 3, 1835
Jan 5, 1883
Feb. 28, 1854
May 28, 1890
38. The Chicago, Aurora, and Elgin Railroad once connected with what?
Union Pacific
Chicago's elevated railway "L" system
Lincoln Park Zoo
Grant Park
39. As of the 2006 population estimates, how many people lived in Elgin?
94,487
98,645
99,643
110,507
40. What was Elgin named after?
nobody knows
A scottish hymn tune
The Elgin Marbles
A town in Canada

Remember to rate this quiz on the next page!
Rating helps us to know which quizzes are good and which are bad

Related Quizzes:

• The Art of Prehistory by Melissa
• Dover History Quiz by cbt
• Coventry City FC Quiz by Conor Maton
• U.S. History 2nd Semester by K8E
• Road to Revolution Quiz by Laura

Create a quiz on GotoQuiz. We are a better kind of quiz site, with no pop-up ads, no registration requirements, just high-quality quizzes. Hey MySpace users! You can create a quiz for MySpace, it's simple fun and free.