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Back when mail and only the occasional tourist traveled
by stagecoach, Elgin had a few scattered boarding houses, most of which were
people who would open their homes to strangers for a price. It wasn’t until
the railroad came to Elgin that hotels began to spring up and flourish in the
city. These hotels would accommodate transplanted watch factory workers until
they could find permanent residences, as well as tourists. Elgin quickly
became a vacation spot. Tourists could patronize as many as seven
different hotels not counting The National House, which would also take in
short-term borders. The hotel industry became so competitive that each hotel
would employ up to two runners (as stipulated by city ordinance) to meet
travelers at the train station to offer free transportation to their respective
hotel.
The next few frames will be devoted to some of Elgin's
hotels of the past.
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