Elgin Watch Works factory, Elgin, Illinois, circa 1909
- Card type
- Government postal card
- Date
- c. 1902 (Early)
About this postcard
A bird's-eye halftone view of the sprawling Elgin Watch Works: long, multi-story brick factory blocks laid out in a grid, a tall smokestack trailing smoke, and a clock-like tower flying the American flag, with streets and open prairie beyond. The Elgin National Watch Company, founded in Elgin in 1864, grew into one of the largest watch manufacturers in the world, and this complex was its principal plant until production ended in the 1960s. The card was manufactured by Curt Teich & Co. of Chicago, whose numbered views of American towns and industries were widely sold in the early 20th century.
Postcard Details
Indiana, PA
Postcard record
| Postmarked | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Curt Teich & Co. |
| Series | 711 |
| Condition | Good |
| Place addressed | Mrs John L Stattmiller, Indiana, PA |
| Place depicted | Elgin, IL |
| Publisher | Curt Teich & Co., Chicago, IL |
| Stamp | 1c Benjamin Franklin, green, issued 1902, perforated on all sides |
| Notes | Message handwritten in ink across the lower front; vertical crease and light edge/corner wear; white margin at bottom with printed caption and imprint. Postmark: ELGIN, ILL. 29 4 1907 — undivided back with printed "NOTHING BUT THE ADDRESS ON THIS SIDE", 1¢ green Franklin stamp, Curt Teich (CT Co) Chicago imprint; card is soiled, stained and creased with a torn lower-right corner. |
Cite this card
Elgin Watch Works factory, Elgin, Illinois, circa 1909, postcard, c. 1902. PostalPast Collection. https://postalpast.com/postcard/elgin-watch-works-factory-elgin-illinois-circa-1909. Accessed October 25, 2026.