Founded during the Civil War, the Elgin National Watch Company was the world’s largest watch factory, producing more than 60 million “Elgin” watches before the factory was demolished in 1966. Join the Bartlett Public Library with the Bartlett Historical Society for the story of this amazing factory, including how it got started, its rise to fame, its shift to war time production during WWII and how it became part of the social fabric of Elgin and the surrounding communities. The presenter, Jerry Turnquist, is a 5th generation Elginite and is a long-time member of the Elgin Area Historical Society. He has been writing a Daily Herald column on Elgin area history for the past 19 years.