LibGuides: Austin Area: Select Cities of the Austin Community College Service Area: Elgin

City of Elgin, founded in 1872

"The city of Elgin, Texas was created by the Houston and Texas Central Railroad in 1872 and named for Robert Morris Elgin, the railroad’s land commissioner, following the practice of naming new railroad towns after officers of the company." (Chamber of Commerce) . The city logo shows that the City of Elgin is "perfectly situated." It's 19 miles from downtown Austin, 10 miles from SH 130, 20 miles from ABIA, and situated on Hwy 290 transit corridor.

Elgin Texas proudly bears the twin titles of the "Sausage Capital of Texas" and the "Brick Capital of the Southwest."

City of Elgin Page
Elgin, Texas - History
"By 1890, the population of Elgin had reached 831, and Elgin was growing during the next few years many new businesses were started. The construction business, brick making, farming, and nearby coalmines brought many Latin American and Black citizens to the area."
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"The year 1900 produced a bumper crop of cotton and Elgin prospered. The population had increased to 1,258. The city incorporated in 1901.... By 1910, Elgin was enjoying a period of great prosperity as families from out on the prairie and surrounding communities moved to Elgin and built nice homes."
"Elgin rapidly became the most important agricultural center in Bastrop County. Five cotton gins and a cotton oil mill were in operation at the same time. Three manufacturing brick companies in the area gave Elgin the title, 'The Brick Capital of the Southwest.'"
Population Estimate, 2021: 10,549
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Source: U.S. Census Bureau Quick Facts
Release Date: July 2021

Education

Elgin Campus, Austin Community College
1501 W. US HWY 290, Elgin, TX 78621. One of eleven campuses in the ACC District service area, the campus is located on 98 acres of land. The campus opened Thursday, Aug. 29, 2013.
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Elgin Campus is the first community college campus in Bastrop County. The campus provides a broad selection of college classes for university transfer and career training--general, workforce, developmental, and core curriculum classes, as well as a program in sustainable agriculture.
Elgin Independent School District
"Elgin ISD comprises more than 168 square miles in portions of Bastrop, Lee, and Travis Counties and provides educational facilities and resources to meet the needs of more than 3,800 students on seven campuses."

Media

The Elgin Courier
"The Courier was not the first newspaper that Elgin supported; however, it is the one that has survived. Newspaper publishing first began in Elgin in 1879 and numerous publishers and papers dotted the scene until the Courier was established in 1890."

The Manor Journal
The official newspaper of record for the city of Manor, Texas.
Bastrop Advertiser
Texas' oldest weekly newspaper. Bringing you news about Bastrop and Bastrop County as the Austin American-Statesman's community paper for the area.

Recreation

Events

Elgin City Hall. Darryl Peterson, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. Source.

Library

The Elgin Public Library provides free services to all residents living within the state of Texas. The library holds 40,063 books; 1,321 audio materials; 2,641 video materials; 50 state licensed databases; 82 print serial subscriptions; over 2000 videos are available for check-out.

Arts, History, Culture, Technology

Elgin Depot Museum
"Housed in the restored 1903 railroad depot constructed of locally-produced red bricks, the museum explores the history of the Texas Brazos Trail region’s railroads, agriculture, transportation, and people. The 'Union' refers to the agreement between two major rail lines, both requiring a depot for the eight passenger trains passing through daily, to share the depot. Today, the Elgin Historical Association operates the museum, organizing changing exhibits throughout the year. "
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"The museum features and services include three exhibit rooms, photo archives, photo copying, Elgin history, railroad history, help with local genealogy, an Elgin Area Veterans display, and a gift shop."
Explore Elgin
Elgin Arts Association
Features artists, bios, Pearls Before Swine art shows, and more.

Businesses and Organizations

Economic Development
Greater Elgin Chamber of Commerce
"Elgin is a community rich in history. It has been designated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as a National Main Street Community."

Austin Area: Select Cities of the Austin Community College Service Area: Elgin