CHICAGO (WGN) — Travel 38 miles northwest of Chicago along the Fox River and you’ll reach Elgin, once home to the largest watch manufacturer in the world and now one of the largest Mexican communities in Illinois.
Elgin made headlines this year during immigration arrests and protests, but many who live there want the city to be known for more than that. Much of its growth, they say, comes from the contributions of the Latino community.
The Elgin Watch Factory gave the city its motto, “The City to Watch.” The Elgin Watch Factory is long gone, and Elgin Council Member Rosa Maria Martinez remembers the day it came down. Since then, Martinez has watched Elgin evolve into one of the largest destinations for Latinos in Illinois…