Saloon-smashing Carry Nation visited Fox Valley in 1909

Carry Nation, known for her hatchet-swinging, saloon-smashing escapades, told a large Elgin crowd a century ago that the nation's drinking woes are clearly the fault of one political party.

Nearby Algonquin became the center of attention as the annual Hill Climb drew its biggest crowd ever, while an Elgin couple noted for "wife swapping" found themselves back in the news again.

Here's a look at those and other stories that made Elgin area headlines in August 1909.

Temperance talk: Carry Nation, known for her anti-alcohol, bar smashing campaigns, spoke to a crowd of 3000 at Elgin's fourth annual Chautauqua near Elgin Academy, now the Elgin Area Historical Society.

"I went to see big, beefy Bill Taft," she said of her recent visit with the U.S. President. "When you refuse to answer, you put yourself on record as a coward," Nation said of his responses dealing with liquor-related questions.

Attributing the country's liquor woes to the Republicans, Nation asked if there was a representative of the Republican Party present to defend their party's policies. When no one came forward, she asked for a show of hands for any Republicans in the audience. Seeing none, Nation remarked, "I see you have all been converted."

The vociferous speaker, who animated her talk by swinging a hatchet, went on to condemn tobacco users saying they were worse than drinkers and urged young women to have nothing to do with men who smoke.

Following the talk, Nation sold souvenir hatchets and copies of her book.

Spouse swap: Wife trading in the good old days? Really?

One of two Elgin couples who made earlier headlines for swapping spouses was back in the news again after taking out a marriage license. The woman, who had been living with the man since his wife moved in with her husband, was listed in the city directory as the man's "housekeeper." The other pair involved in the trade had remarried outside the country shortly after the double divorce. The couple remaining in the city decided to wait the one year period following the divorce required by Illinois law before remarrying.

Hill Climb hoopla: Normally a quiet village, nearby Algonquin was swarmed with visitors as the fourth annual Algonquin Hill Climb attracted a crowd of over 25,000 spectators.

Held on Perry and Phillips hills, the contest included over 80 entries representing more than two dozen manufacturers including Buick, Stoddard, and Oakland.

The top honors went to a Chadwick 6 cylinder which made the run in just over 50 seconds.

Almost every resident of Algonquin helped out on this event which attracted over 1,000 car owners from across northern Illinois.

Your two cents, please? While Lincoln pennies are commonplace today, their popularity during their debut a century ago prompted some area banks to limit them to two per customer.

Issued on the 100th anniversary of Lincoln's birth, the new coins replaced the Indian head cents in circulation for decades. And, change didn't come easy for some. Some complained the new coins didn't stack easily and that they were larger in size than their predecessor.

Lady boss: Having a woman supervisor didn't fare well for several dozen employees at the Illinois State Hospital, now the Elgin Mental Health Center, and they signed a petition asking the superintendent to remove her.

The supervisor showed partiality, inspected their work too frequently, and was critical of their working environment; the men charged. The employees finally walked out in an effort to force the issue - an action that resulted in their dismissal.

The men only made up one-fifth of the work force, the superintendent said, and the institution could function without them. Not so, responded the employees, who said their loss would "seriously handicap" the hospital.

School physicals: All children need to have a medical examination before enrolling in school, the Elgin city physician cautioned.

The checkup should include a look at vision, breathing, and teeth. To reduce the spread of communicable diseases, he also recommended that a house to house canvass be made to inform parents of the dangers of tuberculosis and other communicable diseases.

A committee of physicians should be formed to oversee the task- an effort that would be well worth their time, he added.

Immigration: Where were the area's newest American citizens coming from a century ago?

Not unexpectedly, the greatest number hailed from Sweden, according to recent Naturalization records for Kane County.

But, the other countries of origin might a surprise a few. These included Belgium, Germany and Denmark followed by Russia and Canada. The fewest numbers of new citizens in Kane County were arriving from Hungary, Romania, and Austria.