Read all about it: Gail Borden Library digitizes historical Elgin Dairy Report

A piece of Elgin history from the turn of the 20th century has been preserved by the Gail Borden Library.

The library has digitized issues of The Elgin Dairy Report from 1892 to 1903 and made them freely accessible.

Elgin earned the nickname “Butter Capital of the World” during the late 19th century, serving as the economic hub for more than 200 cheese and butter factories across the region. The Elgin Board of Trade set national and global butter prices, which were then reported in the publication.

A $1,823 grant from the Illinois State Historical Records Advisory Board funded the project. It was one of 11 awarded during the 2025-2026 cycle as part of a statewide initiative to safeguard Illinois’ cultural heritage.

The project took a year of meticulous preservation work, library officials said.

“These original volumes are incredibly fragile, making them difficult to handle without risking damage,” Angel Flores, director of information and digital services, said in a news release. “Thanks to the support from this grant, we have successfully preserved this irreplaceable history. Now, anyone across the globe can explore these remarkable stories and data that shaped Elgin’s identity.”

The collection is fully indexed and searchable, making it easy to track names, historical business and agricultural data, according to the release. It can be accessed at gbpl.info/dairyreports.