Elgin; Illinois; was founded in 1835. However; the community truly came into its own at the end of the Civil War; when the Elgin National Watch Company moved there and took the city name as its own. The name Elgin became synonymous with quality for over 100 years. Elgin; Illinois: "Wish You Were Here" tells the story of the town of Elgin during the 20th century; featuring vintage postcards of that period.Special events of historic interest include the tornado of 1920; and the Elgin Road Races; which gained national fame for a brief time around the World War I era. More than 200 pictures; culled from the collection of the Elgin Area Historical Society; and colorful narratives tell of the accomplishments by those first few generations who lived and died in the community.
#565563 in eBooks 2012-09-01 2012-09-01File Name: B008YWVG6S
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Essential for Fans of Ryan Adams Early WorkBy Keith HewittI wasnt expecting to like this book. Ive read a couple of atrocious 331/3 volumes and had already pigeon-holed this book as another of them. Menconi is probably some small town journalist attempting to ride the coattails of Mr. Adams fame (like a part time community college professor who "sat next to John Grisham in one class" and is therefore some kind of creative writing authority)...this was my assumption anyway. Full disclosure: Menconi is active in (at least) one online Ryan Adams club and. when I reached out to him. very personable. friendly. and perfectly willing to answer questions. Not at all the kind of self-aggrandizing dork I was expecting.Having now completed the book - in probably less than twelve hours; I really couldnt put it down - I am especially grateful that Mr. Menconi has given Ryan Adams fans this account. Ive always thought we owe it to celebrities to allow their private lives to be private. yet nevertheless its fascinating to imagine a scruffy 17-year old kid sleeping in a closet and sluffing off in a dishpit. fantasizing about. practicing. and eventually assimilating into his version of a rock star. Human beings are complicated - Ryan Adams no less. Its hard not to wince at the number of times he burned bridges or allowed others to get ground up under his tires. Menconi doesnt paint an especially pretty picture of Ryan. but his account does seem like a fairly honest one.Like good music you come back to after a dozen years. the novelty wears off and gets replaced with nostalgia for that younger version of yourself. When I first "discovered" Ryan Adams around Thanksgiving of 2001. I had the extraordinary pleasure of getting to dive into his already robust back catalog and I related to all of it. It changed my life. Ryan Adams handed me a lexicon that brought language (and chord progressions) to a heretofore unexplored part of my own landscape. Flash forward a decade and a half and Im no longer that fledgling bipolar artist working in record stores and dishpits. (Im a father and a comfortable. slow-moving old bore now). Reading Menconis book brought me back to being young. unsure. and not yet possessing the language to describe my place in the world; this time with eyes capable of seeing the innocence. hunger. and overflowing passion for music that my idols have all had.I dont agree with every detail of Menconis assessment of various albums or eras in Ryans career. but nevertheless its a fascinating and quick read. Again. Im thankful that its there for us fans. Like a batch of demos compared to a completed album. its always interesting to see what well-crafted songs looked like when they were still in process. Such is the case with the Ryan Adams we see in this book. Essential for fans of his early work.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. This is a highly entertaining account of one of the USs greatest current singer-songwriters and the North Carolina music sceneBy K.Menconis book offers a richly drawn portrait of the singers life and career in his pre-solo days as the singer and guitarist in Whiskeytown. Menconi is an astute and generous biographer. not averse to drawing attention to DRAs flaws on occasion but also focused on an even-handed and perceptive account of the prolific amount of music that DRA was producing in his late teens and 20s. Menconi interviewed DRA on many occasions and was able to draw on these interviews as he documents DRAs early bands in Raleigh and the tempestuous times in Whiskeytown that ultimately led to Ryans solo career. This is a highly entertaining account of one of the USs greatest current singer-songwriters and the North Carolina music scene from which he emerged!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The book is a good read for any Ryan Adams fanBy GHRDavid Menconi is a solid writer. The book is a good read for any Ryan Adams fan. That being said. this book is written by a music journalist. There is A LOT of descriptive music nuance about; other bands. influences. technique. the music scene at the time. etc.. that I personally found to be a little tedious.
