Elmer Charles "Mike" Alft Jr. (July 13, 1925 - November 22, 2021) was an American
historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the st ...
and former mayor of
Elgin,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...
. Born in
Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, he graduated
Phi Beta Kappa
The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal ...
from
Grinnell College
Grinnell College is a private liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa, United States. It was founded in 1846 when a group of New England Congregationalists established the Trustees of Iowa College.
Grinnell has the fifth highest endowment-to-stu ...
in 1949 and received his master's degree from
Syracuse University in 1950. He taught at
Elgin High School for four decades while serving as city councilman, mayor, secretary of the Board of Trustees of the
Gail Borden Public Library District, and various other capacities in local government. In addition he was a part-time instructor at
Elgin Community College.
Alft was elected to the Elgin City Council in the at-large election in April, 1963. Four years later, he was elected Mayor, succeeding Clyde Shales. As was the custom at the time, Alft did not seek reelection when his four-year term expired in 1971. William Rauschenberger was elected to succeed him.
He may be best known as a historian of Elgin. He has published several books on the history of Elgin and the surrounding area, in addition to hundreds of articles for the local newspaper, the
Elgin Daily Courier-News. He also wrote a biweekly column on Elgin's history.
Works
*''Your Illinois Banks'', Illinois Bankers Association, 1957
*''A Century of Service: The First National Bank of Elgin'', Elgin, 1965
*''Elgin High : a centennial history and record book'', 1869–1969, Board of Education, Elgin Public Schools, 1969
*''Elgin Area Landmarks: A Community Heritage Tour Guide'', Elgin Area Historical Society, 1975
*''South Elgin, A history of the village from its origin as Clintonville'', South Elgin Heritage Commission, 1979
*''Hanover Township'', Bartlett Historical Society, 1980
*''The Elgin Historic District'', Elgin Area Historical Society and Gifford Park Association, 1980
*''Elgin, An American History 1835-1985'', Crossroads Communications, 1984
*''Sherman Hospital: A century of caring'', Crossroads Communications, 1987
*''Old Elgin: A Pictorial History'', G. Bradley Publishing, 1991
*''Elgin: Days Gone By'', Crossroads Communications, 1992
*''Books and More: a history of the Gail Borden Public Library'', 1996
*''Elgin's Black Heritage'', City of Elgin, 1996
*''Elgin Time: A History of the Elgin National Watch Company 1864-1968'', Elgin Area Historical Society, 2003
*''An Elgin almanac: a book of stories, records, lists and curiosities'', City of Elgin, 2004
*''Elgin parks: A community history'', City of Elgin, 2005
*''Elgin: A Women's City'', Elgin Area Historical Society, 2008
*''Promoting Elgin: A centennial history of the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce'', 1908–2008, Elgin Area Chamber, 2008
*''Hispanics in Elgin: A brief history'', Elgin Area Historical Society, 2010
*''A History of Elgin History'', Elgin Area Historical Society, 2011,
Sources
Alft Family History
References
External links
Two books on Elgin's history by E.C. "Mike" Alft reprinted online
1925 births
2021 deaths
Schoolteachers from Illinois
American columnists
Grinnell College alumni
Syracuse University alumni
Mayors of Elgin, Illinois
21st-century American historians
21st-century American male writers
Historians from New York (state)
Historians from Illinois
American male non-fiction writers
20th-century American historians
20th-century American male writers
Politicians from Chicago
Writers from Chicago
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