Elgin is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

(CDP) in Santa Cruz County,

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

, United States. The population was 161 at the 2010 census.

Geography

Elgin is located along the Babocomari River at (31.629095, -110.571951). The Babocomari is known to harbor a unique species of fish, belonging to the family

Characidae Characidae, the characids, is a family of freshwater subtropical and tropical fish belonging to the order Characiformes. They are found throughout much of Central and South America, including such major waterways as the Amazon and Orinoco Riv ...

. They are incredibly rare and little is known about them. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the CDP has a total area of , all land.

Climate

According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Elgin has a

semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of se ...

, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 309 people, 123 households, and 86 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 153 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 92%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 3% Native American, 3% from other races, and 2% from two or more races. 14% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. There were 123 households, out of which 29% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29% were non-families. 24% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.5 and the average family size was 3.0. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 27% under the age of 18, 4% from 18 to 24, 25% from 25 to 44, 32% from 45 to 64, and 13% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 116 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $64,167, and the median income for a family was $66,250. Males had a median income of $38,500 versus $21,250 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the CDP was $27,909. About 10% of families and 13% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 21% of those under the age of eighteen and 7% of those 65 or over.

Film

'' Red River'' (1948) - This film, starring John Wayne and Montgomery Clift, used Elgin as the site of most of the exterior shots of the cattle drive. ''

Oklahoma! ''Oklahoma!'' is the first musical theater, musical written by the duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs's 1931 play, ''Green Grow the Lilacs (play), Green Grow the Lilacs''. Set in farm country outside the town of ...

'' (1955) - The train station sequence in this musical film classic, with

Gene Nelson Gene Nelson (born Leander Eugene Berg; March 24, 1920 – September 16, 1996) was an American actor, dancer, screenwriter, and director. Biography Nelson was born Eugene Leander Berg in Seattle, Washington. By 1924, he and his parents mov ...

singing and dancing the song "Kansas City" partly atop a moving train, was filmed in Elgin. '' 3:10 to Yuma'' (1957) - The railroad scenes in this western, with

Glenn Ford Gwyllyn Samuel Newton Ford (May 1, 1916 – August 30, 2006), known as Glenn Ford, was a Canadian-born American actor. He was most prominent during Classical Hollywood cinema, Hollywood's Golden Age as one of the biggest box-office draws of th ...

and

Van Heflin Emmett Evan "Van" Heflin Jr. (December 13, 1908 – July 23, 1971) was an American theatre, radio, and film actor. He played mostly character parts over the course of his film career, but during the 1940s had a string of roles as a leading man. ...

, were filmed in Elgin. ''

The Sons of Katie Elder ''The Sons of Katie Elder'' is a 1965 American Western film in Panavision, directed by Henry Hathaway and starring John Wayne and Dean Martin. It was filmed principally in Mexico. Plot The four adult sons of Katie Elder – John, who is a fam ...

'' (1965) - In the opening scene of this film, which also starred John Wayne, used the same train station and a few of the same camera angles as the ''Oklahoma'' film.

Winemaking

Elgin is the first location in Arizona to engage in commercial scale

winemaking Winemaking, wine-making, or vinification is the production of wine, starting with the selection of the fruit, its Ethanol fermentation, fermentation into alcohol, and the bottling of the finished liquid. The history of wine-making stretches over ...

. In the 1970s, Gordon Dutt, Ph.D., a soil scientist from the

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it ...

, was intrigued with the similarity between the soil of the Elgin- Sonoita area and that of

Burgundy Burgundy ( ; ; Burgundian: ''Bregogne'') is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. In partnership with A. Blake Brophy, he developed an experimental winery that later developed into the Sonoita Vineyards and that encouraged other vineyards in the area. Presently, growers in the area produce Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Mission, and Syrah grapes. In 2009 there were nine vineyards in the region, producing about 50,000 gallons of wine yearly. Elgin hosts several wine festivals throughout the year, most notably the St. Martin's Day festival and the Fall festival. The expansion of winemaking in the Elgin-Sonoita area has led to establishment of fine restaurants and

bed and breakfast A bed and breakfast (typically shortened to B&B or BnB) is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast. In addition, a B&B sometimes has the hosts living in the house. ''Bed and breakfast'' is also used to ...

s and has regenerated the economy of this lightly populated, rural area.

Gallery

File:Elgin_Community_Club_In_Elgin_Arizona_2016.jpg, Elgin Community Club building. File:1915_Schoolhouse_Elgin_Arizona_2016.jpg, The historic 1915 schoolhouse was also used as a

dance hall Dance hall in its general meaning is a hall for Dance, dancing, but usually refers to a specific type of twentieth-century venue, with dance clubs (nightclubs) becoming more popular towards the end of the century. The palais de danse was a term ap ...

. Catholic_Church_Elgin_Arizona_2016.jpg, The Chapel of Santa Maria Catholic church in Elgin. File:Section House Elgin Arizona 2016.jpg, Former New Mexico & Arizona Railroad section house. File:Service_Station_Elgin_Arizona_2016.jpg, Historic service station building.

References

{{authority control Census-designated places in Santa Cruz County, Arizona Census-designated places in Arizona Populated places in the Sonoran Desert