John C. Adams' Elgin Pocket Watch
John C. Adams was a Chicago watchmaker and responsible for forming the
Elgin National Watch Co. (1864). He was
instrumental in getting the business men and the machinists, watch
company foremen and watchmakres together. He later went on to help
start the Cornell Watch Co. (1867), the
Illinois Watch Company (1869), the
Adams & Perry Watch Co. (1874), and the
Independent Watch Co (1880).
In the fall of 2000, one of the descendants of John Adams discovered
his watch in a shoe box, it was serial number 113. After contacting
the Elgin Area Historical Society, Carol Adams decided that it would
be more appropriate for the watch to be in a museum than a shoe box
and sold it to the EAHS.
The Chicago Tribune ran a
story about finding John Adams' Watch,
and it makes an interesting read.
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