Follow us on Twitter @ErcElgin Social clubs are seldom long-lived. Elgin has had dozens, but only one has thrived for over a hundred years.
A gang of nine good fellows in 1886 wanted a gathering place where they could imbibe, smoke, sing, play cards, shoot pool, and exchange hunting and fishing stories. Because their first quarters on River Street (now North Grove Avenue) overlooked the Fox, they adopted the name Riverside Club. Although loosely organized, with a minimum of rules to dampen the camaraderie, membership was carefully sel
ected. Congeniality counted more than social position and money. Especially welcome were applicants who could sing or play a musical instrument. The interest in music led to the formation of a club band and orchestra. For several years the Riverside staged an annual minstrel show at the Opera House. The 1909 performance opened with the customary banter between the interlocutor and the end men. The rapid fire exchanges always included a number of sallies aimed at local notables. These were followed by solos, a chorus, a quartet, and moving pictures. The Riverside shows drew packed houses and were considered superior to those of traveling road companies. There were 28 members enrolled in 1891, when its activities still included social dances. Later something happened at a party (the organization's traditions are obscure and records practically non-existent) that led to the banning of women from the club rooms. This has remained a firm house rule, and on one occasion the wife of a governor of Illinois remained in a car in the club parking lot while her husband was being entertained. From River Street the club moved to 101-105 Division Street. In 1935, when membership was limited to 160, it occupied the second floor of building at 106 Douglas Avenue. A former rural school house near Huntley was remodeled into a summer home. Complete with kitchen, bar and lounging room, it provided a cool escape for several years. Because so many judges, state's attorneys, sheriffs, mayors, and councilmen have been members, the Riverside acquired the reputation of a local political cauldron. Many candidacies emerged from informal gatherings in its rooms. In 1966, when its Division Street quarters were torn down to become part of the Elgin Civic Center, the club enlarged a former residence at 21 Lincoln Avenue on a three-acre site overlooking the Fox. The old fellowship is again down by the riverside.
