051 DJI Mavic Air drone flight over Elgin, Illinois - In 4K!

Today we’re going to Elgin, Illinois, about 30 miles northwest of Chicago. Despite having lived in the Chicago area all my life, Elgin has usually only been a city I’ve driven through to go to someplace else.
Elgin straddles both sides of the Fox River and has a growing population of over 110,000.
Its roots go back to the early 1800s when Indian Removal Act of 1830 and the Black Hawk Indian War of 1832 led to the expulsion of Native Americans from their settlements, burial mounds and fertile land in the Fox Valley.
In New York, brothers James and Hezekiah Gifford heard of this land, now ripe for settlement and headed east in search of a site on which to build a stop along the Chicago to Galena stagecoach route, finding one at a spot where the Fox River could be crossed with a bridge.
In April of 1835, the Gifford brothers named their new town Elgin after the Scottish tune.
In 2001, Elgin erected a sculpture by native son Trygve A. Rovelstad that the artist first designed for his hometown in the 1930s. Fundraising efforts were thwarted by the Great Depression but 70 years later, the local economy had improved enough to support the redevelopment of the city’s riverfront and the bronze casting of Rovelstad’s life’s work.
Elgin was incorporated as a city in 1854 and soon earned fame for its butter and dairy goods. Gail Borden established a condensed milk factory here in 1866 along with an icon that is still famous today.
In 1864, a group of seven businessmen founded the National Watch Company and built a factory on 35 acres of land and began producing timepieces by 1867. The company officially changed its name to the Elgin National Watch Company and went on to become the world’s largest producer of pocket watches, wrist watches, bomb sights and precision instruments.
In 1964, the company closed its factory and moved to Blaney, South Carolina which subsequently changed its name to Elgin.
The original factory was razed in 1966 after having produced half of the United States pocket watches. All U.S. manufacturing ceased between 1968 and 1970 however, and the rights to the name “Elgin” were sold to a manufacturer in China. Any Elgin-branded watches produced after 1968 have no connection to the Elgin Watch Company.
The city of Elgin, North Dakota also derived its name from the watch brand and NBA Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor was named for his father’s favorite watch.
A lot of folks know Elgin for its Mental Health hospital but its largest employers include its school district, JP Morgan Chase, Fisher Nuts, two hospitals, a community college and a riverfront casino that is credited for helping to revitalize Elgin’s economy.
Like many of the Fox Valley towns of which I’ve made videos, Elgin owes part of its existence to the Fox River and rail lines. There is a lot of history of interurban railroads like the Chicago, Aurora and Elgin which abruptly shut down service on July 3, 1957 and the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway which was absorbed into the Canadian National Railway.
Today Elgin is served by Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, Union Pacific and Metra.
Seven bridges cross the Fox River in Elgin. The one at Kimball Street has a dam beneath it that once had a grist mill on one side and a sawmill on the other.
As other Fox River dams have been removed recently, to keep the river flowing more freely, the Kimball Street dam’s future is also currently being debated.
Below the dam is Walton Island Park. Built by the Works Progress Administration in the 1930's, the 4.5 acre park was dedicated to the City by the Izaak Walton League. The park has walking paths, a pavilion shelter for special events and is an excellent spot for weddings or wedding photos.
Built in 1929, the Art Deco Elgin Tower is a 15 story building that is 186 feet tall. Originally occupied by the Home National Bank and Home National Savings and Trust, the Great Depression devastated the bank only months later. When goods for Elgin products increased after World War II, the tower prospered, but only temporarily. Hard times again fell on the tower in the 1960s especially with the 1965 closing of the Elgin Watch Company.
The tower was eventually purchased and restored by William R. Stickling whose charity continues to maintain it following his death in 1999.
Its restoration is considered a major part of a rehabilitation of downtown Elgin. The tower was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002 but a fire in 2014 destroyed the building’s wooden interior.
Capstone Development purchased the building in 2016 and has renovated it into luxury loft apartments.
Elgin’s grown from an agricultural river town to a manufacturing hub and is one of the fastest growing cities in Illinois. Thanks for watching! Christian
DJI Mavic Air
Filmora X
Music:
www.purple-pla... - "Sunbeam"
Low Tree - "Shaal Region"
The 126ers - "The Day is Close"
Riot - "Pressure"
Silent Partner - "Heartland"

[@theelginrailfan9489]

I love this! I live in Elgin as you can see! Really love the view of the Fox River

[@MainlightDrone]

Thanks! I was hoping to get some trains but the riverfront made a pretty video too. I wonder when they're going to start taking out the dams.

[@dustinw8565]

Excellent work my friend, keep up the good work! Looking forward to visiting Illinois some time once the boarder is open again! (My favorite US city!)

[@MainlightDrone]

Thanks, Dustin! I hear borders are opening between US Canada as soon as the third week of August!

[@great-stuff-6688]

Excellent job, my friend. Hopefully visiting Elgin some day.

[@MainlightDrone]

Chicago is worth visiting. Not so sure about Elgin! lol Thanks for the nice comment and visit!

[@justthesteve3]

Just stumbled across your channel this morning and I really like the way you film and narrate. Just north of Elgin is a small town of less than 5,000 people called Fox River grove. Lots of Chicago gangster history there and in the next town over of Barrington. Fox River Grove has a giant ski jump and a very large sledding hill that overlooks the fox river. There are absolutely stunning views from there at dusk. It might make for a fun and interesting video. Lots of people only know about the gangsters in Chicago and not how they regularly traveled to the suburbs. Anyhow, you keep filming and I'll keep watching🙂

[@MainlightDrone]

Hey, Steve, thanks for the great comment. I've driven through Fox River Grove, but I didn't know about its history. I'll have to check into that. thanks for stopping by!

[@carreteFILMSPro]

My gorgeous ELGIN! :) Loved the video.

[@MainlightDrone]

Thank you for the kind words! I hope you subscribe in order to help me create more videos! Thanks for watching.

[@carreteFILMSPro]

@@MainlightDrone DONE!

[@MainlightDrone]

@@carreteFILMSPro You're awesome! Thank you!

[@alxjetson8157]

Love my hometown thanks for the awesome video.

[@MainlightDrone]

Glad you liked it. I'll try to do another one in winter or spring.

[@VideoLife_FPV_Wild]

I just love your videos! ⭐

[@MainlightDrone]

Comments like yours are very encouraging! I'm grateful to have you as a sub! : )

[@VideoLife_FPV_Wild]

@@MainlightDrone Dear friend, the same goes for you ... your comments mean a lot to me ...

[@Ngauhunggame2025]

Thank you so much for this beautiful and insightful video of Elgin! I enjoyed seeing the city, as well as your narration!

[@MainlightDrone]

Thanks! I appreciate that. I'm always surprised to find interesting information if I dig deep enough. I gave your channel a sub and will come for a visit.

[@joelamore-streetartmuralsi1229]

Great video, thank for sharing!

[@MainlightDrone]

Thanks, Joel. Let me know where I should go next!

[@BeardedBritMedia]

Thats stunning mate well put together

[@MainlightDrone]

Thanks for watching and for the kind words!

[@robertbdrone6835]

Pretty cool video I used to live in Elgin now I’m in North Carolina. Great memories in Elgin.

[@MainlightDrone]

Wow, no kidding! They've improved the downtown and river area and it's quite nice to go visit. Thanks for coming along!

[@flywithmetrevor]

Condensed Milk reminds me of my childhood lol. Full watch and at the beginning I had a flashback as the inside of your vehicle looks just like a Chevrolet Astro I used to have lol. Yes I have had a few American cars. Lincoln Town Car Stretch Limo 60. Ford Econoline wow that was thirsty but glided on clouds, Dodge Motorhome and of course the Chevy Astro. Loved the information about the area. Your written content makes mine look like a few notes lol. I clearly must write more, you have set the pace lol.

[@MainlightDrone]

We had a Chevy Astro conversion van that I loved. I've had a Chevy Express conversion van for 12 years and it's appeared in almost every one of my videos at some point. lol Yeah, the Express is thirsty but it has almost 500km and is very reliable. Keep trying different things and see what works!

[@flywithmetrevor]

@@MainlightDrone some great vehicles there. My Astro was an import from japan and had the wind out awning, alpine motorised to, rear bed, fridge, sink etc and adjustable air suspension. Loved it but with it being from japan you could only play dvd, cd as the radio and to was for different frequencies but I left it as was for the cool factor lol. Loved the sound it made from the big stainless steel exhaust.

[@ener7443]

Very nice video

[@MainlightDrone]

Thank you, Ener!

[@monicagomez8717]

i'm just in love with my city. I LOVE ELGIN❤️❤️❤️

[@MainlightDrone]

Glad you found the video and stopped by!

[@PeterKruseMusic]

Beautiful video of my hometown. Parents are from Chicago but they grew up in Villa Park. When they got married, they chose Elgin because it has some nice nature spots and was cheaper than other suburbs. Very nostalgic and sentimental for me to watch this - because time really flies! As a kid, we had paper routes and went to the Channing YMCA (now torn down). We went to Rollin' Donuts (its original downtown location), etc. Nice video!

[@MainlightDrone]

Thank you for sharing your memories, Peter. It's no wonder Elgin is a growing community. The town has a lot to offer.

[@l3ftyluck752]

I used to go to Channing Y every day. I grew up on the corner of Liberty and Villa and moved a few years after the riverboat casino was opened. I just visited last year after being gone for more than 10 years and I can't believe how much things have changed. The downtown area has completely changed. What once used to be downtrodden and old has been completely revamped. I look forward to going back this year.

[@songse-ra746]

very clean!

[@MainlightDrone]

Thank you!

[@FirstLast-gd6yu]

Moving here in 3.5 months for college! Hometown is Bridgeport, Chicago, but have been in South Dakota for the past four years

[@MainlightDrone]

At first I assumed you meant the Bridgeport neighborhood in Chicago, but I checked and found a town with that name way downstate. Glad you found my video and good luck in school! Stay safe and healthy!

[@gabrielortiz665]

Bridgeport born and raised.....but Elgin and South Elgin are my favorite towns in the US ❤

[@MainlightDrone]

@William Robbins Got a little confused there! :D :D :D

[@jailtonmatos1]

Boa noite amigo lindos vídeos gostei sempre lindas imagens já deixei meu like

[@MainlightDrone]

Thank you for all of your support, Jailton!

[@MrOneAndOnly92]

Bro yesterday really big storm siiick video

[@MainlightDrone]

Oh yeah! We had no damage. Hope you were ok too! Thanks!

[@MrOneAndOnly92]

@@MainlightDrone np bro

[@VirtualExerciseChannel]

👉 Great video! 👀

[@MainlightDrone]

Thank you and thanks for watching!

[@optimixxx]

nicely done, drone footage looks good !

[@MainlightDrone]

Thanks! Flew this with the Mavic Air, so I was lucky to get it back! lol

[@son-my8rb]

I used to liv there but still have family there nice lil town. And that riverbridge separate from East and West Elgin

[@MainlightDrone]

The town has a bit of a not so good reputation but I think it's got a lot going for it. The downtown river area is really nice! Thanks for watching!

[@JJDrones]

I had no idea Elgin had such a rich history. Like you I only drove through it to get to another place. Love the video!

[@MainlightDrone]

I was just going to fly over some trains, but the video turned into this. :D Thanks!

[@ffoggy123]

Great video, I like the drone footage and historical information

[@MainlightDrone]

Thanks! It happens to me ALL the time, that I go to fly somewhere and just make a cool flying video but then I discover all of the interesting history and have to add it.

[@Wedgenbigg]

Its crazy to me that one city has so many bridges. The dam was beautiful. I would love to film it. Thank you for sharing this. You got my like :)

[@MainlightDrone]

Elgin, like most of the towns on the rivers, sprung up because they could build mills powered by the water. So dams were built to help with this and control the flow. Now there is a lot oof talk and some action regarding taking these dams out to let the rivers return to their natural state. I have one near my house that I'm watching to see what will happen. Thanks for the view, Paul! What do you think of the new thumbnails I made so far? Videos 83 and up have more easy to read writing.

[@Wedgenbigg]

@@MainlightDrone Are they still using the dams to produce energy? Would be a great way to provide power or at least supplement power for the city. I love the thumbnails. They remind me of postcards and that just screams travel. Great addition to your videos.

[@MainlightDrone]

@@Wedgenbigg No, they were never for energy. They were there to power the mills' waterwheels. This is pre-electricity. Scream travel? I never thought of that! That's actually a great idea! Thanks!

[@dr.rohitgour795]

Thanks for sharing such beautiful small cities in the United States… it’s so much more than what world really knows about America 🇺🇸

[@MainlightDrone]

Thank you for watching! I usually go out just to fly the drone over a place that might look interesting and when I start editing and putting the video together, I discover very interesting historical information that I can't leave out!

[@AncientTide]

Great road trip and another brilliant informative video 👌I really do enjoy your videos. That steam boat (I presume) parked up looks like a great place to check out

[@MainlightDrone]

Thank you for you always watching! The steamboat is a riverboat casino.

[@FlyZoneFpv]

Nice video my friend I'm from Elgin . It is nice downtown.👍 We should meet up and fly some day

[@MainlightDrone]

Hey thanks for the sub! I returned the favor. Yeah, I want to fly over the mental health hospital smokestacks someday.

[@williamdabill]

Elgin. Literally the last city that still touches Chicago land area if you are from Elgin you can legally say your from Chicago land area, which doesn't mean anything. less than half of Elgin is actually in cook county the rest is in kane county. The border of Elgin is crazy looking

[@MainlightDrone]

Glad you stopped by!

[@stackenali7059]

Thank you for painting Elgin in the beauty she has! What drone are you using?

[@MainlightDrone]

Elgin now has a beautiful waterfront. I was glad to spend a little time and discover what you already know! Thanks for subscribing, too! I use a Mavic Air.

[@KevinSoupy]

It’s the first few words of the title. Not to be a smart ass. I assume your not familiar of types of drone. So to answer question again I’m sure you know by know. He’s using the DJI2 or DJI1 the most expensive drone available at the time. 2200 at least and the 360 cam is usually separate upgrade. But now there are many options for a fraction of the price but they will never be of the same quality. The DJI is definitely not a toy. Although it’s fun. But you can using your phone and add google maps and circle a part of the map and then it will go auto pilot. Buy whichever part of the map you crop out a flight plan.

[@wasiqmohammad9879]

I love elgin

[@theelginrailfan9489]

@@wasiqmohammad9879 same

[@aidanmetzger411]

I think I saw a river boat in Festival park.

[@MainlightDrone]

Isn't that the Grand Victoria in the video? That's right by Festival Park.

[@JohnCiaccio]

I grew up in this city in the 70's and 80's. I hope it comes back but like the rest of middle class (mid west especially) in America I don't see it happening unless something big invests in the area. Maybe people will wise up and get rid of the Democrats running Illinois. It looks practically deserted now but back in my day it was an incredible place to grow up in. Miss that time period a lot.

[@MainlightDrone]

Thanks for stopping by, John.

[@JohnCiaccio]

@@MainlightDrone It's a nice video. I was looking for historical videos of Elgin when I came across it.

[@johncreighton844]

جب میں ایک بچہ تھا ، میری ماں نے اس شہر کے بارے میں بتایا جہاں گھڑیاں بنائے گئے تھے.ایک شخص نے اپنے کارخانے میں کام کرنے کے لئے گاؤں چھوڑ دیا ۔اس سے منتقلی شروع ہوئی ۔

[@MainlightDrone]

کیا آپ کا کنبہ ایلگین ہجرت کر گیا ہے؟

[@johncreighton844]

@@MainlightDrone مجھے معاف کریں میری اردو زبان ابتدائی سطح کی ہے۔

[@MainlightDrone]

@@johncreighton844Your message to me came through in Urdu so I used Google translate to write back. Your message was very interesting because it showed how far the Elgin watch's fame went around the world. I'm glad you shared your story! Thank you for "watch"ing. :)

[@EclipsePlains12345]

there’s more to elgin than you think it’s a ghetto ass place

[@MainlightDrone]

Although I'm sure you're right, I just wanted to make a positive, upbeat video and not go into any problems. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@gabrielortiz665]

Lol 😆 as do every town

[@MainlightDrone]

@@gabrielortiz665 True. Just wanting to keep it positive. Thanks for watching!

[@bonjourbinnie]

Thank you so much for this beautiful and insightful video of Elgin! I enjoyed seeing the city, as well as your narration!

[@MainlightDrone]

I'm happy you stopped by and left me a kind comment!