Elgin is located in northern Bastrop County and recognized as the "Sausage Capital of Texas" and "Brick Capital of the Southwest." Beginning as a watering stop for the Houston & Texas Central (H&TC) Railroad Company, the town was named for Robert Morriss Elgin, an official in the railway company. The town was incorporated on May 31, 1873. Swedish, German, and Czech emigrants soon turned it into some of the best farming land in the state. With the growth of cotton farming, coal-mine work, and a local brick-making business, more jobs were becoming available. An influx of Mexican and African American citizens came to the area looking for work and often kept the languages, religion, and customs of their homelands. William Moon began making hot sausage in 1882. The business continues as Elgin "Hot Guts," and its sausages are shipped all over the United States. The proximity to the state capital, the agricultural influence, the natural resources, and the availability of technology substantiate the current city motto of "Perfectly Situated."
