In 1906, the Chicago Automobile Trade Association, along with the Chicago Motor Club and Chicago Automobile Club, decided to field test the increasing number of vehicles being made available to the public. Using the hill climbing contests became an additional marketing approach to entice prospective automobile buyers into purchasing "the best in the field" for their own personal use. Power, endurance, and speed were major selling points for the automobile maker.

The three groups started searching the Chicago area for hills and steep roads. The hills and roads found in Algonquin, a sleepy little town on the Fox River, met their criteria for hill climb contests. A close proximity and access to Chicago, steep hills, a railroad, hotel accommodations for drivers and spectators, and two large towns nearby to cater to the overflow were everything the groups needed for this event.  So began the first organized auto hill climb contest outside of the east coast.

In 1909, the Hill Climb contest featured up to 85 cars representing 26 different manufacturers. Up until this time, there were no road signs showing the way to Algonquin. The Chicago Automobile Club completed a project to create road signs to help expected auto traffic to find their way to the Hill Climb competitions. Due to the expected large number of spectators attending the 1909 Hill Climbs, the Auto Club petitioned and was granted by the Governor of Illinois to release Company E of the 3rd Illinois Infantry stationed in Elgin to help crowd control during the practice and competition.

Over 20,000 spectators descended upon the Village for this event. The Chicago Northwestern ran special trains from Chicago to Elgin to bring spectators into the Algonquin area. The Morton House and Riverview Hotels, as well as the hotels in Elgin and Crystal Lake, were filled to overflowing. Several residents opened their homes also to accommodate the overflow.

In 1910, the American Auto Association designated the Algonquin Hill Climb as a National Event sanctioned by the Automobile Association of America. Only two other events bore this badge - The Glidden Tour and the Elgin National Stock Chassis Road Races. The hill climb took place on two hills:  Perry Hill (one mile south of Algonquin) and Phillips Hill (Route 31 North). Later after a dispute with Dundee Township in 1909, the use of Perry Hill was discontinued and replaced with a new hill, the Algonquin Hill (Huntington Drive or Jayne's Hill).

The use of hill climbs began to decline in 1911 when they outlived their usefulness and purpose. As automobiles became faster and more powerful, the hills no longer afforded much of a challenge to the newer vehicles. In 1913, the last contest was cancelled with 20 entries and the Algonquin Hill Climb association surrendered its charter and disappeared into history. However, in those few short years, Algonquin made a name for itself in the annals of automobile history. One of the Algonquin trophies can still be seen at the Ford Museum display in Dearborn, Michigan. The Algonquin Historic Commission was fortunate in being able to acquire the 1908 divisional trophy, which can be viewed in the Commission's display case at the Historic Village Hall.

Through the use of newspapers and other written accounts of the actual events, we are still able today to relive the thrill of the event and the glory when makeshift road signs pointed the way to the hills of Algonquin.