The top ten questions asked about Geneva History:
1. How did Geneva get its name?
"Geneva is named after Geneva, New York. Many of the early settlers were
from the east, including New York. Geneva, New York is near Batavia and Aurora
New York."
2. Who settled Geneva?
"The first permanent settlers were the Herrington family. They arrived
in Geneva in 1835. Their home was the center of the community - it served
as a temporary Court House, polling place, hotel, general store, and post
office. There are no longer any Herringtons living in Geneva, but there are
some descendants in the area."
3. What immigrants settled in Geneva?
"Many immigrants working on the railroad came through this area in the
1850s. Some Irish and Swedish workers liked Geneva and settled here. However,
most of the Swedish immigrants came here in the 1880s and 1890s. Italians
started settling here in between 1900 - 1920."
4. What is the oldest church?
"The Unitarian Church, built in 1843, was the first church in Geneva.
When it was first built the church was used by other denominations including:
Methodists, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Universalists, and Quakers.
It is located at the southwest corner of Second and James."
5. Have any famous people come to Geneva?
"Margaret Fuller, a famous writer who knew Henry David Thoreau and Ralph
Waldo Emerson, traveled through Geneva in 1843. She described Geneva as a
little New England Village in her book, Summer on the Lakes."
"Three presidents have made stops in Geneva: Theodore Roosevelt, John
F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan."
Jane Addams visited Geneva about five times in the early 1900s.
6. Are there any famous people from Geneva?
"Five people from Geneva were on a hijacked plane on June 14, 1985, while
on a tour on the Holy Land. Four of the hostages were released within 24 hours,
but Fr. McLoughlin (St. Peter Catholic Church) and Fr. Dempsey (St. Patrick
Catholic Church, St. Charles) were held for 18 days."
7. Where are the cannons in Wheeler Park and the Kane County Court House from?
"The two 4.7 inch diameter barrel cannons in Wheeler Park were manufactured
during World War I, but never saw service. They guns were incompatible with
the metric size field weaponry used by the Allies. The guns were stored at
the Rock Island Arsenal until the mid-1930s when they were released to the
Civilian Conservation Corps to be used in the construction of park memorials.
Originally displayed near the pavilion in Geneva’s Island Park, the
guns were later moved to Wheeler Park as a cooperative effort between the
Geneva Park District and the American Legion Post 75."
"The Soldier and Sailors Monument in front of the Kane County Court House
honors men who fought in Mexican, Civil and Spanish American Wars. The monument
was dedicated in 1915. The two 4.7 inch Navy Guns used in World War I were
donated by the government to Kane County in 1925. One gun came from the U.S.S.
Albany, the other from the U.S.S. New Orleans"
8. What businesses were on the river?
"The Pope Glucose factory (they made sugar from corn), the Howell Company
(made “sad” irons and shipped them throughout the country), the
Bennett Mill (made flour that was shipped throughout¸ the world). Part
of the Howell Company building is today’s Riverside Banquets."
9. What is the significance of the Mill Flour Sculpture on the Bike Trail?
Bennett Mill was burned in a mysterious fire in 1971. The eighteen foot Mill
Flour sculpture was designed from pieces of machinery found in the Mill after
the fire. The sculpture is to remind people of the Mill and its long history
in the community.
10. What is the oldest school building in Geneva?
"Malone Funeral Home was built in 1900 as East Side School - it is the
oldest building that was a school. The oldest school in operation is Coultrap
Elementary School, which opened as Geneva High School in 1920. (Note: Fourth
Street School, now the Administration Building was built in 1916)."
11. What is a sad iron?
"The Howell Company in Geneva manufactured sad irons. “Sad”
is an adjective for heavy, although the women that had to use these irons
were probably sad too! These irons were not electric and came in a variety
of sizes and shapes.