Geneva

History

Two Native American trails crossed through Geneva. The Potawatomi people lived in the Geneva area, with their main chief, Waubonsee, leading a group that gathered just north of Aurora.

Geneva was first settled in the 1830s on an important route from Chicago. Daniel Shaw Haight was the first European settler in Geneva. Haight sold his claim in 1835 to James and Charity Herrington, who were influential in the creation of the town of Geneva. A local's connections with Col. Richard Hamilton, a prominent Cook County politician, led to the naming of Geneva as county seat in 1836. The town was platted a year later and was probably named after Geneva, New York. Before the name Geneva was chosen, the names LaFox, Big Spring, and Herrington's Ford were used. A courthouse and jail were among the first major works. Geneva was incorporated as a village in 1867. While its site as a county seat attracted attention, the village's location on the Fox River provided the most economic opportunities. Early goods manufactured in Geneva included cheese, butter, milled grains, and packed meat. The railroad connection in 1853 provided increased industry demand; by 1900, Appleton Manufacturing, Howell Foundry, Bennet Milling Co., and Pope Glucose Co. became major employers. This resulted in major civic improvement projects such as pumping stations and water mains in 1896. Geneva was particularly noted for its flux of Swedish immigrants, who comprised half the population by 1900. Geneva was connected to other Fox Valley communities a year later through the Aurora, Elgin and Fox River Electric Company.

Geography

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Geneva has a total area of 10.20 square miles (26.42 km2), of which 9.97 square miles (25.82 km2) (or 97.67%) is land and 0.24 square miles (0.62 km2) (or 2.33%) is water.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 21,393 people, 8,134 households, and 5,942 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,096.53 inhabitants per square mile (809.47/km2). The median age was 43.8 years; 22.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.5% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.2 males age 18 and over.

99.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.1% lived in rural areas.

Of the 8,134 households, 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. About 63.2% were married-couple households, 10.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 22.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. Approximately 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 8,533 housing units, of which 4.7% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.1%.

Arts and culture

Historical sites

Fabyan Windmill is an authentic, working Dutch windmill dating from the 1850s. The five-story wooden smock mill with a stage, which stands 68 feet (21 m) tall, sits upon the onetime estate of Colonel George Fabyan, but is now part of the Kane County Forest Preserve District. The windmill is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).

Riverbank Laboratories is an acoustical testing agency founded by Wallace Clement Sabine in 1918. The acoustical laboratory building was funded and built by Colonel George Fabyan at his Fabyan Villa in Geneva. The facility housed a cryptology team that deciphered codes from the works of Sir Francis Bacon, Shakespeare, and enemy military communications. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 28, 2003. The Fabyan Villa Museum houses photographs, the Fabyans' personal artifact collections, and original furnishings.

Sacred Heart Seminary Shrine is a stone and mosaic religious Chapel in Geneva. It is located near Sacred Heart Monastery. The shrine was established in 1925 when a piece of the land along the river was sold to the Society of Jesus.

Elizabeth Place, or the Henry Bond Fargo House, is a historic residence in Geneva, in the Mission Revival style. The house was owned by Henry Bond Fargo, a local businessman who brought several early industries to Geneva. It is listed on the NRHP.

A replica of Norway's Gokstad Viking Ship is located in Geneva's Good Templar Park. The replica was constructed between 1892 and 1893 for the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago, and was on display in Lincoln Park before being relocated to Geneva.

Sports

Geneva has been home to the Kane County Cougars since 1991 when the Wausau Timbers relocated from Wausau, Wisconsin. The Cougars currently play at Northwestern Medicine Field. Originally members of the Midwest League, Major League Baseball removed their affiliation status during the nationwide minor league reorganization. The Cougars joined the American Association of Professional Baseball. In 2015 the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League moved to Geneva from Bensenville, Illinois and played at Fox Valley Ice Arena. In 2023, the Steel franchise was purchased by the Wirtz Corporation, the owners of the Chicago Blackhawks.

Education

Geneva School District 304 includes the following schools:

Elementary education schools

Harrison Street Elementary School (built in 1929)

Williamsburg Elementary School (built in 2008)

Heartland Elementary School (built in 2002)

Mill Creek Elementary School (built in 1996)

Fabyan Elementary School (built in 2008)

Western Avenue Elementary School (built in 1964)

Middle schools

Geneva Middle School South (built in 1994)

Geneva Middle School North (built in 2006)

High schools

Geneva High School (built in 1958)

Media

Movies filmed in Geneva include:

Harry and Tonto (1974); filmed outside Geneva Courthouse and Geneva Motel.

Road to Perdition (2002); filmed in downtown Geneva.

Novocaine; filmed at Geneva Motel.

The Resurrection of Gavin Stone; filmed at Dodson Place.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Highways include State Routes 25, 31, and 38.

Geneva is served by the Pace bus system.

Geneva Station is on the Union Pacific West Line of the Metra commuter rail system; it provides service to downtown Chicago.

Notable people

Academia and science

Elizebeth Smith Friedman (1892–1980), cryptanalyst and author

E. Philip Howrey (1937–2011), economist and professor

Edmund Beecher Wilson (1856–1939), American geneticist

Arts

Gower Champion (1919–1980), theater director, choreographer and dancer

Diego Cortez (1946–2021), filmmaker and art curator

Niykee Heaton (born 1994), singer

Wolfgang Hoffmann (1900–1969), architect

Stu Linder (1931–2006), film editor

Michael J. Nelson (born 1964), comedian and writer

Joan Taylor (1929–2012), actress

Business

George Fabyan, (1867–1936), businessman

Jervis Langdon Jr., railroad executive

Dale Shewalter (1950–2010), educator

Media

Sam Smith (born 1948), sportswriter

Bob Woodward (born 1943), investigative journalist

Politics

Steven Andersson (born 1964), politician