Geneva, Illinois

For other uses, see Geneva (disambiguation).

Geneva, Illinois
City
City of Geneva
Geneva City Hall as viewed from Illinois Route 31
Flag Seal
Location of Geneva in Kane County, Illinois
Location of Illinois in the United States
Coordinates: 41°53′00″N88°19′27″W / 41.88333°N 88.32417°W / 41.88333; -88.32417 [1]
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Kane
Founded	1835
Incorporated (As Village)	1867 [2]
Incorporated (As City)	1887
Government
• Type	Council-Manager
• Mayor	Kevin Burns [3]
Area [4]
• Total	10.20 sq mi (26.43 km2)
• Land	9.97 sq mi (25.81 km2)
• Water	0.24 sq mi (0.62 km2)
Elevation [1]	738 ft (225 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	21,393
• Density	2,146.60/sq mi (828.84/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code	60134
Area code	630 & 331
FIPS code	17-28872
GNIS feature ID	2394875 [1]
Website	geneva.il.us

Geneva is a city in and the county seat of Kane County, Illinois, United States. ^[5] It is located on the western side of the Chicago suburbs. Per the 2020 census, the population was 21,393. ^[6]

Geneva is part of a tri-city area, located between St. Charles and Batavia. ^{[7] [8]} The area experienced rapid population growth from the late 1980s through the mid-2000s as the Chicago suburbs spread to the west.

Geneva is a popular tourist destination with its scenic location along the Fox River and numerous shops and restaurants. There is an extensive bike trail system in Geneva including portions of the Fox River Trail and the Illinois Prairie Path. Geneva has an active historical society, the Geneva History Center, located in downtown Geneva as well as the Fabyan Windmill, an old Dutch windmill dating back to the 1850s. In 2013 it was nominated by Bloomberg Businessweek as the best place to raise a kid in Illinois. ^[9]

Geography

Geneva is located at 41°53'9" North, 88°18'42" West (41.885722, −88.311771), ^[10] 36 miles (58 km) west of downtown Chicago.

According to the 2010 census, Geneva has a total area of 9.994 square miles (25.88 km²), of which 9.75 square miles (25.25 km²) (or 97.56%) is land and 0.244 square miles (0.63 km²) (or 2.44%) is water. ^[11]

History

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. ^[12] 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. ^[13] Before the name Geneva was chosen, the names LaFox, Big Spring, and Herrington's Ford were used. ^[14] 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 connection of the railroad in 1853 provided increased demand for industry, and 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 a pumping stations and water mains in 1896. Geneva was particularly noted for its flux of Swedish immigrants, who comprised half of the population by 1900. A year later, Geneva was connected to other Fox Valley communities through the Aurora, Elgin and Fox River Electric Company.

Historical sites

Fabyan Windmill

Fabyan Windmill

Main article: Fabyan Windmill

The Fabyan Windmill is an authentic, working Dutch windmill dating from the 1850s located in Geneva, just north of Batavia, off Route 25. ^[15] 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.

On June 4, 1979, the windmill was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Dutch Mill. ^[16] The following year, the windmill was selected to be on a U.S. postage stamp, as part of a series of five windmills in a stamp booklet called "Windmills USA." ^{[17] [18]} It originally operated as a custom grinding mill. ^[17]

Riverbank Laboratories

Riverbank Laboratories

Main article: Riverbank Laboratories

Riverbank Acoustical Laboratories is a NVLAP accredited acoustical testing agency founded by Wallace Clement Sabine in 1918. The acoustical laboratory building was funded and built by Colonel George Fabyan on his vast Riverbank Estate in Geneva, IL. In the facility's early days, It also housed a cryptology team that worked to decipher codes from the works of Sir Francis Bacon, Shakespeare, and enemy military communications. ^[19] It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 28, 2003.

Fabyan Villa

Main article: Fabyan Villa

The Fabyan Villa Museum houses photographs, the Fabyans' personal artifact collections, and a limited number of original furnishings, sharing the Riverbank story with the public. ^[20]

Sacred Heart Seminary Shrine

The Sacred Heart Seminary Shrine is a stone and mosaic religious Chapel located in Geneva. It sits next to the Kane County Government Center in the Gunnar Anderson Forest Preserve Archived May 6, 2019, at the Wayback Machine along the Fox River, near the old Sacred Heart Monastery. ^[21] The shrine dates back to 1925 when a piece of the land along the river was sold to the Society of Jesus. ^[22] The shrine is also known as the Geneva Grotto.

The beautiful mosaics on the sides of the shrine hold Latin writing saying Ignem veni mittere, which translates to "I have come to bring fire" as well as Ego sum lux mundi, meaning "I am the light of the world." The mosaics also house art work of three arches that depict heaven and earth, a crucifix crossed by two swords, as well as a lighthouse. ^[23] The Latin phrases are references to the New Testament. Jesus uses the phrases to describe himself; as in embodying both beginning and end. The altar is inscribed with the letters "IHS," referencing the first three letters of Jesus in Greek. ^[24]

The shrine has frequently been the victim of vandal, who have damaged part of the stone structure. On October 21, 2014, vandals threw white paint all over the stone walls and mosaics. They then proceeded to use spray paint to create symbols on the walls. Part of the stone structure was also damaged, leaving broken pieces of stone on the ground. ^[25]

Elizabeth Place

Main article: Elizabeth Place

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 prominent local businessmen who brought several early industries to Geneva. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 12, 2008.

Sports

Geneva has been home to the Kane County Cougars since 1991 when the Wausau Timbers relocated from Wausau, Wisconsin. ^[26] 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 and the Cougars joined the American Association of Professional Baseball. ^[27] In 2015 the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League moved to Geneva from Bensenville, Illinois and play at Fox Valley Ice Arena. In 2023, the Steel franchise was purchased by the Wirtz Corporation, the owners of the Chicago Blackhawks.

Transportation

Geneva Metra Station

Geneva is served by Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW), Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), and Dupage Airport (DPA). The city also benefits from highways running through the city, including State Routes 25, 31, 38 with easy access to Interstate 88.

Bus

Geneva is also served by the Pace bus system run by Chicago's suburbs. The following bus routes run through this city:

• Route 529 - Randall Rd / 5th Street ^[28]
• Route 801 - Elgin / Geneva ^[29]
• Route 802 - Aurora / St. Charles ^[30]

Train

As a part of the Chicago metropolitan area, Geneva has a station on the Union Pacific West Line of the Metra commuter rail system; it provides frequent service to downtown Chicago, 36 miles (58 km) away, and extends west to Elburn.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1860	997		—
1880	1,239		—
1890	1,692		36.6%
1900	2,446		44.6%
1910	3,006		22.9%
1920	3,327		10.7%
1930	4,607		38.5%
1940	4,101		−11.0%
1950	5,139		25.3%
1960	7,646		48.8%
1970	9,049		18.3%
1980	9,881		9.2%
1990	12,617		27.7%
2000	19,515		54.7%
2010	21,495		10.1%
2020	21,393		−0.5%
U.S. Decennial Census [31]

Kane County Courthouse

Kane County Government Center

2020 census

Geneva city, Illinois – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2010 [32]	Pop 2020 [33]	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	19,651	18,392	91.42%	85.97%
Black or African American alone (NH)	103	128	0.48%	0.60%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	3	10	0.01%	0.05%
Asian alone (NH)	461	485	2.14%	2.27%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	3	3	0.01%	0.01%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	18	55	0.08%	0.26%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	213	758	0.99%	3.54%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	1,043	1,562	4.85%	7.30%
Total	21,495	21,393	100.00%	100.00%

2010 Census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 21,495 people, 7,865 households, and 5,927 families residing in the city. ^[34]

The racial makeup of the city was 94.80% White, 0.5% African American, 0.1% Native American, 2.20% Asian, 1.20% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.90% of the population.

There were 8,278 households, out of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.8% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.6% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 27% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 21.9% from 25 to 44, 33% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.0 males.

As of 2011 the median income for a household in the city was $93,588. Males had a median income of $65,103 versus $38,520 for females. The per capita income for the city was $42,995. About 3.7% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.5% of those under the age of 18 and 3.8% of those ages 65 and older.

2000 Census

As of the census ^[34] of 2000, there were 19,515 people, 6,718 households, and 5,186 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,321.4 inhabitants per square mile (896.3/km²). There were 6,895 housing units at an average density of 820.2 per square mile (316.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.50% White, 1.02% African American, 0.06% Native American, 1.25% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.58% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.77% of the population.

There were 6,718 households, out of which 45.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.0% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.8% were non-families. 19.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.31.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 31.8% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 8.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.2 males.

As of 2011 the median income for a household in the city was $95,467. Males had a median income of $65,103 versus $38,520 for females. The per capita income for the city was $42,995. About 1.6% of families and 2.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.6% of those under the age of 18 and 4.9% of those ages 65 and older.

Education

Geneva School District 304 includes the following schools:

Elementary education schools

• Harrison Street Elementary School (built in 1929) ^[35]
• Williamsburg Elementary School (built in 2008) ^[36]
• Heartland Elementary School (built in 2002) ^[37]
• Mill Creek Elementary School (built in 1996) ^[38]
• Fabyan Elementary School (built in 2008) ^[39]
• Western Avenue Elementary School (built in 1964) ^[40]

Middle schools

• Geneva Middle School South (built in 1994) ^[41]
• Geneva Middle School North (built in 2006) ^[42]

High schools

• Geneva High School (built in 1958)

Annual events

• Swedish Days
• Geneva Arts Fair
• Festival of the Vine
• Christmas Walk
• Geneva Concours d'Elegance

Media and entertainment

• Harry and Tonto (1974) starring Art Carney and directed by Paul Mazursky. Filmed outside of the Geneva Courthouse and the Geneva Motel.
• Road to Perdition (2002) starring Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, and Jude Law was filmed in downtown Geneva.
• Novocaine (2001) starring Steve Martin was filmed at the Geneva Motel on the East Side of Geneva.
• The Resurrection of Gavin Stone (2017) starring Brett Dalton was filmed in Geneva's downtown Dodson Place.
• The Christmas Thief (2021) starring Michelle Borth was filmed in downtown Geneva.

Notable people

Academia

• E. Philip Howrey, economist and professor
• Edmund Beecher Wilson, America's first cell biologist; discovered the chromosomal XY sex-determination system ^[43]

Arts

• Gower Champion, theater director, choreographer, and dancer ^[44]
• Diego Cortez, art curator
• Niykee Heaton, singer. ^[45]
• Wolfgang Hoffmann, Austrian-American architect and designer active in American modernism
• Stu Linder, Academy Award-winning film editor ( Grand Prix and Rain Man ) ^[46]
• Michael J. Nelson, head writer and star of cult TV show Mystery Science Theater 3000 , and current leader of Rifftrax ^[47]
• Joan Taylor, an Italian-American television and film actress ^{[48] [49]}

Business

• George Fabyan, (1867) wealthy cloth merchant and inventor of Riverbanks Laboratories ^[50]
• Jervis Langdon, Jr., railroad executive and president of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. ^[51]
• John W. Scherer, founder and face of the software tutorial company Video Professor ^[52]
• Dale Shewalter, founder and promoter of the Arizona Trail; born in Geneva ^[53]

Media

• Sam Smith, sportswriter
• Bob Woodward, author and investigative reporter ( Washington Post ) ^[54]

Politics

• Steven Andersson (born 1964), member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 2015 to 2019. He is a resident of Geneva. ^[55]
• James Graham Fair (1831–1894), U.S. Senator from Nevada and wealthy mine operator known as the Bonanza King. He was a childhood resident of Geneva. ^[56]
• S. Louis Rathje, Illinois Supreme Court justice ^[57]
• Dan Ugaste, member of the Illinois House of Representatives since 2019. He is a resident of Geneva. ^[58]
• Wayne Wallingford (born 1946), member of the Missouri House of Representatives since 2021. Wallingford was born and raised in Geneva. ^[59]

Sports

• Varney Anderson, pitcher with the Indianapolis Hoosiers and Washington Senators
• Sid Bennett, offensive tackle with the Chicago Tigers and Milwaukee Badgers ^[60]
• Ben Kanute, Olympic triathlete ^[61]
• Kevin McDowell, Olympic triathlete ^[62]
• Gabrielle Perea, artistic gymnast ^[63]
• Bob Zeman, defensive back with the San Diego Chargers

Other

• Elizebeth Smith Friedman, author and cryptologist

Sister cities

• Croissy-sur-Seine (Western Suburb of Paris, France)

References

1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Geneva, Illinois
2. "Geneva, IL - Official Website - History of Geneva". Geneva.il.us. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
3. "Aldermen".
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5. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
6. "Geneva city, Illinois". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved April 15, 2022.
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12. "story of Geneva, Illinois : 2001". Archived from the original on February 4, 2012. Retrieved February 14, 2012.
13. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 136.
14. "Several Towns Named After Founders and Heroes". The Daily Herald. December 28, 1999. p. 220. Retrieved August 17, 2014– via Newspapers.com.
15. Location taken from National Register of Historic Places: NRIS 79000843 (June 4, 1979).
16. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
17. "Fabyan Windmill". Forest Preserve District of Kane County. Archived from the original on September 26, 2013. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
18. "Fabyan Windmill" (PDF). Kane County Forest Preserve District. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
19. "Riverbank History from Geneva Historical Society". Archived from the original on July 27, 2009.
20. "Fabyan Villa & Japanese Gardens". St. Charles, IL: Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley.
21. "Sacred Heart Seminary Shrine". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
22. Museum, Geneva History (July 14, 2017). "Picturing the Past With ... the Geneva History Museum". Shaw Local News Network. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
23. "Secret Shrine - Geneva, IL - Outdoor Altars on Waymarking.com". www.waymarking.com. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
24. "Greek alphabet letters & symbols (α,β,γ,δ,ε,...)". www.rapidtables.com. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
25. Sarkauskas, Susan (October 21, 2014). "Peaceful grotto damaged by vandals in Geneva". Daily Herald. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
26. "Register Team Encyclopedia - Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com.
27. "Cougars to join Major League Baseball Partner League, the American Association, for 2021 season". milb.com.
28. "Route 529 - Randall Road - 5th Street". Archived from the original on June 2, 2010. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
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34. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
35. "Harrison Street Elementary School". Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
36. "Williamsburg Elementary School". Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
37. "Heartland Elementary School". Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
38. "Mill Creek Elementary School". Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
39. "Fabyan Elementary School". Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
40. "Western Avenue Elementary School". Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
41. "Geneva Middle School South". Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
42. "Geneva Middle School South Website". Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
43. "Answers - The Most Trusted Place for Answering Life's Questions". Answers.com. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
44. "The Most Trusted Place for Answering Life's Questions". Answers. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
45. Schory, Brenda (September 24, 2014). "Pop star Niykee Heaton stops in hometown Geneva". Shaw Local News Network. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
46. "Stu Linder : Biography". IMDb.com. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
47. "Michael J. Nelson : Biography". IMDb.com. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
48. "Joan Taylor - 20 Million Miles of Memories". Riflemanconnors.com. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
49. "Joan Taylor - The Private Life and Times of Joan Taylor. Joan Taylor Pictures". Glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
50. "Been There, Seen That: George Fabyan, Eccentric". Dees2.blogspot.com. June 19, 2008. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
51. Grant, H. Roger (2008). Visionary Railroader: Jervis Langdon Jr. and the Transportation Revolution. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. p. 119. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
52. "John Scherer". Johnwscherer.com. June 20, 2014. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
53. "Dale Shewalter obituary". Arizona Daily Sun . January 14, 2010. Retrieved February 8, 2010.
54. "Full Biography". Archived from the original on July 16, 2014. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
55. Miller, David R., ed. (November 15, 2014). "Biographies of New House Members" (PDF). First Reading. Illinois Legislative Research Unit. p. 2. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
56. "EX-SENATOR FAIR IS DEAD; His Fatal Illness of But Very Brief Duration. AN ESTATE OF FORTY MILLIONS One of the Earliest Victims of the Gold Fever, He Turned His Attention to Silver and Made a Fortune.", The New York Times , New York, New York, December 30, 1894, He came to this country with his parents in 1843, and lived for a time at Geneva, Ill., where he obtained a rudimentary education...
57. "S. Louis Rathje - Previous Illinois Supreme Court Justice". www.illinoiscourts.gov.
58. Barlow, Sarah E., ed. (November 15, 2018). "Biographies of New House Members" (PDF). First Reading. Illinois Legislative Research Unit. p. 7. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
59. Schallhorn, Kaitlyn (February 25, 2022). "Wayne Wallingford redefines risk in his service to Missouri". The Missouri Times. Retrieved July 4, 2022.
60. "Sid Bennett NFL Football Statistics". Pro-Football-Reference.com. December 30, 1971. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
61. Wassner Flynn, Sarah (August 3, 2016). "Meet Ben Kanute". United States Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on August 22, 2016. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
62. "Geneva Native Kevin McDowell Places 6th in Men's Triathlon – A Record for an American Man". NBC Chicago. July 25, 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
63. "Gabrielle Perea". USA Gymnastics . Retrieved February 5, 2018.

External links

• City of Geneva official website
• Geneva Chamber of Commerce
• Geneva Public Library District
• Geneva History Center
• Geneva Community Unit, School District 304