I
Geneva, St. Charles & Batavia
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As a newcomer to the area, Rusty found the
following interesting
Geneva “City of Charm”
Fayban’s Research Lab - precursor to Code Breaking and U.S Intelligence Agency thanks to the Elisabeth Smith Friedman
and her husband Robert.
Col. Fayban had a windmill reconstructed in his park
Scenic location along the Fox River with 160 shops and restaurants​; the most famous being the 100+ year old
Little Traveler Shop on 3rd Street
Silvestri Candies started in Cicero, IL before moving to Geneva
Several Frank Lloyd Wright homes are in area
A Viking Ship, which arrived in Chicago for the 1993 Columbia Exhibition is located at Good Templar Park. Over 23000 people have visited the ship since 2008.
Former home of Illinois State Girls Training School and Cemetery. The cemetery can be seen in the subdivision on Rt 25 just south and over the railroad bridge
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Campana Company factory built in 1936 to produce Italian Balm.
First Hospital: Colonial Hospital on 3rd St. 1903 -1925
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2nd Hospital: Community Hospital began in 1925 on 2nd St.; combined with St Charles Delnora Hospital in late 1980’s to form Delnor Community Hospital on Randall Rd. in Geneva
There are 27 Geneva cities in the U.S. and 4 outside of the U.S
.
St. Charles “The Pride of the Fox”
John ‘Bet a Million’ Gates made a fortune in barbed
wire, steel manufacturing, oil (Texaco), and stock market trading. He married Dellora Baker of St. Charles.
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(Tap to read more about John Gates)
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Their fortune passed to Dellora’s brother Col. Edward Baker and their niece Dellora Angell who later married Lester Norris.
Thus. ‘DelNor’ graces many parks, etc. as well as the money behind the Baker Hotel, Baker Memorial Center, Baker Memorial Methodist Church, Potawatomi Park, DelNor Community Center, Delnor Hospital.and Arcada Theatre.
When Lester Norris was appointed National Chairman of The Victory Garden Campaign during WWII, he asked his friend Walt Disney to help publicize the effort. Disney drew Mickey with a green thumb.
Former Piano Cable Factory in downtown is now residences.
A Jeopardy question in the 1990’s: “What midwestern town is the Pickle Capital of the World?” Answer: St. Charles, IL.
St Charles Business Alliance has an app for tours of historic places.
Batavia “City of Energy”
Fermi Lab - particle physics and accelerator laboratory
Aldi - U.S. Headquarters
Batavia Depot formerly on east side of town was moved to current location and is now a museum
Windmills manufactured for many years
Mary Todd Lincoln spent almost 3 months in the Bellevue Sanatorium
Mooseheart
South of Batavia
Moose organization opened a school for orphans in 1913
Admission policy from 1913 -1960: only children of male Moose members who had died were admitted
Graduate Roger Broggie was a Disney's Imagineer in the 1950's.