Geneseo was founded as a Christian colony in 1836 by seven families of the Congregationalist denomination from Geneseo, New York and Bergen, New York seeking to establish a "church in the wilderness".[6] Roderick R. Stewart, one of the city's founding members, named the town Geneseo after the settlers' town of origin in New York. The name "Geneseo" is a variation of the Iroquois word Genesee, meaning "shining valley" or "beautiful valley".[7]
Establishment
Planning for the colony began as early as 1829.[8] In May 1836 the founding seven families of Geneseo sent an exploratory committee to survey the precise location of their new community in the Old Northwest. This group, known as the "New York Committee", or "New York Group" was composed of John C. Ward, Lukas T. Seyller, and Roderick R. Stewart. Advised at a meeting in Chicago by the future Governor of Illinois, Thomas Ford, the small committee rode by wagon and horseback to investigate the 2,000-acre tract. The transaction of the land was completed in what is today Colona Township and purchased at a dollar and a quarter per acre.[9][10]
The original town plan for Geneseo, Illinois in 1829
On September 17, 1836, the settlers embarked on their journey from Geneseo, New York and Genesee County, New York across Canada, down through Michigan, then across Indiana and Illinois. The subsequent winter was so bad that the families remained in Princeton, Illinois and what was known as Providence County while their structures were being established. Cromwell K. Bartlett constructed the first structure just south of the town in the winter of 1836, and Elisha Cone and J.C. Ward built the first cabin and frame house in town, respectively, in 1837.[9]
The First Congregationalist Church in Geneseo, Illinois, circa 1910
The town was split into lots by the trustees: John C. Ward, Cromwell K. Bartlett, and R.R. Stewart. They split the land into five blocks east to west and three blocks north to south with locations for a cemetery, a block for the school and church, a public square, and the "gospel lot," which, in 1846, became a seminary. Lots would be drawn by chance, assuming that the settlers would build on them, and immediately the town established its Christian and education-focused philosophy. A mandatory tithe on all proceeds (over a certain amount) was set aside to build a religious and educational seminary in the center of town, now the Geneseo City Park.[11] This building, originally known as the Geneseo Manual Labor High School, was later renamed the Geneseo Seminary and was borne of the self-denial philosophy of the town's leaders.[9] However, due to considerable debt, the Geneseo Seminary ended up closing in the year 1857 and was folded into the public school system as Geneseo Central School.[12]
Further proving their religious and educational convictions, when many of the town's founding families hadn't arrived and while the remainder battled frostbite, the settlers began a temperance society in 1836 with several families in Hanna Township and Cleveland, Illinois.[13] Construction on the original First Congregationalist Church began in 1837 and its first communion was held on April 18, 1838.[9] The Congregationalist Church was a central fixture of the town's community in its first century.[6]
W.C. Sheppard Mansion, 1895 in Geneseo, Illinois. This lot was the location of Deacon Cone's house that was used for the Underground Railroad
Even before the church was constructed, the first school was established when R.R. Stewart's daughter, Susannah Stewart, began teaching classes in a one-room school house in 1837. It was built with puncheon floors, round poles, and the old wagon covers they used to make the journey.[12]
Expansion
"When the circus came to town." Downtown Geneseo, Illinois circa 1890
The Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific Railroad, also known as the Rock Island Line, was surveyed in 1850 to run from Chicago to Rock Island with a prominent stop in Geneseo. The line was completed in June 1854 and, immediately thereafter, the Grand Excursion promotional voyage that took prominent politicians and well-off citizens on a voyage to and down the Mississippi, stopped in the small town.[15] Although Geneseo had grown at a near stand-still since its inception, reaching only 500 persons by 1850, it soon exploded to 5,500 just 11 years later (within the 10-square mile area). Due to its large growth, Geneseo officially became a town in 1855 and a city in 1865.[9] Like many towns that experienced a growth spurt in the middle of the 19th century, Geneseo's wealthier families constructed many of their homes in accordance with Victorian Architecture and a large number of them remain today, giving credence to the name "Victorian Geneseo."
Simultaneously with the expansion of the town, Geneseo's first newspaper, the Geneseo Democratic Standard, started in August 1855 by James Bowie. It collapsed not a year and a half later. In June 1856, I.S. Hyatt founded the Geneseo Republic and began publishing in a building on Main Street. Although founded as a Republican Party newspaper,[9] it is no longer affiliated with any political party. It is still in operation and remains the only Geneseo-only newspaper.
Students outside Atkinson Hall at the Geneseo Collegiate Institute, circa 1895
Geneseo Central School, the first high school in Geneseo, was built in 1856 and became coalesced with Geneseo Seminary in 1857.[12] It was used until 1866 when the North Side Building, was constructed. It was expanded in 1871 and was demolished in 1970.[6]South Side School, constructed by John W. Ross in 1889 on the corner of College Avenue and Second Street, became the official high school for Geneseo in 1890.
In 1883, two higher-education institutions were established in Geneseo: the Geneseo Collegiate Institute (GCI) and the Northwestern Normal School (NNS). GCI was a Presbyterian academy which housed a small religious high school for a time.[12][16] Although a large expansion was planned for GCI in the early 1900s, the school financially collapsed in 1922[6] and was razed in 1930.[16] The Northwestern Normal School was a secular college.[12] It, too, collapsed financially and in 1901 John C. Hammond purchased NNS' old dormitory and presented it to the City of Geneseo to establish Hammond Henry Hospital on November 28, 1901.[17][18]
20th century school expansion
The old North Side School, Geneseo, Illinois circa 1900
In 1909 the Township High School District was established. It received a major expansion in 1932.[19] Officially known as Township High School, it was erected between 1910 and 1911[6] The old South Side School was then used as an additional grade school for K-8 students until a new junior high was built in 1954. South Side was then used as an administrative building until the 1960s when it was demolished to make room for a new district unit office. In the 1960s, Geneseo High School switched places with Geneseo Junior High and became J.D. Darnall Senior High School (until reverting to Geneseo High School in 2005).[19] The old "Township High School" was then used as Geneseo Junior High School until the 1990s when Geneseo Middle School was built next door to J.D. Darnall. Township High was subsequently demolished for additional space for the city park.
Geography
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Geneseo has a total area of 4.70 square miles (12.17 km2), all land.[20]
Climate
Climate data for Geneseo, Illinois (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1895–present)
As of the 2020 census[24] there were 6,539 people, 2,903 households, and 1,897 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,390.98 inhabitants per square mile (537.06/km2). There were 3,122 housing units at an average density of 664.11 per square mile (256.41/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 92.52% White, 0.49% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.72% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.87% from other races, and 5.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.20% of the population.
There were 2,903 households, out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.64% were married couples living together, 9.03% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.65% were non-families. 32.83% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.18% 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 2.23.
The city's age distribution consisted of 22.9% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 21.3% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 27.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $56,211, and the median income for a family was $75,172. Males had a median income of $57,426 versus $26,359 for females. The per capita income for the city was $32,169. About 4.4% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.0% of those under age 18 and 1.3% of those age 65 or over.
The city government is organized under a aldermanic form. The mayor is elected at large for a two-year term. The Mayor, Sean Johnson, serves as Chief Executive Officer and also Presiding Officer over the City Council of Geneseo.[25] The City Council consists of eight aldermen representing four individual wards. (Ward 1, Craig Arnold and Paula Simosky - Ward 2, Bob James and James Roodhouse - Ward 3, Keith Kennett and Martin Rothschild - Ward 4, Brett Barnhart and Kent Swanson).[26]
Culture
Geneseo hosts multiple annual community events, including the Geneseo Music Festival[27] on Father's Day weekend, and the renowned Geneseo Christmas Walk,[27] formerly known as the Geneseo Victorian Walk, which is held on the second Saturday of December.
Infrastructure
Downtown Geneseo will be a stop on the Chicago to Des Moines Amtrak expansion.[28]
Education
Geneseo's School District is Dist. 228., which includes Geneseo High School (GHS). In 2023, U.S. News & World Report named Geneseo High School one of the best high schools in the nation.[29] Regionally, GHS ranked second in the Quad Cities Area and 93rd in Illinois.[30]
Geneseo v Ottawa September 30, 2011. The "Green Machine" has won 4 state championships and 6 state runner-up finishes.
The Maple Leafs have won 4 state championships in football, with 6 second-place state finishes, 54-consecutive winning seasons, and more than 40 consecutive playoff appearances—an Illinois state record.[31]
The Geneseo High School Music Department has been successful, too, with 6 State Championships, 10 State runner-up finishes, and 6 third place finishes in music.[32]
^ abcdefgGeneseo Centennial Association. Historical Committee (April 5, 2018). "Geneseo centennial history : 1836-1936". [Kewanee, Ill. : Printed by the Star-Courier Co.] – via Internet Archive.
^"Station: Geneseo, IL". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
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