1932 Map of Geneva

About this map

The Fox River corridor anchors this portrait of industrial and institutional life in Kane County during the mid-twentieth century. Dense urban development clusters along the riverbanks through St Charles, Geneva, and Batavia, while the surrounding prairie remains dominated by a systematic grid of country schools and named mounds. The map documents significant public institutions of the era, including the State School for Boys near Wasco and the State School for Girls in Geneva. A complex network of railroads, such as the Chicago and Northwestern Ry and the Chicago Aurora and Elgin RR, intersects the landscape, connecting small farming junctions like La Fox and Elburn to the burgeoning industrial hub of Aurora. Landforms like Johnsons Mound and Bald Mound stand out against the flat agricultural reaches of Blackberry and Campton townships.