1938 Map of Genoa

About this map

The Genoa region in the 1930s is defined by a dense network of railroads and rural schools serving the farmsteads of DeKalb, Kane, and McHenry counties. Major rail lines including the Chicago Milwaukee ST Paul And Pacific and the Chicago Great Western converge at the village of Genoa, while the Illinois Central passes through Kingston and Henrietta. The landscape is characterized by its agricultural heritage, evidenced by the numerous named rural schoolhouses such as Hickory Grove Sch, Oak Glen Sch, and Bean Sch that anchored these farming communities before district consolidation. The South Branch Kishwaukee River and its tributaries like Coon Creek provide the primary drainage for the area, flowing near established settlements like Burlington and Union. Genealogists may find value in the location of the North Kingston Cem and various family-named landmarks that indicate early landownership patterns.