
Kane County History: Geneva Hosts Virtual Night at the Museum!
Editor’s Note: This article is part of a weekly series on Kane County’s amazing history. This article is contributed by Terry Emma, director of the Geneva History Museum. All photos are courtesy of the Geneva History Museum.

GHM staff and volunteers have moved the entire collection from the lower level to prepare for the installation of new shelving.
Join the Geneva History Museum via Zoom for a fun virtual night at the museum complete with camaraderie, collections and cocktails starting promptly at 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 17.
Master of ceremony Scott Mackay, of 95.9 The River radio station, will emcee this fundraiser from the museum to update viewers on all of the projects going on during museum closure.
Executive Director Terry Emma, will take you behind-the-scenes to share some of the museum’s best kept secrets along with oral history recordings that are sure to entertain.
The event will begin with the creation of a custom cocktail with Vince, the mixologist from Niche Restaurant. Attendees can purchase custom cocktail kits for $15 each prior to the event and follow along. The kits will be available for pickup the week of the event at Niche.

Scott Mackay of 95.9 The River Radio
GHM will share the progress of several museum projects. GHM was awarded a $162,628 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to install high-density mobile shelving units. The redesign will create 46% more storage space.
During closure, staff and volunteers are working safely together and have moved all of the objects out of the storage areas to prepare for the arrival of the new shelving.

Vince from Niche Restaurant
Over the past several years, the community has donated the funds to build a Story Booth in the Main Gallery for visitors to record Geneva stories. The Kane County Riverboat Fund awarded a technology grant to GHM to update technology for the Story Booth. The booth is in the design phase and will be installed and ready when the museum reopens.
Geneva artist Dennis Gramlich is painting various Geneva scenes in the Gift Shop window from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. each Wednesday and Friday. He has donated all of his art and originals are available for sale on the museum website. All proceeds benefit GHM.

Specially designed sterling silver “G” pendant
GHM passed the American Alliance of Museum’s Core Documents Certification in its pursuit to achieve national accreditation. Only 22% of American museums are nationally accredited. Staff and board members meet regularly to complete the accreditation application.
During the virtual event, attendees are encouraged to become a Geneva GEM by Giving Every Month to support the mission of GHM. For a monthly recurring donation of $35 or more, donors will receive a specially designed keepsake pendant from State Street Jewelers.
All who attend the fundraiser will automatically be entered to win a gift basket filled with goodies from Geneva businesses. The basket is valued at more than $1,000. The winner must be virtually present to claim the prize.
For more information, or to make a donation, visit GenevaHistoryMuseum.org or call 630-232-4951.
Read The Kane County History Series!
- 1850-1925 Geneva — When Penmanship Was Mightier Than The Sword
- St. Charles Museum Site — From Serving Gas To Preserving History
- Elgin Puts 3,500 Priceless Photos Online
- Batavia-Inspired Miniatures Thrilled a Nation
- Aurora’s Maud Powell, World Famous Violinist
- Waxing Nostalgic on Geneva’s WGSB, WFXW
- American Doughboys of WWI — in St. Charles, IL
- Experience High-Tech History at April 21 ‘Open Elgin’ Event
- Batavia, IL — ‘Windmill Capital of The World’
- Meet Andy Aurora, Man About Town
- Celebrating The 50th Anniversary of 9-1-1 in Geneva
- Blue Goose And Evergreen Pub — ‘Shop Local’ 90 Years In The Making
- Elgin Is The Apple of Illinois Bicentennial’s Eye
- Nordens Soner And Batavia’s Swedish Society
- Aurora’s Melting Pot ‘Yearning To Breathe Free’
- Candles, Timing Devices, Phonographs And The ‘Life Cup’ — All Things Made in Geneva
- Hotel Baker, The ‘Masterpiece’ of The Fox Valley
- Elgin Celebrates Our Once-Burgeoning Dairy Business
- Reflections of Batavia’s Quarry Beach Pool
- Aurora’s Mabel O’Donnell, Author of “Alice And Jerry’ Books
- As Alice (Davis) Says, ‘Schools Out For Summer!’
- Elgin Watches, ‘The World’s Standard’
- Aurora Silverplate a Symbol of Good Taste
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- Nationally Renowned Summer Camp in St. Charles
- The Harrowing Story of William Lynch, Elgin’s Civil War Brigadier General
- Batavia Powered The Aurora, Elgin & Chicago Railway
- Corsets Doing Big Business in Aurora? Scandalous!
- One Block of Geneva Tells 1,001 Fantastic Stories
- St. Charles’ Evergreen Pub — The ‘Before’ Photos
- 1917-18 — When Elgin Artists Went to War
- Thomas Cleveland — Batavia’s Presidential Connection
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- Geneva Is The Place For Graveyards And Ghosts
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- Calling All Artists! … For a Cobblestone Reflection in Elgin
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- The Compelling, Tragic Story of Aurora’s Black WWI Hero Frank Boger
- Geneva History Museum Invites Artists To Celebrate Cultural Heritage
- Elgin’s Anson Clark Soared in The Great War … And Life
- What It Meant To Be a Patrol Boy and Louise White School
- ‘Men’s Night’ Christmas Shopping Was a 1950’s Aurora Phenomenon
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- The Art of Elgin’s Cobblestone Reflections
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- Blansford Astronomical Clock Is Aurora’s Treasure
- St. Charles Returns Family Heirlooms From WWII
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- A Bird’s-Eye View of 19th Century Geneva
- Sheldon Peck: Kane County’s Connection To The Underground Railroad
- Elgin High School Celebrates 150 Years of ‘Education For All’
- Batavia’s Incredible Roller Skating History
- The Fabled History of Jewelry Stores in Geneva
- Astonishing Buried Treasure Discovered in Aurora Outhouse
- Lincoln Elementary School in St. Charles Celebrates 90 Years of Education
- Remembering Elgin High Grad, Renowned Composer Daniel Brewbaker, 1951 – 2017
- Meet Batavia’s Sharron Moran, LPGA Star, ‘Most Beautiful Golfer’ of 1966
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- The Burlington Zephyr — A ‘Silver Streak’ Through Aurora
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- 18 Events, Limited-Edition Poster For Preservation Month in Elgin!
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- The Historic Drive To Save Aurora’s GAR Hall
- The Story of St. Charles’ Paddlewheel Riverboats
- Meet Elgin’s Legendary Marshal — Andrew Barclay Spurling
- Jackie DeShannon ‘Put A Little Love’ In Batavia
- Aurora’s William S. Hart, Cowboy Movie Star
- St. Charles’ First Settlers, One Lost, Found Again
- Discover The Elgin Stories All Around You
- Batavia’s WWI French Connection
- Amazing Stories Behind Geneva’s Extraordinary Parks
- Roots Aurora Seeks 2019 Nominations For Aurora Cultural Champions
- Newly Renovated Thompson Middle School Retains Memories of St. Charles High
- Elgin’s Bluff City Cemetery Memorializes City’s Past
- Batavia Connection to 1969 Moon Landing
- Geneva Company Made Huge Contribution to Art Deco
- East Vs. West 1914 — Aurora’s Greatest Football Game
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- Behold The Telegraph, Elgin’s First Digital Communication!
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- Holiday Traditions, Historic Creche at Geneva History Museum
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- ‘New Year’s Calling’ in Aurora Was The Online Dating of Late 1800s
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- Geneva History Museum Offers COVID-19 Journal
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- How St. Charles Survived The Spanish Flu in 1918
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- Geneva Museum Passes Milestone
- Aurora’s African-American Police Officers
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- Family Secrets — Historian Finds 1866 ‘I Love … ‘ Message Scratched in Tanner House Window
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- Elgin Remembers Devastating Palm Sunday 1920 Tornadoes
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