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AHistory
History · Geneseo

Geneseo dates to 1836, and 25% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 85% of U.S. towns · #124 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it

Its Register listings are the South Side School and the Atkinson Hall. Below: 8 old photos and papers, maps from 1886 on, and the census since 1860.

1836founded
2on the National Register
25%homes built before 1940
8old photos & papers
15famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Geneseo’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Geneseo began

When was Geneseo founded?

1836

Geneseo dates its founding to 1836 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1860.

First census: 1,794 in 18602020 census: 6,539190 years

How historic is Geneseo?

A

More historic than 85% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1840.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Geneseo’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Geneseo is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns, #124 of 768 in Illinois. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.

A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Geneseo’s overall grade.
Founding era1836, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 194024.7% of homes (±4.8) · typical IL town 10.6% · U.S. 8.4%A−National Register2 listings, 3.0 per 10,000 residents · typical IL town 0.5 · U.S. 2.4B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 85%
NewerOlder
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 84%

Few Illinois towns list much on the Register (a typical Illinois town has 0.5 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Geneseo’s 3.0 sits above most of its state (70% of Illinois towns have fewer) while its 2 listings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be A−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.8 points). Two sources give 1836.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Geneseo’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

Then and nowOne place photographed years apart. Drag to compare.Mapped building by building5 fire insurance maps, 1886 to 1922, drew every building in Geneseo.Deep rootsEstablished in 1836: 190 years of Geneseo.Famous sons and daughtersAgnes Meyer Driscoll, James Floyd Smith and 13 more were born here.
★ What stands out · Then & now

The same spot, 93 years apart

Drag across each photo to compare.

SOUTH SIDE SCHOOLSouth Side School19202013
South Side SchoolMatched from the two captions
Every building

Geneseo, building by building, 1886–1922

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Geneseo fire insurance map, 1886, sheet 11886Sheet 1 of 2
Edition
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Timeline

Geneseo, 1836 to 1950

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1836
    FoundingGeneseo is established
  3. 1840Post officeThe Geneseo post office opens
  4. 1843Born hereJohn Taylor Hamilton is born here
  5. 1880In the archiveHome with a white picket fence and summer house, Geneseo
  6. 1884Born hereJames Floyd Smith is born here
  7. 1889Born hereAgnes Meyer Driscoll is born here
  8. 1890In the archiveGeneseo, Illinois downtown elephants, 1890
  9. 20th century
  10. 1900In the archiveThe Old North Side School, Geneseo, Illinois, 1900
  11. 1910In the archiveFirst Congregationalist Church in
  12. 1920In the archiveSouth Side School
  13. 1934On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  14. 1950Born hereBarry Pearson is born here
The story

How Geneseo came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Geneseo.

Read it all →

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". 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".

ChaptersEstablishmentExpansion20th century school expansion

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Geneseo, decade by decade

5 decades in the archive, from the 1880s to the 1920s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1880s–1890s5 items
Home with a white picket fence and summer house, Geneseoc. 1880Home with a white picket fence and summer house, Gene…Home with a white picket fence and summer house, Geneseoc. 1880Home with a white picket fence and summer house, Gene…Geneseo, Illinois downtown elephants, 18901890Geneseo, Illinois downtown elephants, 1890Geneseo Collegiate Institute circa 18951895Geneseo Collegiate Institute circa 1895WC Sheppard Mansion 1895 in1895WC Sheppard Mansion 1895 in
1900s–1920s3 items
The Old North Side School, Geneseo, Illinois, 19001900The Old North Side School, Geneseo, Illinois, 1900First Congregationalist Church in1910First Congregationalist Church inSouth Side School1920South Side School
1930s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Today10 recent
A whimsical Halloween street display in downtown Genseo, Illinois2019A whimsical Halloween street display in downtown Gens…Gilded gazebo in a park in Genseo, Illinois2019Gilded gazebo in a park in Genseo, IllinoisMonument2019MonumentCity of Geneseo, Illinois, downton circa 20152015City of Geneseo, Illinois, downton circa 2015Geneseo, Illinois City Park, 20142014Geneseo, Illinois City Park, 2014SOUTH SIDE SCHOOL2013SOUTH SIDE SCHOOLGeneseo, Illinois Green Machine Football 20112011Geneseo, Illinois Green Machine Football 2011Atkinson Hall2011Atkinson HallAtkinson Hall 22011Atkinson Hall 2ILMap-doton-Geneseo2006ILMap-doton-Geneseo
On the map

Geneseo on the map, 1934 to 1991

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Geneseo. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Geneseo on the 1934 USGS mapGeneseo on the 1953 USGS mapGeneseo on the 1975 USGS mapGeneseo on the 1991 USGS map1934Geneseo sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Geneseo.

On the National Register

2 historic places in Geneseo

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
2
each building in a district counts
first listed
1975
South Side School
South Side SchoolAtkinson Hall
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Romanesque Revival1
South Side SchoolBuilding
Atkinson HallRomanesque Revival

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Geneseo, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,5005,0005,5006,0006,5007,000190019502000Peak: 6,586

Between 1,794 and 6,586 people in every census since 1860.

17 censuses, 1860–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Geneseo’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

15 famous people were born in Geneseo

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Agnes Meyer DriscollAmerican cryptographer · b. 1889
James Floyd SmithAmerican aviator · b. 1884
B
Barry PearsonAmerican football player · b. 1950
John Taylor HamiltonMember of the U.S. House of Representatives · b. 1843
Sue RezinAmerican politician · b. 1963
T
Todd SiebenAmerican politician · b. 1945
Help out

Finish Geneseo’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
3 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewHome with a white picket fence and summ…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Questions about Geneseo’s history

What year was Geneseo founded?

In 1836, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Geneseo’s post office opened in 1840, and the census of 1860 counted 1,794 people here.

How does Geneseo rank for history?

Geneseo is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns, #124 of 768 in Illinois. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Geneseo?

Two places: the South Side School (listed 1975) and the Atkinson Hall (2003).

How old are the homes in Geneseo?

25% of Geneseo’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.8 points), against a typical 11% for an Illinois town; the median home was built in 1963.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (15), the Library of Congress (3), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.