Batavia: From the Collection of the Batavia Historical Society

Images of America: Illinois

by Jim Edwards, Wynette A. Edwards

Situated directly west of Chicago is Batavia, Illinois, world famous as the home of Fermilab, a center of nuclear research that hosts scientists from all over the world. Few people realize that this city has had a long history of leadership in the development of energy resources. In Batavia we endeavor to explore that history, with a look at power from windmills to power plants. Also part of the fabric of Batavia's past are the community leaders who transformed a river village (settled in the 1830s) into a vibrant and vital modern city. You will view a 1910 photographic essay capturing Batavians on the streets of their city, discover a unique early high-tech company that produced beauty and dietary consumer products in the 1930s, and experience an architectural walking tour (complete with a map) of old Batavia and her famous citizens. And to complete our journey through time, you will learn how Mary Todd, wife of Abraham Lincoln, came to live in Batavia.

128 pages, Paperback

First published November 13, 2000