| In 1837, brothers Julius and Edward Alexander arrived in Geneva where they planned to build a blacksmith shop from where they would forge the tools and plows to farm the rich soil of Kane County. Julius Alexander wrote in his memoirs: We moved to Geneva, arriving there about July I, 1837...came with wagon and oxen, bringing tools and a little iron and steel. They chose the east bank of the river to build their blacksmith shop. A dam had been planned to furnish power for a small grist mill built by the Bennett brothers. Water was diverted from the river through a narrow channel to turn the mill wheels. This was called the mill race. Reference |  |