Geneva Lake

History

Geneva Lake was home to a band of Prairie Potawatomi prior to colonial settlement. During the first three decades of the nineteenth century, the band was led by Big Foot. This led the settlers on Geneva Lake to refer to it as Big Foot Lake.

In the 1830s, a government surveyor named John Brink renamed the lake and the town on it for Geneva, New York, another lakeside town which he thought they resembled. To avoid confusion with the nearby town of Geneva, Illinois, the city was renamed Lake Geneva; later, the lake was renamed Geneva Lake.

The lake is known as the only place in the world where mail jumping is practiced, an unusual mail delivery system maintained as a local tradition.

Attractions and public access

Lakeshore attractions include Big Foot Beach State Park, Lake Geneva Yacht Club, the George Williams College campus of Aurora University, and Yerkes Observatory. The observatory is no longer owned by the University of Chicago, which transferred ownership of it to the non-profit Yerkes Future Foundation in May 2020.

Public access to the lake is allowed as the result of a decision by early European settlers that "20 feet [6 meters] of land leading up to the shoreline should be public domain."

A shorepath, which is open to the public, completely surrounds the lake. Between 21 and long, it follows the route taken by Potawatomi Indians. The path crosses the estates of the Schwinns, Swifts, Wackers, and Wrigleys.

File:Geneva Lake Shorepath Sign 1.jpg|Geneva Lake Shorepath sign File:Yacht Racing On Lake Geneva (NBY 428822).jpg|Yacht Racing On Lake Geneva, postcard File:Untitled - Resorts (NBY 697).jpg|Olivet Camp, postcard

References

References

1. {{cite GNIS. 1565459. Lake Geneva. Jan 15, 2021
2. Lahey, Sarah T.. (May 25, 2016). "The Potawatomi At Geneva Lake". At the Lake: Geneva Lakes Area Magazine.
3. Manierre, George. (December 1917). "Early Recollections of Lake Geneva (Big Foot Lake), Wisconsin". The Wisconsin Magazine of History.
4. (2003). "A short history of Geneva Lake". University of Lake Geneva.
5. (2020). "Foundation celebrates donation and takes ownership of Yerkes Observatory". lakegenevanews.net.
6. Timothy J. Tuomey and Magdalene Wise Tuomey. (August 28, 1988). "A Hike Around Lake Geneva Is A Walk For All Seasons". Chicago Tribune.
7. "Geneva Lake Shorepath Walk". Lake Geneva Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.
8. "Walk, Hike, or Run on the Lake Geneva Lake Shore Path". The Downtown Lake Geneva Business Improvement District.