Batavia Illinois History and Community

Batavia, Illinois

In 1833, Christopher Payne arrived in the area and found a valley consisting of rich farmland and conveiently located near the Fox River. He built a cabin and named his newfound community "Head of Big woods". Two years saw Payne moving on and selling his stake to Judge Isaac Walton who renamed the community Batavia after his New York hometown.

In 1835, Colnel Joseph Lyon discovered a source of particularly excellent quarry stone in Batavia - Niagra Limestone. The first quarry was built shortly thereafter and Batavia became known as a premier source of top-notch quarry stone. At one time, there were 9 or 10 quarries operating in the area and Batavia supplied a good deal of stone to help rebuild Chicago after the Great Fire of 1871. At one time, Batavia was known as the world's largest manufacturing site for windmills and also boasted a large paper-making industry. Batavia is also known as the location of a sanitarium for women where Mary Todd Lincoln stayed after the assassination of her husband.

Present day Batavia provides visitors with a small-town atmosphere. Many beautiful buildings constructed with the same Niagra Limestone that the area is known for are still standing and the town is home for over 22,000 residents. One if it's biggest points of interest is that it in-part plays host to Fermilab National Accelerator - drawing scientists and visitors from all over the country.