Buildings

Depot



It was decided at the organizational meeting, the short range project of the society would be the acquisition and renovation of

the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad Depot. This decision was made because the depot had been scheduled for

demolition, and unless purchased, would be lost forever. A letter requesting information on the history of the depot was sent to the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad. In a July 19, 1977 letter, the society was informed the one story frame depot was 24 feet by 108 feet by 10 feet when built in 1882.

It had a wood shingle roof, stove heat and lamp lights. From the turn of the century to 1920, depots were painted orange, with maroon trim

around the window and door frames. The brick platform was installed in 1906 and the outhouses were replaced with sanitary toilet

facilities in 1920. An article written on Kishwaukee Valley Heritage Society letterhead, but not dated, states electricity was installed in 1912. The depot serviced the last train in October 1967. The depot was purchased from the railroad for $1.00.


In late April 1977, Bob Hoover and Merle Roberts made a presentation to the Genoa City Council requesting permission to move the

depot to the Water Works grounds. The aldermen were unanimously in favor of the project. Groundbreaking for the new museum took

place May 24, 1977, and the depot was moved from its North Sycamore Street location to Water Works Park on Rt. 72, at the west

edge of Genoa, on June 1, 1977.

A basement was dug to go under the depot. The chimney and skirting were removed by volunteers May 31, 1977, prior to a commercial

mover from St. Charles transporting the building down Main Street to the new location. The commercial mover charged $3,500 to move the depot.

The entire transportation of the Depot can be seen at the museum today via Power Point presentation next to the picture carousal.

Preparation for the move of the depot took several days. Members of the society removed all of the bricks from the depot platform,

so they could later be placed in front of the renovated depot.

Discussion on taking up and resetting the brick platform in front of the depot due to the ground settling, took place at the November

18, 1991 meeting. The Boy Scouts helped with the project, but it wasn’t completed until the fall of 1993.

Repair of the depot has been ongoing. The building was water blasted, windows puttied, cracks filled, and exterior painted in July 1990. The exterior of the depot was sandblasted. The original color discovered was gold with maroon trim.

Much work was needed to remodel the depot. In April 1980 it was announced the Jaycees will donate labor to remove old shingles,

saving about $450.00. Rafters were added for extra strength and then a new roof. Commonwealth Edison donated more than $800

worth of rewiring. Leader Oil Company of Sycamore fabricated and installed the heating system duct work as a donation. There was also drywall, insulation and flooring installed on the inside.

Records from the January 11, 1981 meeting indicate approximately $26,000 had been spent on the building. Forty percent of the total had come from Federal Revenue Sharing Funds, 52% had come from

donations and dues, and 8% from memorial funds.

The 15th anniversary celebration of the Kishwaukee Valley Heritage Society was held October 11, 1992 with an open house from

2:00 to 4:00 p.m. There was a fire department demonstration at 3 p.m. and a potluck at 5 p.m.

It was approved at the October 21, 1996 society meeting to install the Trane furnace and air conditioner, which comes with a

signal light when the temperature gets too low, a 10 year parts and labor warranty, a furnace liner and other considerations.

The bid was from Randy Hess for $4,950.


Time passes and the changes keep occurring in the state of the Depot. Last painting of the Depot occurred in 2015.


Water Works Building

Circa 1902, this building housed the first well for the city of Genoa. It pumped water to 19 homes in the beginning through wooden pipes.

On July 26, 1988 there was a 15 year lease agreement for the Kishwaukee Valley Heritage Society to use the

West half of the Water Works Building, except the part used to house the

city well and pumping apparatuses , for the fee of $1.00. The agreement stated, “The Kishwaukee Valley Heritage

Society agrees to keep the West half of the said building in good repair and to pour, at the Society’s expense, a cement floor in the leased premises and to make other improvements necessary to safeguard the Society’s property that will be stored there."


The Water Works Building had been cleaned out and when the wood floor was removed, a 14 foot well was discovered.

Walter Cunny donated the use of a tractor and with it Warren Brown and Harold Watson hauled 7 loads of bricks from the Koteles building. Unfortunately, the minutes do not specifically state the bricks were used to fill in the well, but the November 21, 1988, minutes indicate the floor had been poured and all things moved in.


Floor by the front Door South West corner where the well is filled in! Ceiling over well where

pipes were pulled from well


In January 1994, a list of priority projects for the Water Works Building was prepared. It included a concrete floor for the East room, a new ceiling in the West room, restroom, sand blasting of the inside brick and repair and restoration of the windows inside, that had been covered up. It was moved and seconded to make funds available to have the east side of the Water Works Building water blasted to the original condition and a cement floor poured. It was announced at the November 21, 1994, board meeting, donations totaling $7,802.65 had been received since August 1 for the renovation of the Water Works Building. This allowed work to progress.

At the May 1995 meeting, the board was told Don Lynch would do the plumbing for the Water Works Building and the cement floor would be poured after the installation of pipes.

The board of directors approved Royer Asphalt Paving to do the blacktop driveway between the museum and Water Works Building for a cost of $1,962.65.

Yet upgrades were needed in the restroom. First indication was a leak under the toilet and upon investigation it was found that the fill under the floor of the bathroom had sunk and the plastic drain pipe had broken.

New piping and more fill installed to enable the next issue to be accomplished. That was a bathroom which was wheel chair accessible. A volunteer which oversaw this project determined that the plumbing was not in a place that enabled a wheel chair to fit, move, and have access to all the facilities. Therefore, the cement floor had to be partially removed, pipe location changed, repack the fill, and replace the floor.

All fixtures were put into place, water pipes covered, and pictures hung on two walls. After 3 years of research and construction we now have an ADA complaint restroom!

Great BIG THANK YOU to the persistent volunteer for accomplishing this magnificent job!!