Weekend events celebrate Batavia's 175th anniversary

From one guy, his wife and their seven children to 26,565 people.

In just 175 short years.

Batavia begins celebrating the 175th anniversary of its founding this weekend, proud of its status as the first place in Kane County a white man settled down and called home.

Christopher Payne, born in Pennsylvania, arrived in Illinois in 1831, at age 45. He first stopped in what is now Naperville, helping its founder, Joe Naper, establish a stone grist mill business. Following a buffalo trail, Payne found a spot in what was known as the Big Woods - a stretch of forest from what is now Aurora to Batavia, on the east side of the Fox River. He called it Head of Big Woods.

Payne built a cabin, planted some potatoes, and brought his wife and kids out from New York. Others joined him, as a scant two years later he sold his land to New Yorker Isaac Wilson, and moved north, eventually settling permanently in Wisconsin. Wilson renamed the small settlement Batavia, after his hometown of Batavia, N.Y.

The city quickly became industrial, thanks to its abundance of quarry stone, timber and water power. Flour, ice, lumber, paper and stone were among the first products sold out of Batavia, finding markets in the rapidly growing city of Chicago. The first factory, Newton Wagon Co., opened in 1854.

And by the 1890s, three Batavia factories were making so many windmills that the town was considered the leading manufacturing city in the world. The windmills were used in particular to provide water to settlements in the American West.

Limestone from Batavia helped rebuild Chicago after the fire of 1871. After the Civil War, a mental health sanitarium for women, Bellevue Place, opened in Batavia. Mary Todd Lincoln, widow of assassinated President Abraham Lincoln, spent time there.

In the 1970s, the federal government established Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, where scientists have performed Nobel Prize-winning physics research, on the eastern edge of town.

In the 1990s, residents banded together to build the beautiful Riverwalk, where many a community celebration now is held.

All this and more will be celebrated this weekend.

There are activities Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday from the intellectual (a history exhibit in the Batavia Government Center) to the athletic (feel like running 13 miles Sunday?).

First off

You can brush up on the history of Batavia in two ways this weekend: By viewing an exhibit in the city council chambers or by attending a pageant where historical figures will come to life.

The exhibit, "A Historical Peek Into the Past," is open Friday afternoon and evening, Saturday during the day, Sunday afternoon and Monday during the day, at 100 N. Island Ave.

The pageant, "Little Town in the Big Woods," is at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Rotolo Middle School, 1501 S. Raddant Road. Children and adults will portray settlers and other historical characters in this show, written by Marilyn Robinson, Batavia historian and resident. Her book, "A Little Town in a Big Woods," will be available for sale, as will anniversary commemorative pins and ornaments from the Batavia Historical Society. Admission to the show is free.

Parade of history

Do you harbor a secret desire to dress up like a pioneer? Make your costume and head to Clark Island Park at noon Saturday for the Pioneer Parade. Participants will walk from the park north to the Riverwalk. After the parade, the Fox Valley Concert Band will perform at the Peg Bond Center on the Riverwalk.

Rubber ducky, you're so fun

The Chuck the Duck Derby is at 3 p.m. Saturday. The Batavia MainStreet promotions experts hid about 500 rubber ducks around downtown and other businesses, to encourage people to continue to do business in Batavia during the inconvenience of bridge reconstruction. If you found one of those ducks, register it at the Batavia Library, or from noon to 2:45 p.m. on race day at the Peg Bond Center on the Riverwalk. The ducks will be deposited in the river and the first three to be pulled out by volunteers at Clark Island Park will win prize baskets: "Wii Have Fun in Batavia," "Good Eats in Downtown Batavia" or "Summer Fun on the Fox." For race rules and other details, visit www.cityofbatavia.net or call (630) 761-3528.

Rededication of bridge

In 1983, the Wilson Street bridge was renamed the William J. Donovan bridge, in honor of 100-year-old Monsignor Donovan, longtime pastor at Holy Cross Catholic Church. The city will rededicate the new bridge to him, in a ceremony at 6 p.m. Saturday. Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner, who grew up in Batavia and served as an altar boy during Donovan's tenure at Holy Cross, will speak.

Half-marathon

The Foot Mechanics Half Madness 13-mile run starts at 7:30 a.m. Sunday on Houston Street near Island Avenue. It heads west and south, goes on to the Fox River Trail, hits the Woodland Hills neighborhood, jogs back to the Fox River Trail and ends downtown. Houston Street will be closed for the event. The post-race party is at 8:45 a.m. and the award ceremony is at 10 a.m. Part of the racers' entry fees go to the Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Multisport Madness Kids Triathlon team and the Gerry Turrubiartes Memorial Fund. (Turrubiartes, a Mill Creek subdivision resident, was an amateur athlete who was killed last year when he accidentally rode his bike into a train.)

To register, visit www.halfmadness.com.

Bridge Bash

Later in the day Sunday, you can celebrate the near-completion of the Wilson Street bridge rebuilding at the Bridge Bash from 2 to 11 p.m. on the bridge. There's an official ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4:30 p.m. led by Mayor Jeff Schielke.

The "Best of Batavia" progressive restaurant specialty tasting, for $2 per sample, is from 5 to 9 p.m. Participating restaurants include Andre's Restaurant, chicken salad wrap or BBQ ribs; Batavia Creamery, children's double scoop of ice cream; Chicago Char House, miniature gyros; East China Inn, General Tsao's chicken; El Taco Grande, guacamole and chips; Fox Grill, miniature pulled pork or pot roast sandwiches; O'Brien's Pub and Grill, tacos and fried potato salad; The RendezVu, shrimp de'jonge; Limestone Coffee & Tea, muffins and bar cookies, iced tea and lemonade; Thai Village, pad thai, ground basil leaf with rice stir fried, Thai iced tea or coffee; The Venice Tavern, pizza; Tusk Thai: peanut noodles, Thai iced tea and coffee. A map of participating restaurants is available from volunteers wearing "Where's B.O.B?" T-shirts at the event or at participating restaurants.

For information about this weekend's events, visit www. cityofbatavia.net.

Batavia's 175th anniversary

The city of Batavia celebrates its 175th anniversary, starting this weekend. It also celebrates the near-completion of the rebuilding of the Wilson Street bridge. The bridge will be closed to vehicles for a short ceremony at 6 p.m. Saturday, and 2 to 11 p.m. Sunday. Visit www.cityofbatavia.net.

Friday

Noon to 9 p.m. "Batavia Historical Exposition: A Peek Into the Past," free, city council chamber, Batavia Government Center, 100 N. Island Ave.

7 p.m. "Little Town in a Big Woods" pageant, Rotolo Middle School, 1501 S. Raddant Road. Free.

Saturday

9 a.m.-6 p.m. "Batavia Historical Exposition: A Peek Into the Past," free, city council chamber, Batavia Government Center, 100 N. Island Ave.

Noon Pioneer Parade starts at Clark Island Park, followed by Fox Valley Concert Band performs at the Riverwalk.

3 p.m. Chuck the Duck rubber duck derby (registration from noon to 2:45 p.m.)

6 p.m. Rededication of the Wilson Street bridge in honor of the late Monsignor William Donovan.

Sunday

7:30 a.m. Half Madness half-marathon starts at Houston Street near the Riverwalk

2 p.m. Bridge Bash starts

Noon Community church service at the Riverwalk.

1 p.m. Community picnic at the Riverwalk

1 to 6 p.m. "Batavia Historical Exposition: A Peek Into the Past," free, city council chamber, Batavia Government Center, 100 N. Island Ave.

4:30 p.m. Bridge dedication

5-9 p.m. "Best of Batavia" progressive specialty dish tasting at downtown restaurants, with $2 samples

5:30 p.m. Music Matters steel drum band performs

7 p.m. "Little Town in a Big Woods" pageant, Rotolo Middle School, 1501 S. Raddant Road. Free.

7:30 p.m. Michael Heaton Band performs on the bridge

9 p.m. Fireworks show

Monday

9 a.m. to 4 p.m. "Batavia Historical Exposition: A Peek Into the Past," free, city council chamber, Batavia Government Center, 100 N. Island Ave.

Looking to learn more about Batavia's history?

• www.cityofbatavia.net (Under "Community," click on "Batavia History")

• www.bataviahistoricalsociety.org/batavia_history.htm

• www.books.google.com (search for "History of Kane County, IL")