Lots would be drawn by chance, assuming that the settlers would build on them, and immediately the town established its Christian and education-focused philosophy. They split the land into five blocks east to west and three blocks north to south with locations for a cemetery, a block for the school and church, a public square, and the "gospel lot," which, in 1846, became a seminary. The town was split into lots by the trustees: John C. The First Congregationalist Church in Geneseo, Illinois, circa 1910 Establishment of the city Ward built the first cabin and frame house in town, respectively, in 1837. Bartlett constructed the first structure just south of the town in the winter of 1836, and Elisha Cone and J.C. The winter was so bad that the families remained in Princeton, Illinois and what was known as Providence County while their structures were being established. Unfortunately, their struggles with nature continued. Despite the hardships, and in the true Puritan fashion, the settlers insisted on resting on the Sabbath. Ward and Manville, remaining behind to rejoin the journey in the spring. Near Ypsilanti, Michigan the seven families split into two with two families, the Messrs. Their journey was marred with difficulties only traveling 7 miles in 6 days through much of Canada and Michigan. On September 17, 1836, the settlers embarked on their treacherous journey from Geneseo, New York and Genesee County, New York across Canada, down through Michigan, then across Indiana and Illinois. The original town plan for Geneseo, Illinois in 1829 The transaction of the land was completed at a place called Brandenburg's Tavern in what is today Colona Township and purchased at a dollar and a quarter per acre. Advised at a meeting in Chicago by the future Governor of Illinois, Thomas Ford, the small committee rode by wagon and horseback to investigate the 2,000-acre tract. This group, known as the "New York Committee", or "New York Group" was composed of John C. In May 1836 the founding seven families of Geneseo sent an exploratory committee to survey the precise location of their new community in the Old Northwest. Planning for the colony began as early as 1829. The name "Geneseo" is a variation of the Iroquois word Genesee, meaning "shining valley" or "beautiful valley". Stewart, one of the city's founding members, named the town Geneseo after the settlers' town of origin in New York. Geneseo was founded as a Christian colony in 1836 by seven families of the Congregationalist denomination from Geneseo, New York and Bergen, New York seeking to establish a "church in the wilderness". Geneseo is 20 miles east of the Quad Cities, at the intersection of Interstate 80, U.S. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,539. Geneseo is a city in Henry County, Illinois, United States.
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