Jo Fredell Higgins: 5 books

The essence of Geneva lies in the city's distinctive hometown quality and relaxed atmosphere. Visitors sense a slower pace and tender ambience that flourished even before Geneva was platted on May 3, 1837. Geneva, Illinois presents a remarkable portrait of the community's earliest beginnings and present-day...

DeKalb was originally known as Huntley's Grove, named after Russell Huntley, an early settler who was one of its founders. The area had also been known as Buena Vista and DeKalb Center, before settling on the name DeKalb in 1881. The name was derived from Baron Johann DeKalb (1721-1780), a German soldier...

Covered wagons brought a wave of migration to northern Illinois in the mid-1830s. On April 1, 1834, the first permanent white settlers, Joseph McCarthy and two assistants, paddled up the Fox River. The vicinity was known as Waubonsie�s Village at that time. They built a log cabin, a dam across the...

The remarkable city of Naperville, Illinois, began as an agrarian community in the mid-1800s. The rich prairie filled the grain elevators and cattle were shipped to the Chicago "Yards." Through the medium of historic photographs, this book captures the evolution of the people of Naperville, from the...

Naperville is a quintessential American city, where many cultures blend together in harmony. Founded in 1831 by Capt. Joseph Naper and incorporated in 1857, the city has progressed from rural farmland to a robust commercial economy. In 1860, kerosene lamps and one wooden bridge were surrounded by...