Geneva is a town in Wabash Township, Adams County, Indiana. The population was 1,257 at the time of the 2020 census. Geneva is the location of the Limberlost Cabin, the home of writer and naturalist Gene Stratton-Porter from 1895 to 1913.

History

Geneva had its start in 1871 when the rival towns of Alexander and Buffalo merged. It was named after Geneva, in Switzerland. The first post office in Geneva was established in 1872. Geneva incorporated as a town in early 1874.

The Town of Geneva benefited greatly from the Indiana Gas Boom of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Oil was found near Geneva and production began in 1892. This brought many new settlers to the area and skyrocketed local land prices. At its height in November 1895, one company, the Buckeye Pipe Line Company, had 160 oil wells in the Geneva field producing 24,362 barrels a month. Production fell off after 1907. Charles D. Porter and his wife, Gene Stratton-Porter, who lived in Geneva from 1886 to 1913, owned roughly 30 oil wells in the area, and used the proceeds to build Limberlost Cabin in 1895.

thumb|Businesses in Geneva's downtown historic district

Geography

According to the 2010 census, Geneva has a total area of , of which (or 88.62%) is land and (or 11.38%) is water.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Geneva had a population of 1,257. The median age was 45.2 years. 20.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 21.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 101.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.2 males age 18 and over.

0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 579 households in Geneva, of which 20.9% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 40.2% were married-couple households, 23.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 29.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 40.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. of 2010, there were 1,293 people, 570 households, and 349 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 627 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 94.6% White, 0.6% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 3.2% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.4% of the population.

There were 570 households, of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.8% were non-families. 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.91.

The median age in the town was 41.1 years. 23.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.3% were from 25 to 44; 28.3% were from 45 to 64; and 18% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.

2000 census

As of the census Geneva is located in the South Adams Schools District.

Notable people

  • L. S. Buckmaster (1894–1967), labor union leader
  • Robert O. Fink, classics professor
  • Gene Stratton-Porter (1863–1924), best-selling author, nature photographer, naturalist, and silent movie-era producer

Notable structures

  • Limberlost Cabin, completed in 1895, was the home Gene Stratton-Porter shared with her husband, Charles Porter, and their daughter, Jeannette (Geneva HS '05). The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Designated as the Limberlost State Historic Site, it is operated by the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites and open to the public.

References

  • Town of Geneva, Indiana