Those strolling along the Fox River in downtown St. Charles this spring might notice an educational addition to the scenery—in the form of three historical markers.

The Downtown St. Charles Partnership received a $5,000 Kane County Riverboat Grant to install three signs, or, markers, which will feature text and photos depicting the history of the sites where they sit.

The first marker recently was placed at 2 E. Main St., near the plaza by the municipal building. Later this spring, two more will sit on either side of the Fox River, said Lynne Schwartz, executive director of the downtown partnership.

"This is something the partnership wanted to do to highlight the history," she said. "There's so much history here in downtown St. Charles."

The first marker displays information on the municipal building and the surrounding area. The building is a designated landmark on the National Register of Historic Places.

In the 1800s, the area was once a sawmill, then a flour mill. In 1908, the St. Charles Fixture Co. operated on the site, manufacturing gas and electric light fixtures, according to partnership officials. A fire destroyed the building in 1929, and the municipal building was built in 1940. It's known for its architectural style, including an 84-foot-high octagon-shaped tower.

Representatives from the city and the St. Charles Heritage Center worked to design the markers. Diane Brown, director of the St. Charles Public Library, sat on a design committee for the project. She said the committee considered a number of factors in deciding where to place the markers, and also discussed what those markers should depict.

"It was a long process," she said. "We looked at areas where people walk in the downtown—visitors as well as residents."

The second marker will focus on the industry that grew up around the Fox River, and the third will be an extension of that but also include information on the old Cable Piano Company, Brown said.

When reading the markers, some might be surprised to learn St. Charles started as a blue-collar, industrial town, she said.

"People don't realize that," she added. "They don't know what was on the site" as they walk along the river.

The signs will also have a "QPR" code where passersby can access more historical photos, provided by the Heritage Center, Brown said, adding a modern, technological component to the markers.

"These are just something to remind people and try to orient them to the past when they are standing on the site today," she said.

kthayer@tribune.com