Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton
City

The historic DuPage County Courthouse in downtown Wheaton

Location in DuPage County and the state of Illinois.
Coordinates: 41°51′22″N 88°06′30″W / 41.85611°N 88.10833°W / 41.85611; -88.10833Coordinates: 41°51′22″N 88°06′30″W / 41.85611°N 88.10833°W / 41.85611; -88.10833
Country  United States
State  Illinois
Counties DuPage
Townships Milton, Winfield
Settled 1831 (1831)
Incorporated February 24, 1859 (village)
April 24, 1890 (city)
Government
 • Type Mayor–council
 • Mayor Michael J. Gresk
Area
 • Total 11.44 sq mi (29.6 km2)
 • Land 11.25 sq mi (29.1 km2)
 • Water 0.19 sq mi (0.5 km2)
Elevation 748 ft (228 m)
Population (2012)
 • Total 53,469
 • Density 4,700/sq mi (1,800/km2)
Time zone CST (UTC-6)
 • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP codes 60187, 60189
Area codes 630 and 331
Website www.wheaton.il.us
[1]

Wheaton is a suburban city in Milton and Winfield Townships and is the county seat of DuPage County, Illinois, United States.[2] It is located approximately 30 miles (48 km) west of the city center of Chicago which abuts the shore of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 52,894,[3] which was estimated to have increased to 53,469 by July 2012.[4]

History

Founding

The city dates its founding to the period between 1831 and 1837, following the Indian Removal Act, when Alex Tomasik laid claim to 790 acres (320 ha) of land near present-day Warrenville.[5][6] The Wheaton brothers arrived from Connecticut, and in 1837, Warren L. Wheaton laid claim to 640 acres (260 ha) of land in the center of town. Jesse Wheaton later made claim to 300 acres (120 ha) of land just west of Warren's.[6][7] It was not long before other settlers from New England joined them in the community. In 1848, they gave the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad three miles (5 km) of right-of-way, upon which railroad officials named the depot Wheaton.[5][7] In 1850, ten blocks of land were platted and anyone who was willing to build immediately was granted free land. In 1853, the lots were surveyed and a formal plat for the community was filed with the county. The community was then incorporated as a village on February 24, 1859, with Warren serving as its first President.[8] The village was later incorporated as a city on April 24, 1890, when the first mayor of the city was selected, Judge Elbert Gary, son of Erastus Gary and founder of Gary, Indiana.[8]

Establishment as county seat

Present day DuPage County government complex in Wheaton

In 1857, the Illinois state legislature authorized an election to be held to decide the question of whether the DuPage county seat should remain in Naperville or be moved to the more centrally located Wheaton, which was on the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad. Naperville won the election by a vote of 1,542 to 762. Hostility between the two towns continued for the next decade and another election was held in 1867, in which Wheaton narrowly won by a vote of 1,686 to 1,635. At a cost of $20,000, the City of Wheaton quickly built a courthouse to house a courtroom, county offices, and a county jail. The building was dedicated on July 4, 1868.[9]

However, animosity between the two towns continued, and in 1868, as records were moved from the old Naperville courthouse to the new one in Wheaton, Naperville refused to turn over the remaining county records, prompting a band of Civil War veterans from Wheaton to conduct what came to be known as the "Midnight Raid" on the Naperville courthouse. As Wheatonites fled back on Wheaton-Naperville Road, Napervillians were able to secure some of the last remaining records, which were then taken to the Cook County Recorder in Chicago for safekeeping. During this time, Naperville was mounting a lawsuit against Wheaton accusing election judges of leaving their posts for lunch during the vote when duplicate ballot stuffing allegedly occurred. As the courts deliberated the fate of the county seat, the records were destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Shortly thereafter, Wheaton was officially proclaimed the county seat.[10]

As demand for space increased, the courthouse was rebuilt in 1887 at a cost of $69,390, modeled after the courthouse in Aledo. This structure was used for the next 94 years until the county's rapid growth prompted the building of a brand new complex.[11] The old courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and was formerly used by National Louis University until National Louis moved to Lisle in 2004. It is currently being developed into luxury condominiums.

On November 2, 1990, the courthouse moved to a building about two miles (3 km) west in a new 57-acre (230,000 m2) complex at the corner of County Farm Road and Manchester Road. It was built at a cost of $52,500,000 and includes a 300,000-square-foot (30,000 m2) judicial building. In 1992, the county sued the architect and contractor for $4 million after several employees became ill from the ventilation system.[12] In the end, however, the county received only $120,000 for minor repairs and the jury sided with the defendants, finding that the alleged problems were caused, primarily, by the county's negligent operation and maintenance of the ventilation system.

Expansion

Wheaton Center, from a pedestrian bridge over railroad tracks

Wheaton has rapidly expanded since the 1950s, although population growth has slowed since the early 1990s, as the city has become increasingly landlocked. Downtown lost much business after the county courthouse facility moved two miles (3 km) west in 1990, but in the decade since, the downtown has seen a renaissance of sorts, with the creation of several significant condominium and business developments. One of the most recognizable landmarks of the city is Wheaton Center, a 758-unit apartment complex on 14 acres (57,000 m2) in downtown Wheaton. The six building complex includes two twenty-story high-rise buildings built in 1975.[13]

In 1887, Wheaton prohibited the sale of alcoholic beverages,[5] a ban which lasted until 1985 and applied to all supermarkets, convenience stores, restaurants, and other establishments.[14]

Geography

Wheaton is located at 41°51′22″N 88°06′30″W / 41.85611°N 88.10833°W / 41.85611; -88.10833 (41.8560218, -88.1083010).[1]

According to the 2010 census, Wheaton has a total area of 11.436 square miles (29.62 km2), of which 11.25 square miles (29.14 km2) (or 98.37%) is land and 0.186 square miles (0.48 km2) (or 1.63%) is water.[15]

Wheaton is the sister city of Karlskoga, Sweden. Karlskoga Street, located along the southern edge of Memorial Park in downtown Wheaton, is named after the Swedish City.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1860645—
187099854.7%
18801,16016.2%
18901,62239.8%
19002,34544.6%
19103,42346.0%
19204,13720.9%
19307,25875.4%
19407,3891.8%
195011,63857.5%
196024,312108.9%
197031,13828.1%
198043,04338.2%
199051,46419.6%
200055,4167.7%
201052,894−4.6%
Est. 201453,644[16]1.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[17]

As of the census[18] of 2000, there were 55,416 people, 19,377 households and 13,718 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,938.5 people per square mile (1,907/km²). There were 19,881 housing units at an average density of 1,771.7 per square mile (684.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.85% White, 4.85% Asian, 2.82% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.03% from other races, and 1.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.65% of the population.

There were 19,377 households of which 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.4% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.2% were non-families. 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the city, the population was spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.0 males.

According to the 2005-2009 American Community Survey, the median household income was $85,257, and the median family income was $107,763.[19] Males had a median income of $81,515 versus $47,739 for females. The per capita income for the city was $41,353. About 3.3% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.7% of those under the age of 18 and 7.4% of those ages 65 and older.[18]

In August 2010, the city was listed among the "Top 25 Highest Earning Towns" on CNNMoney, purporting a median family income of $113,517, and a median home price of $328,866, based on 2009 figures.[20]

Education

Higher education

Wheaton College

Wheaton College is located not far from downtown Wheaton, on the east side of the city near its border with Glen Ellyn. Its campus features the Billy Graham Center, named for the college's most famous alumnus, which contains a museum dedicated to both the history of American evangelism and the international ministry of Billy Graham. It features conceptual exhibits intended to convey Christian ideas.

Wheaton College is also home to the Todd M. Beamer Student Center, which was dedicated on October 1, 2004, to honor the memory of Todd Beamer, a hero from United Airlines Flight 93, and two other Wheaton alumni who died in the September 11 attacks.[21]

The Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Campus of the Illinois Institute of Technology is also located in Wheaton, and is home to the School of Applied Technology and offers technology-oriented education and training for working professionals.[22]

Private schools

Several of the private schools in Wheaton are located near the town center, in addition, St. Francis High School is on the far west side of town. Wheaton Academy moved to West Chicago in 1945.

Pre-school through eighth grade
High schools

Public schools

Wheaton is part of Community Unit School District 200 and Community Consolidated School District 89. The Wheaton public school system is regularly listed among the finest in the United States. A few families in the northeast corner of Wheaton enroll their children in Glen Ellyn School District 41.

High schools
Middle schools
Elementary schools
Pre-schools
Colleges

One elementary school that is located in the southeastern part of Wheaton, Briar Glen Elementary School, is part of Glen Ellyn Community Consolidated School District 89.

Public library

The Wheaton Public Library is frequently ranked as one of the top ten libraries in the nation compared to other libraries serving similarly sized populations.[24] In 2006, a three-story addition was added, followed by significant renovations which were completed in 2007, to bring the square footage up from 74,000 to 124,000.[24] The total circulation in 2009 was 1,340,820, including 369,336 hardcover books and 32,307 paperback books.[25] The previous public library was converted to the DuPage County Historical Museum.

Health care

Established in 1972 by the Wheaton Franciscan Sisters, Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital and Clinics is a rehabilitation hospital located on the west side of Wheaton on Roosevelt Road, one half mile south of the DuPage County Government Center. Marianjoy is a nonprofit teaching hospital, dedicated to the delivery of physical medicine and rehabilitation.[26]

Leisure and recreation

The Illinois Prairie Path in Wheaton
Cosley Zoo in Wheaton

Parks and golf

Fairgrounds

Wheaton is home to the DuPage County Fairgrounds. Organized in 1954, the DuPage County Fair Association hosts the annual DuPage County Fair in late July. The fair annually attracts major entertainers, such as Ashlee Simpson, Plain White T's (2007), Travis Tritt, Jesse McCartney, Jars of Clay, Corbin Bleu (2008), The Academy Is..., The Original Wailers (2009), and Danny Gokey (2010).

Shopping

Wheaton boasts a vibrant downtown with many restaurants, shops and services. The Downtown Wheaton Association hosts many events throughout the year to promote local businesses including The French Market, The Chili Cookoff, Vintage Rides, Boo-palooza (Downtown Wheaton Trick-or-Treat), A Dickens of a Christmas, Wheaton Wedding Walk and Wheaton’s Wine & Cultural Arts Festival.[30]

Downtown Wheaton is home to perhaps one of the narrowest stores in the Chicago area. The Little Popcorn Store on Front Street was formerly an alley between two buildings, and features the exposed brick walls of its neighbors. The store has been around since the 1920s and currently sells candy for as little as 2¢ a piece and, of course, fresh popcorn.[31]

Danada Square West and Danada Square East, named after Dan and Ada Rice, are located on the north side of Illinois Route 56 (Butterfield Road), and the two shopping districts are situated on the west and east side of Naperville Road. The flagship stores in Danada Square West include Jewel-Osco, TJ Maxx, and Chili's Bar & Grill. The flagship stores in Danada Square East include Petco, KFC, and PNC Bank. The bankruptcy of Dominick's Grocery Stores has left the largest store front space in the Danada Square East complex vacant as of February 2015.

Rice Lake Square, another shopping center, is located next to Danada Square East Shopping Center on the north side of Illinois Route 56 (Butterfield Road). The flagship stores in Rice Lake Square include Whole Foods Market, Stein Mart, PetSmart, and Sports Authority. As of June 2012 a brand new movie theater was opened as well. Studio Movie Grill, a nine screen movie theater offers restaurant style food at your seat.

The Town Square Shopping Center, located on Naperville Road, two miles (3 km) North of I-88 & one mile (1.6 km) South of Roosevelt Road in Wheaton, is also a venue for shopping. The outdoor mall features several clothing boutiques and restaurants, such as Banana Republic, Express, Francesca's Collections, Gap, L'anne Restaurant, Lenscrafters, Noodles & Company, Nothing Bundt Cakes, The Perfect Thing, Starbucks, and Victoria's Secret.

According to the Downtown wheaton business association website, 16 new businesses opened in wheaton in 2014.[32]

Theater

Wheaton is also home to the historic Grand Theater, built in 1925. In recent years, the theater and volunteers had begun a restoration to its original state, complete with a lighted dome ceiling dotted with stars, and a newly painted floor. It celebrated its grand reopening on May 11, 2002, and on August 25, 2005, the Theater was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. There was a sense of growing pessimism that the theater would ever get restored, due to lack of progress and funds. However, there was cause for hope when on January 23, 2010, when many cast members of the off-Broadway show "Jersey Boys" did succeed in raising approximately $50,000 for restoration.

On July 10, 2010, The Grand Theater Corp had to surrender the deed to the building, to Suburban Bank and Trust Co, due in part, to being delinquent on a $800,000 loan, carried by Suburban Bank and Trust Co.

On November 30, 2012, Jim Atten bought the building and is working on opening it up again in about six months to a year to a year and a half. Since then Atten has been fixing up the property while leading the effort to remove temporary structures within the theater and tackling trouble spots like the roof, the basement, and other remediation activities. He has also been working closely with an architect and the city staff as the effort progresses.[33] According to the Daily Herald Newspaper, It will take an estimated 5 Million Dollars to get the theater up and running again.[34]

Religious institutions

Known as one of Chicago's most conservative suburbs, Wheaton has forty-five churches located within city limits and an additional thirty places of worship in the outlying unincorporated areas, representing nearly forty religious denominations.[35] The Genius Edition of Trivial Pursuit states that Wheaton has "more churches per capita than any other town in America."[35]

Built in 1926, the national headquarters of the Theosophical Society in America is located on a 42-acre (170,000 m2) estate on the north side of Wheaton.[36]

Wheaton is also the North American Headquarters for the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which moved into its new home in June 1946.[37]

On March 18, 2002, St. Michael Catholic Church in downtown Wheaton was destroyed by arson by a Wheaton resident and parishioner, Adam Palinski, now serving 39 years in prison.[38] He has lost his appeal, but still maintains his innocence. The church has since been rebuilt, and reopened on March 18, 2006 at a cost of $13 million.[39]

Notable people

Transportation

Rail

Wheaton train station, rebuilt in 2000

The Union Pacific / West Line runs through downtown Wheaton and has been a staple of Wheaton since its founding. Metra has two stops along the line in Wheaton, one at College Avenue serving Wheaton College, and another at West Street in the heart of downtown Wheaton. It passes under a bridge just west of downtown, and over County Farm Road, just north of the DuPage County Government Complex.

Formerly, Wheaton was also served by the Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad. The CA&E right-of-way now constitutes the Illinois Prairie Path.

Highways

Two Illinois State Routes run east/west through Wheaton:

Other roads include:

Notes

  1. 1 2 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: City of Wheaton
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  3. ↑ "Wheaton city, Illinois Fact Sheet".
  4. ↑ "2012 Population Estimates". Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
  5. 1 2 3 Kay, Thomas O. (2005). "Wheaton, IL". Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Society. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
  6. 1 2 Moore, Jean (1974). "The Arrival of the Wheaton Brothers". From Tower to Tower: A History of Wheaton, Illinois. Wheaton, Ill: Gary-Wheaton Bank. OCLC 1339996. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  7. 1 2 "History of Wheaton, Illinois". City of Wheaton. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
  8. 1 2 "History of Wheaton Government". City of Wheaton. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
  9. ↑ Lapinski, John. "History of DuPage County’s Courthouses". Journal of the DuPage County Bar Association 12 (1999-00). Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  10. ↑ "Church Bell 1846". First Congregational UCC Naperville. 2007. Archived from the original on 20 July 2008. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  11. ↑ "Our History". Wheaton Chamber of Commerce. 2001. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  12. ↑ "Examples of Sick Building Legal Cases". AQS's IAQ Resource Center. Aerias. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  13. ↑ Back, Edith E. "Wheaton". History of DuPage County. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
  14. ↑ Walkup, Carolyn (8 May 2000). "How dry they're not: Easing of liquor laws allows Ill. eatery to sell alcohol outdoors". Nation's Restaurant News. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
  15. ↑ "G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2015-12-27.
  16. ↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  17. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  18. 1 2 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  19. ↑ "Selected Economic Characteristics: 2005-2009". 2005-2009 American Community Survey. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
  20. ↑ "Top-earning towns". CNNMoney.com. August 2010. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
  21. ↑ "Todd M. Beamer Student Center". Wheaton College. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
  22. ↑ "About the School of Applied Technology at IIT". Illinois Institute of Technology. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
  23. ↑ "Our Heritage". Wheaton Christian Grammar School. 2012. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  24. 1 2 "History of the Library". Wheaton Public Library. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  25. ↑ "Fiscal Year 2008-2009". Library Collections. Wheaton Public Library. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  26. ↑ "Fact Sheet" (PDF). Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital. April 2008. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
  27. ↑ "Gold Medal Recipients – 1966 to 2010" (PDF). National Recreation and Park Association. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  28. ↑ "Parks & Facilities: Locations". Wheaton Park District. 2011. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  29. ↑ "Danada Equestrian Center". Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  30. ↑ http://downtownwheaton.com/about-dwa/
  31. ↑ http://www.littlepopcornstore.com
  32. ↑ http://downtownwheaton.com/new-years-letter-from-the-president-of-the-downtown-wheaton-association/
  33. ↑ <wheatongrandtheater.com/
  34. ↑ http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20140306/news/140309045/
  35. 1 2 Tully, Catherine L.; Roberts, Kristin (2008). "Wheaton Worship". VillageProfile.com. Archived from the original on 5 July 2008. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
  36. ↑ "Programs". Theosophical Society in America. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
  37. ↑ "Loretto Wheaton's 60th Anniversary". Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 28 February 2006. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
  38. ↑ Gutowski, Christy (24 December 2003). "St. Michael Church arsonist gets 39-year sentence". Daily Herald (Arlington Heights). Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  39. ↑ "St. Michael's Building News Index". StMichaelCommunity.org. Retrieved 25 July 2010.

References

Further reading

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wheaton, Illinois.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Wheaton (Illinois).
Wikisource has the text of the 1920 Encyclopedia Americana article Wheaton.
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