| Wheaton, Illinois | |
| City | |
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The historic DuPage County Courthouse in downtown Wheaton
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| Country | United States |
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| State | Illinois |
| County | DuPage |
| Townships | Milton, Winfield |
| River | DuPage |
| Elevation | 748 ft (228 m) |
| Coordinates | |
| Area | 11.3 sq mi (29 km2) |
| - land | 11.2 sq mi (29 km2) |
| - water | 0.1 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Population | 55,416 (2000) |
| Density | 4,939 / sq mi (1,907 / km2) |
| Settled | 1831 |
| Incorporated | February 24, 1859 |
| Government | Mayor–council |
| Mayor | Michael J. Gresk |
| Timezone | CST (UTC-6) |
| - summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP codes | 60187, 60189 |
| Area codes | 630 and 331 |
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Location of Wheaton within Illinois
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| Wikimedia Commons: Wheaton, Illinois | |
| Website: www.wheaton.il.us | |
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Wheaton is an upper middle class community located in DuPage County, Illinois, approximately 25 miles (40 km) west of Chicago and Lake Michigan. Wheaton is the county seat of DuPage County. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 55,416.[2]
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The city dates its founding to the period between 1831 and 1837, following the Indian Removal Act, when Erastus Gary laid claim to 790 acres (3.2 km2) of land near present-day Warrenville.[3][4] In 1837, Warren Wheaton laid claim to 640 acres (2.6 km2) of land in the center of town. Jesse Wheaton later made claim to 300 acres (1.2 km2) of land just west of Warren's.[4][5] 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.[3][5] 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 city was filed with the county. The city was then incorporated in 1859 with Warren serving as its first President.[5] The city was re-incorporated on March 1, 1890, when the first mayor of the city was selected, Judge Elbert Gary, son of Erastus Gary and founder of Gary, Indiana.
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, that 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.[6]
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 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 last remaining records, which were 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 during the vote. 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.[7]
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.[8] 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.[9] 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.
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.[10]
In 1887, Wheaton prohibited the sale of alcoholic beverages,[3] a ban which lasted until 1985 and applied to all supermarkets, convenience stores, restaurants and other establishments.[11]
Wheaton is located at (41.8560218, -88.1083010).[1]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.3 square miles (29 km2). 11.2 square miles (29 km2) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 sq mi or 0.35%) of it is water.
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.
At the 2000 census,[2] there were 55,416 people, 19,377 households and 13,718 families residing in the city. A special census taken in 2006 estimated the population to be over 60,000. 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.
Age distribution was 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.[12] Males had a median income of $81,515 versus $47,739 for females. The per capita income for the city was $41,353. Below the poverty line were 4.8% of the population and 3.3% of the families. Of the total population, 4.7% of those under the age of 18 and 7.4% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.[12]
In August 2010, the city was listed among the "Top 25 Highest Earning Towns" on CNNMoney.com, purporting a median family income of $113,517, and a median home price of $328,866, based on 2009 figures.[13]
Wheaton College is located not far from downtown Wheaton. 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 also home to the Todd M. Beamer student center, which was dedicated on October 1, 2004 to honor the memory of Todd Beamer, American Hero from flight 93 and two other Wheaton alumni who died in the September 11th attacks.
The Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Campus of the Illinois Institute of Technology is also located in Wheaton, and is home to the Center for Professional Development and offers technology-oriented education and training for working professionals.
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 and Wheaton Academy moved to West Chicago in 1945.
Wheaton is part of Community Unit School District 200 and Community Consolidated School District 89.
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.
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.[14] 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.[14] The total circulation in 2009 was 1,340,820, including 369,336 hardcover books and 32,307 paperback books.[15] The previous public library was converted to the DuPage County Historical Museum.
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.[16]
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).
Downtown Wheaton is home to perhaps one of the narrowest stores in the Chicago area. The Popcorn Shop 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.
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 Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Express, Francesca's Collections, Gap, L'anne Restaurant, Lenscrafters, Noodles & Company, The Perfect Thing, Potbelly, Qdoba, Starbucks, and Victoria's Secret.
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 a with 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. The bank is now in the process of selling off the building.[20]
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.[21] The Genus Edition of Trivial Pursuit states that Wheaton has "more churches per capita than any other town in America."[21]
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.[22]
Wheaton is also the North American Headquarters for the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which moved into its new home in June 1946.[23]
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.[24] He has lost his appeal, but still maintains his innocence. The church has since been rebuilt, which reopened on March 18, 2006 at a cost of $13 million.[25]
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.
Two Illinois State Routes run east/west through Wheaton:
Other roads include:
| Wikisource has the text of the 1920 Encyclopedia Americana article Wheaton. |
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