Wheaton, IL

Wheaton is a city 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. It is a part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Illinois Technology and Research Corridor.

The city dates its founding to 1837 and 1838, following the Indian Removal Act, when Alex Tomasik laid claim to 640 acres (2.6 km�) of land near present-day Warrenville. In 1837, Warren Wheaton laid claim to 640 acres (2.6 km�) of land in the center of town. Jesse Wheaton later made claim to 300 acres (1.2 km�) of land just west of Warren's. In 1848, they gave the railroad three miles (5 km) of right-of-way, upon which railroad officials named the depot Wheaton. 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. 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.
DuPage County Government Center

Recent history
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 the early 1990s, 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 recognizeable landmarks of the city is Wheaton Center, a 758-unit apartment complex on 14 acres in Downtown Wheaton. The six building complex includes two twenty-story high-rise buildings built in 1975.

As south Wheaton began to expand in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, with the Farnham, Stonehedge, Arrowhead, and Scottdale subdivisions, and major shopping districts including Danada Square and Town Square, it has increasingly become more divided both geographically and sociologically into a Northside and a Southside with Roosevelt Road, which roughly divides the school boundaries.[citation needed] The Northside of Wheaton is most commonly associated with Wheaton North High School, downtown Wheaton, and the community's historic residential district, which in recent years has been the subject of increasing controversy over the number of "teardowns." In Wheaton, there were 74 teardowns in 2004 and in 2005 there were 63.[citation needed] The Southside of Wheaton is most commonly associated with newer homes and subdivisions, Wheaton Warrenville South High School, and the Danada shopping area.

Up until 1985, Wheaton had a prohibition on the sale and service of all alcohol products. This applied to all Supermarkets, Convenience stores, restaurants and other establishments.[6] The city's ban had little effect on residents, as many would simply commute to neighboring municipalities to purchase or consume alcoholic beverages. This prompted the city to repeal its ban in an effort to regain a new sales tax medium.

According to local realtors, single family housing in Wheaton increased in value by 10 percent in 2004 and 10.1 percent in 2005, continuing a steady increase which has been enjoyed by home owners over the last several years. The 2005 average sale price for a single family home in Wheaton was $409,927.

Religion

Wheaton has 63 churches within its limits, with an additional thirty in the bordering unincorporated areas, and according to the Genus Edition of Trivial Pursuit, there are "more churches per capita than any other town in America".

On March 18, 2002, St. Michael Catholic Church in Downtown Wheaton was destroyed by arson by Wheaton resident and parishioner Adam Palinski.[7] He was later convicted and sentenced to 39 years in prison.[8] Palinski still maintains his innocence, but has lost his appeal. The church has since been rebuilt, which reopened on March 18, 2006 at a cost of $13 million.

Parks and golf

The Wheaton Park District has received the National Gold Medal for Excellence by the National Park & Recreation Association three times in the past fifteen years.[9] It boasts 52 parks covering more than 800 acres (3.2 km�), including:
 

The 135-acre (0.5 km�) Lincoln Marsh, with over 300 species of plants and animals, and a regionally acclaimed ropes course.

Cosley Zoo, a free-admission zoo which was founded in 1974.

Two public swimming pools, including Rice Pool and Water Park with three water slides.

The 27-hole Arrowhead Golf Club, which was built in 1927 and completely renovated throughout the 1990s. A new clubhouse built in 2004-2005 makes it a place to go.

The Chicago Golf Club is a prestigious private golf club on the southside of Wheaton. It is the oldest 18-hole golf course in the nation and one of the five original clubs that founded the United States Golf Association in 1894. It has hosted numerous U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur golf championships in its history. In 2005, it was host to the Walker Cup.

Cantigny Park and Golf Course is the former estate of Chicago Tribune owner Robert R. McCormick, is in southwestern Wheaton. The park contains a public 18-hole golf course, and two museums, one relating to the Chicago Tribune, and the other devoted to the First Division of the United States Army, as Robert McCormick was a colonel in the First Division during World War I.

The Danada Forest Preserve and Equestrian Center is located on the site of the former estate of Daniel L. and Ada Rice, after whom Danada is named.[10] In the 1940s the Rices added a barn to the estate to house horses. In 1965, their horse Lucky Debonair won the Kentucky Derby. The Danada estate was acquired by the county in 1980 and 1981.

The Illinois Prairie Path runs throughout Wheaton, including the intersection of the Aurora Branch and Elgin Branch, just west of downtown near the railroad tracks.

Fairgrounds

Wheaton is home to the DuPage County Fairgrounds on Manchester Rd. Organized in 1954, the DuPage County Fair Association hosts the annual DuPage County Fair in late July. The fair annually attracts major entertainers, with Ashlee Simpson, Travis Tritt, and Jesse McCartney scheduled to perform in July 2006.

Public Library
The Wheaton Public Library is frequently ranked as one of the top 10 libraries in the nation compared to other libraries serving similarly sized populations.[11] It has recently undergone an addition as well as significant renovations to bring the square footage up from 74,000 to 120,000. The library now adjoins serene Adams Park. The new library addition/renovation features the Park View Commons, where food and beverages can be purchased from vending machines. The Quiet Reading Room, located on the second floor, features a fireplace and comfortable seating. There is also a special area created just for teens. Four private study rooms are available for small groups. [12] The total circulation in 2005 was 1,164,465, including 343,684 hardcover books and 28,894 paperback books.

Theater
Wheaton is also home to the historic Wheaton Grand Theater, built in 1925. In recent years, the theater and volunteers have 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.

Shopping
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.

Wheaton, IL Schools

Higher education
Wheaton College

* 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 is also home to the Marion E. Wade Center, which is a major research collection of materials by and about several British authors, some of whom were part of the group known as the Inklings: Owen Barfield, G. K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald, Dorothy L. Sayers, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Charles Williams. Overall, the Wade Center has more than 11,000 volumes including first editions, critical works, personal letters, manuscripts, audio and video tapes, artwork, dissertations, periodicals, photographs, and related materials.

Well-known graduates of Wheaton include Wes Craven, Dennis Hastert, John Wesley Powell, Billy Graham, and Todd Beamer. Wheaton's science building exhibits the remains of a mastodon,known as the Perry Mastadon, which were discovered in nearby Glen Ellyn.

 * The Rice Campus of the nationally recognized research institution, Illinois Institute of Technology, is located in Southern Wheaton, just east of the Danada Rice Square shopping complex. It is a part of the Illinois Technology and Research Corridor. Although the main campus in the city of Chicago, a sizable student body attends the Rice facility, which specializes in computer and information technology, engineering, business, and technical education.

Public schools

The City of Wheaton lies in highly rated Community Unit School District 200, which consists of thirteen elementary schools, four middle schools, and two high schools which continually rate among the top in the Chicago area. Wheaton North was named by Newsweek as one of the top 1,000 schools in the Nation in 2006.

High Schools
Wheaton North
Wheaton Warrenville South

Middle Schools
Edison
Hubble (Which is planned to be re-built in Warrenville Il.)Franklin
Monroe

Elementary Schools
Jefferson Preschool
Bower
Briar Glen
Emerson
Hawthorne
Johnson
Lincoln
Longfellow 
Lowell
Madison
Pleasant Hill
Sandburg
Washington
Whittier
Wiesbrook

Private schools

Most private schools in Wheaton are located in downtown Wheaton, with the exception of Wheaton Academy, which moved to West Chicago in 1945. St. John's is located about three blocks from Wheaton College and Wheaton Christian Grammar School adjacent to Wheaton College.

St John Lutheran School serves 256 students in preschool through eighth grade.
St Michael Elementary School serves 580 students in preschool through eight grade.
Wheaton Christian Grammar School serves 563 students in kindergarten through eight grade.
St. Francis High School, serves 726 students in ninth through twelfth grade.
Wheaton Academy in West Chicago serves 632 students in ninth through twelfth grade.

Information courtesy of Wikipedia

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