Wheaton, IL
| Wheaton | |
|---|---|
| City | |
The historic DuPage County Courthouse in downtown Wheaton
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| Motto(s): Wheaton, Town of our Lord | |
 Location of Wheaton in DuPage County, Illinois. |
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| Coordinates: 41°51′22″N 88°06′30″W / 41.85611°N 88.10833°WCoordinates: 41°51′22″N 88°06′30″W / 41.85611°N 88.10833°W | |
| Country |
 United States
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| State |
 Illinois
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| Counties | DuPage |
| Townships | Milton, Winfield |
| Settled | 1831 |
| Incorporated | February 24, 1859 (village) April 24, 1890 (city) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–council |
| • Mayor | Michael J. Gresk |
| Area | |
| • Total | 11.48 sq mi (29.73 km2) |
| • Land | 11.30 sq mi (29.26 km2) |
| • Water | 0.18 sq mi (0.48 km2) |
| Elevation | 748 ft (228 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 52,894 |
| • Estimate (2016) | 53,389 |
| • Density | 4,726.36/sq mi (1,824.78/km2) |
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP codes | 60187, 60189 |
| Area codes | 630 and 331 |
| FIPS code | 17-81048 |
| Website | www.wheaton.il.us |
Wheaton is a suburban city in Milton and Winfield Townships and is the county seat of DuPage County, Illinois. It is located approximately 30 miles (48 km) west of Chicago which abuts the shore of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 52,894, which was estimated to have increased to 53,469 by July 2012.
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. 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. 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. 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. 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.
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.
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