Editing Wheaton, Illinois (section)

==History==
===Founding===
The city dates its founding to the period between 1831 and 1837, following the [[Indian Removal Act]], when Erastus Gary laid claim to {{convert|790|acre}} of land near present-day [[Warrenville, Illinois|Warrenville]].<ref name="eoc">{{cite encyclopedia|last=Kay|first=Thomas O.|title=Wheaton, IL|url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1350.html|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Chicago|publisher=Chicago Historical Society|access-date=20 July 2010|year=2005}}</ref><ref name="tower">{{cite book |last=Moore |first=Jean |date=1974 |chapter=The Arrival of the Wheaton Brothers |chapter-url=http://www.oldplaces.org/dupage_county/wheaton.htm |title=From Tower to Tower: A History of Wheaton, Illinois |location=Wheaton, Ill |publisher=Gary-Wheaton Bank |oclc=1339996|access-date=3 March 2015}}</ref> The Wheaton brothers arrived from Connecticut, and in 1837, [[Warren L. Wheaton]] laid claim to {{convert|640|acre}} of land in the center of town. Jesse Wheaton later made claim to {{convert|300|acre}} of land just west of Warren's.<ref name="tower"/><ref name="cityhist">{{cite web|title=History of Wheaton, Illinois|url=http://www.wheaton.il.us/about/history/default.aspx?id=932|publisher=City of Wheaton|access-date=7 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413182315/http://www.wheaton.il.us/about/history/default.aspx?id=932|archive-date=2014-04-13|url-status=dead}}</ref> 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]] {{convert|3|mi|km|spell=in}} of [[Right-of-way (transportation)|right-of-way]], upon which railroad officials named the depot Wheaton.<ref name="eoc"/><ref name="cityhist"/> In 1850, ten blocks of land were [[plat]]ted 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.<ref name="cityhist2">{{cite web|title=History of Wheaton Government|url=http://www.wheaton.il.us/about/history/default.aspx?id=934|publisher=City of Wheaton|access-date=7 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140416183820/http://www.wheaton.il.us/about/history/default.aspx?id=934|archive-date=16 April 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> The village was later incorporated as a city on April 24, 1890, when the first mayor of the city was selected, [[Judge]] [[Elbert Henry Gary|Elbert Gary]], son of Erastus Gary and founder of [[Gary, Indiana]].<ref name="cityhist2"/>

===Establishment as county seat===
[[File:Old DuPage County Courthouse Aerial.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Old DuPage County Courthouse]] (2022)]]

In 1857, the [[Illinois General Assembly|Illinois state legislature]] authorized an election to be held to decide the question of whether the DuPage county seat should remain in [[Naperville, Illinois|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.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Lapinski|first=John|title=History of DuPage County's Courthouses|journal=Journal of the DuPage County Bar Association|volume=12|issue=1999–00|url=http://www.dcbabrief.org/vol120999art3.html|access-date=23 May 2011}}</ref>

However, animosity between the two towns continued, and in 1868, as records were moved from the old Naperville courthouse to the new courthouse in Wheaton, Naperville refused to turn over the remaining county records, prompting a band of [[American Civil War|Civil War]] [[veteran]]s 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, Illinois|Cook County]] [[Recorder of deeds|Recorder]] in [[Chicago]] for safekeeping. During this time, Naperville was mounting a [[lawsuit]] against Wheaton accusing [[election judge]]s 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.<ref>{{cite web|title=Church Bell 1846 |url=http://www.loveandjustice.org/OurHistory/church_bell_1846.htm|publisher=First Congregational UCC Naperville|year=2007|access-date=23 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080720090550/http://www.loveandjustice.org/OurHistory/church_bell_1846.htm|archive-date=20 July 2008}}</ref>

[[File:DuPage_county_court_complex_aerial.jpg|thumb|right|The present-day DuPage county court complex (2022)]]
As demand for space increased, the courthouse was rebuilt in 1887 at a cost of $69,390, modeled after the courthouse in [[Aledo, Illinois|Aledo]]. This structure was used for the next 94 years until the county's rapid growth prompted the building of a brand new complex.<ref>{{cite web|title=Our History|url=http://www.ewheaton.com/explore/living_history.html|publisher=Wheaton Chamber of Commerce|access-date=23 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929165242/http://www.ewheaton.com/explore/living_history.html |archive-date=29 September 2007|year=2001}}</ref> The [[DuPage County Courthouse|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, Illinois|Lisle]] in 2004. It is currently being developed into luxury [[Condominium (living space)|condominium]]s.

On November 2, 1990, the courthouse moved to a building about {{convert|2|mi|km|spell=in}} west in a new {{convert|57|acre|ha|adj=on}} complex at the corner of County Farm Road and Manchester Road. It was built at a cost of $52,500,000 and includes a {{convert|300000|sqft|m2|-4|adj=on}} judicial building. In 1992, the county sued the [[architect]] and [[General contractor|contractor]] for $4 million after several employees became ill from the ventilation system.<ref>{{cite web|title=Examples of Sick Building Legal Cases|url=http://www.aerias.org/DesktopModules/ArticleDetail.aspx?articleId=109&spaceid=2&subid=13#legal-examples|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060929205654/http://www.aerias.org/DesktopModules/ArticleDetail.aspx?articleId=109&spaceid=2&subid=13#legal-examples|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 September 2006|work=AQS's IAQ Resource Center|publisher=Aerias|access-date=23 May 2011}}</ref> 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===
[[File:Wheatoncenter1.jpg|right|thumb|Wheaton Center, from a pedestrian bridge over the [[Union Pacific 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 {{convert|2|mi|km|spell=in}} 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 {{convert|14|acre}} in downtown Wheaton. The six building complex includes two twenty-story [[high-rise]] buildings built in 1975.<ref>{{cite web|last=Back|first=Edith E.|title=Wheaton|url=http://www.dupagehistory.org/dupage_roots/Wheaton_23.htm|work=History of DuPage County|access-date=20 July 2010}}</ref>

In 1887, Wheaton, which has a large evangelical Christian population, prohibited the sale of [[alcoholic beverage]]s,<ref name="eoc"/> a ban which lasted until 1985 and applied to all [[supermarket]]s, [[convenience store]]s, [[restaurant]]s, and other establishments.<ref>{{cite news|last=Walkup|first=Carolyn|title=How dry they're not: Easing of liquor laws allows Ill. eatery to sell alcohol outdoors|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_19_34/ai_62215632/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120708125357/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_19_34/ai_62215632/|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 July 2012|access-date=15 January 2011|newspaper=[[Nation's Restaurant News]]|date=8 May 2000}}</ref>