Editing Winfield, Illinois (section)

==History==
Winfield originally tried to become an incorporated village in 1884 under the town name 'Frederick Park'. However, the motion was denied as the town did not have 300 residents as was required for incorporation.{{sfn|Spanke|1978|pp=40-41}} When the village was finally incorporated in 1921, the town had a population of 310 people.{{sfn|Spanke|1978|pp=65-66}}

The earliest settlers, Erastus and Jude P. Gary, came to Winfield in 1832.<ref>{{Cite book|title=History of DuPage County, Illinois|date=1999|publisher=Heritage Books|author=Du Page County (Ill.) Board |isbn=0788411977|location=Bowie, Md|page=145|oclc=41579479}}</ref> Winfield was originally known as Gary's Mill after these early settlers, and later, Fredericksburg, owing to a significant [[German-speaking]] population.  Before 1850, most Winfield residents were migrants from [[New England]]; however, by 1860, half of the residents were from [[Germany]] and [[Alsace-Lorraine]].<ref name="encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org">{{cite book |last1=Teague |first1=Jane S. |title=[[Encyclopedia of Chicago]] |date=2005 |chapter-url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1362.html |access-date=December 10, 2021 |chapter=Winfield, IL}}</ref> Winfield retained a community of [[German-speaking]] farmers until the 1920s.<ref name="encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org"/> In the late 1800s, the settlement's name was changed again to Winfield after the war hero [[Winfield Scott]].<ref>June 7, 1967, issue of the Winfield Glimpses</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/872352/kanedupage_county_il_toponym_origins/|title=Several Towns Named After Founders and Heroes|date=December 28, 1999|newspaper=The Daily Herald|access-date=August 17, 2014|page=220|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{Open access}}</ref>

Winfield was home to one of the oldest taverns in the Chicago suburbs, John's Restaurant and Tavern (formerly John's Buffet), founded in 1921 by immigrant John T Karwoski.  It closed its doors in December 2017.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailyherald.com/business/20171205/iconic-winfield-tavern-closing-doors-after-96-years|title=Iconic Winfield Tavern Closing Doors After 96 Years|last1=SANCHEZ|first1=ROBERT|newspaper=Daily Herald|access-date=April 29, 2018}}</ref> John Karwoski was instrumental in the political and economic development of Winfield, and it was his guidance and leadership that took a fledgling prairie town clinging to existence after the railroad boom went bust, and turned it into a viable and livable village.{{sfn|Spanke|1978|pp=104-112}} Mr Karwoski became the first Chief of the all-volunteer Winfield Volunteer Fire Company in 1935. 45 years later, his son John Karwoski II was made Chief of the expanded Winfield Fire Protection District in 1980.<ref>{{cite web |title=The First Fifty Years… How it All Started |url=https://www.winfieldfpd.org/about-us/history/ |access-date=May 3, 2013 |publisher=Winfield Fire Protection District}}</ref>

Winfield was served by ''The Winfield Glimpses'' newspaper from October 1947 to October 1976.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://winfielder.wordpress.com/|title=Glimpses of Winfield|publisher=WordPress|access-date=May 3, 2013}}</ref> The Glimpses changed its name to the ''Winfield Examiner'' in November 1976 and ran until February 1992.  A full collection of these newspapers is available on microfilm at the Winfield Public Library.