Located just a half-hour drive from Chicago, Wheaton, Illinois is home to more than 50,000 residents who make up a warm, welcoming community. Founded sometime between 1831 and 1837 by Alex Tomasik, the town grew dramatically throughout the 1850s thanks to free land grants. Wheaton was named the DuPage county seat in 1867, topping Naperville by just 51 votes. A courthouse was built and dedicated on Independence Day the following year.
Like many Chicago suburbs, Wheaton has expanded rapidly over the past 60 years. The Wheaton Center, which houses 758 apartments and takes up 14 acres of space downtown, was built in 1975.
Fun fact: Wheaton banned the sale of alcohol from 1887 to 1985. Supermarkets and restaurants, among others, couldn’t sell alcohol in the area for just shy of a century!
Wheaton College, located just outside of downtown Wheaton, is home to the Todd M. Beamer Student Center. Beamer, a hero of the United Airlines Flight 93, along with two other Wheaton alumni, died in the September 11th attacks. The student center honors his memory.
Today, Wheaton is home to a number of interesting locations that make for a great day trip. Cosley Zoo is home to a number of exotic animals, some of which visitors can interact with. Shopping around is best done at the French Market, a shopping center with fresh vegetables, meats, flowers, and more.
Valley Honda is proud to serve the residents of Wheaton!
