Wheaton, Illinois

===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]] three miles (5&nbsp;km) 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"/>