Interesting facts

1. Wheaton serves as the county seat of DuPage County, one of the most affluent counties in the United States. 2. The city was founded in 1831 by Erastus Gary, Jesse Wheaton, and Warren Wheaton, and was officially incorporated in 1890. 3. Wheaton was a "dry" town (prohibiting the sale of alcoholic beverages) from 1887 until the ban was finally lifted in 1985. 4. It is home to Wheaton College, founded in 1860, renowned as a leading Christian liberal arts college. 5. The legendary evangelist Billy Graham is one of Wheaton College's most famous alumni, graduating in 1943. 6. World-famous astronomer Edwin Hubble, for whom the Hubble Space Telescope is named, spent his youth in Wheaton. 7. The Illinois Prairie Path, running right through downtown Wheaton, was the first successful rail-to-trail conversion in the United States, established in the 1960s. 8. Cantigny Park, a 500-acre estate in Wheaton, was the former home of Colonel Robert R. McCormick, the long-time publisher of the *Chicago Tribune*. 9. The First Division Museum at Cantigny features a large outdoor tank park and extensive exhibits on the U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division. 10. Actor and comedian John Belushi was a resident of Wheaton and graduated from Wheaton Central High School. 11. Acclaimed investigative journalist Bob Woodward (famous for his Watergate reporting) was born and raised in Wheaton. 12. Red Grange, the "Galloping Ghost" who became a seminal figure in both college and professional football, played at Wheaton High School. 13. Wheaton is the national headquarters for the Theosophical Society in America. 14. The city features over 50 parks encompassing more than 800 acres, managed by the award-winning Wheaton Park District. 15. Cosley Zoo in Wheaton is situated on 5 acres and features native Illinois wildlife and domestic farm animals. 16. The original DuPage County Courthouse, built in 1896 in downtown Wheaton, was later preserved and transformed into luxury apartments. 17. Wheaton has repeatedly been listed on *Money* magazine's "Best Places to Live" in the United States. 18. The historic Wheaton Grand Theater, built in 1925, is a prominent downtown landmark that was originally designed for vaudeville shows. 19. Because of its large number of churches and religious institutions, Wheaton is sometimes affectionately referred to as the "Vatican of Evangelical Protestantism." 20. Every year from spring through fall, downtown Wheaton hosts a vibrant French Market, functioning as an open-air farmer's and artisan market.