Wheaton

Images of America: Illinois

by Keith Call

Where will you find C. S. Lewis's wardrobe, J. R. R. Tolkien's desk, Malcolm Muggeridge's typewriter, Madame Blavatsky's tiara, the bones of a hulking mastodon, Billy Graham's traveling pulpit, and Tyndale House, publishers of the best-selling Left Behind series? Where will you find students, mystics, theologians, doctors, authors, actors, and musicians living in harmony? In Wheaton. Located 26 miles west of Chicago, the "All America City" boasts excellent schools, exquisite old homes, safe streets, and fine museums. Though Horace Greeley is credited with uttering the immortal "Go west, young man!" the sentiment had been acted upon much earlier by questing pioneers, many of whom halted in the middle plains, sensing terrific potential in the rich black soil of Illinois. Among these were Warren and Jesse Wheaton and Erastus Gary from Pomfret, Connecticut. Seeking suitable land for farming, they settled and constructed a mill. From there they built cabins and harvested spring crops. Soon there was a village of a few hundred, connected by train to the farthest reaches of the nation. Now there is a city of 55,000 residents.

Genres: History

128 pages, Paperback

First published June 21, 2006

Reviews

[Jenny GB]

If you think Wheaton is just Wheaton College then this is the book for you. I was hoping for a wider variety of information and I was disappointed. Also, for some odd reason, the Theosophical Society features heavily, too. Mostly, it’s a display the author’s clear bias towards the college and Christian history. My least favorite part? The reference to the Civil War as the “War of Northern Aggression”. Thanks for showing us your racism, too. It was odd to see that combined with admiring references to anti-slavery activists.

[Dave]

This is an interesting portrait of Wheaton Illinois. There are many archival pictures that illustrate Wheaton's progression through history since its founding in 1837. It was interesting learning about the founding fathers and other notable figures which explain the names of the town and of many streets. This book does devote a very large number of pages to the history of Wheaton College which is important but perhaps over emphasized.