April Dates in Wheaton’s History

April

April 1, 1955
Death of Col. Robert R. McCormick, owner/publisher of the Chicago Tribune newspaper, resident of Cantigny, Wheaton. He served in WWI with the 1st Infantry Division and participated in the capture of Cantigny, France after which he named his Wheaton estate.

April 4, 1877
Warren L. Wheaton married his second wife, Christiana Shugg

April 5, 1806
Birth of Erastus Gary, one of the original founders of Wheaton, in Pomfret, Connecticut and father of Elbert Gary, namesake of Gary, Indiana.

April 12, 1928
Death of F.E. Wheaton, son of Jesse Childs Wheaton and founder of the F. E. Wheaton & Company lumber firm.

April 17, 1917
Wheaton chose the Commission form of government with a mayor and four commissioners, each charged with a specific part of the city government’s operations. The Commission form of government lasted 44 years.

April 19, 1868
Birth of David Foulis, professional golfer, in St. Andrews, Scotland. He and his brother James, invented the mashie-niblick (7 iron) golf club. David invented the golf flag and cup (hole identifier).

April 21, 1939
Death of Charles Blair Macdonald, noted golf course architect and player. Macdonald founded Chicago Golf Club, Wheaton, the first 18 hole golf course in North America, and was one of the founders of the US Golf Association.

April 23, 1885
Fire broke out in the village of Wheaton, “over one acre of house and dwellings are devoured by the flames. A Fire Company from Chicago was sent.”

April 24, 1890
Wheaton was incorporated as a city with an elected mayor and council members, serving from wards. Judge Elbert Gary, son of Erastus Gary was selected

These dates were provided by the City of Wheaton Historic Commission. If you have any comments, corrections or additions to the list, please contact us at:
wheatonhistoriccommission@gmail.com. Thank you!