City of Naperville history

The first church was organized in 1833 by members of the East Branch Settlement.

On March 1, 1836, a post office was established at the settlement with Alexander Howard as its first postmaster.

The Evangelical Church, established in 1837, held services in private homes until a church was built later that year.

DuPage was established as a county in 1839, and Naperville was selected as the county seat.

Land was cheap and, due to the 1841 Land Act, 160 acres of land could be purchased by any head of a family.

STENGER BREWERY The Stenger Brewery was established in 1854 and was the third brewery to spring up in Naperville.

Naper took office on February 7, 1857.

The band has grown from a group of dedicated volunteer musicians whose vision brought them together in 1859 to its current 100-member roster.

In 1861 the 8th Cavalry was formed, claiming more.

But the town got a second chance when the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad ran its line through Naperville in 1864.

In 1868 forty daring citizens of neighboring Wheaton appropriated the county records under the cover of darkness, thereby completing the transfer of the DuPage County Seat from Naperville to Wheaton.

BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF NAPERVILLE – 1869 Bird’s eye view of Naperville, DuPage County, IL, 1869.

1875: The Naperville Light Guard Band in 1875.

Naperville was organized as a city in 1890.

Stenger Brewery went out of business in 1896, destroyed by competition from large breweries that could produce more beer and sell it cheaper.

The first car on the streets of Naperville appeared in 1900, marking a new era in accelerated growth.

The Edward Sanatorium opened on January 15, 1907, under the direction of Doctor Theodore Sachs.

Adventures In Learning 1912 Continental Ave.

The site known as Centennial Beach was quarried until 1913 when water from natural springs from beneath the surface began leaking in.

By 1915 Kroehler’s was the country’s largest manufacturer of upholstered furniture, and it continued to be the city’s major employer for many years.

Naperville, IL 60563 (630) 305-2600 brighthorizons.com Goddard School of Naperville (83rd Street) 1928 Springbrook Square Doctor Naperville, IL 60564 (630) 355-7199 APPOINTMENTS: goddardschool.com

Development of the land as a swimming facility began in 1932 with the assistance of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), which facilitated its construction.

In 1934, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) completed the bathhouse, built from limestone taken from the quarry at the facility’s western edge.

Caroline Mitchell gave the land to the city of Naperville in 1936.

While the suburban boom began in the near western suburbs after World War II, Naperville remained out of the range of this growth until 1954, when plans for the East-West toll road were announced.

Harold Moser led the residential building boom with his first subdivision in 1956.

A fast-growing residential suburb of Chicago (the city grew about 10-fold from 1960 to the end of the 20th century), Naperville is a centre for high-technology industries, research, and corporate headquarters.

Soon, Northern Illinois Gas built a research center, and in 1967 Standard Oil-Indiana Research Center was welcomed to Naperville.

Serving central Naperville, Community Unit School District 203 was established in 1972 through the merger of elementary- and highschool districts.

The year 1981, Naperville’s Sesquicentennial, was typical of the community’s activities, which indicate a respect for the past and a concern for the future.

NAPERVILLE HISTORIC DISTRICT The Naperville Local Historic District designation was granted by the Naperville City Council in 1986.

By 1995, Moser had subdivided 8,000 building lots and had built 3,500 homes in Naperville.

Forty-five percent of the city’s land is yet undeveloped, but the projected population figure of 97,800 by the year 2000 promises to utilize almost all existing residential space.

The settlement received public funding along with 47 other Illinois museums in 2014 from the Illinois Public Museum Capital Grants Program.

Chesterbrook Academy Preschool 2015 S. Naper Blvd.

Naperville was named the Best City to Raise a Family in America in 2018 by Niche based on crime analysis, public schools, cost of living, job opportunities, and local amenities.

The Naperville Heritage Society, which is owned/supported by the City of Naperville, administers the City’s museum, Naper Settlement, and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019.