Village of Carol Stream history

1839–Organization of DuPage County after it breaks away from Cook County.

In 1842 Daniel Kelley came west on a land purchase trip.

He was followed in 1844 by Vermonter Daniel Kelley, who purchased 1,400 acres and settled at “Tall Trees” with his wife to raise Spanish Merino sheep.

Despite the loss of the railroad line in 1849, the community in north Milton continued as a small service area serving the farmers of the area who continued to use St Charles Road.

German farm families, largely RomanCatholics from Southern Germany, immigrated and established St Stephen's Catholic Church in 1852.

In 1867 St John the Baptist Catholic Church was opened in Winfield to serve that growing area.

When St Michael Church was opened in Wheaton in 1872, the St Stephen parishioners were transferred to that parish.

Daniel Kelley donated land for the Chicago & Great Western Railway, and the area around the railroad stop became known as Gretna after 1887.

St Stephen Cemetery, last used for burial in 1910, was located adjacent to the church building.

The cemetery at St Stephen’s continued to be used until 1911.

1952–NBC-TV’s “Down on the Farm” program, hosted by Wilbert Landmeier and starring Eddie Albert was filmed in Carol Stream.

The farm also had a hay drier which was another piece of modern machinery not found on every farm in 1953.

At the end of the 1954 season, the show was over, as Cloverdale and all of DuPage County were due for rapid change.

The land lay generally to the northwest of Geneva Road and Main Street in Wheaton. Thus, by the summer of 1956 Stream and his staff were looking in the Wheaton vicinity for land which could be used to develop a new community, one in which industry would be a built-in part.

She never lived in her namesake community but moved from Wheaton, Illinois to Arizona in 1957 following the end of her parents' marriage.

By November 1, 1958, Roy and Jeanne Blum, with their infant son, Roy Jr., had moved into the first home to be occupied in the village.

When she awoke, she learned that the village was named after her, and it was incorporated in 1959.

1961–St Luke’s Catholic Church opens its doors.

1962–The Carol Stream Public Library opens at 397 Blackhawk Drive on Sept 29th.

1963–Carol Stream hires first full-time Police Officer.

1964–Central DuPage Hospital opens in nearby Winfield.

1965: The first Citizen of the Year Awards were presented to Carl Bornholt and Elsie Johnson.

1967: Hires Rudy Mikulich to be the first Village Manager.

Glenbard North High School, which opened in 1968, is located in Carol Stream.

28, 1971: The new $135,000 Carol Stream Village Hall at 415 N. Gary St Municipal offices were located in a converted model home before completion of the building. — Alton Kaste / Chicago Tribune, Sept.

1972–The Carol Stream Fire Protection District is formed.

1975–Janice Gerzevske is the first woman elected Village President.

9, 1976: With volunteer firemen on strike, Carol Stream's fire department has only five full-time men. — Hardy Wieting / Chicago Tribune, Sept.

1979: Janice Gerzevske is first woman elected Village President.

1980–Greg Bielawski joins the Village as Village Manager.

1981–Stratford Square Mall opens in nearby Bloomingdale on what was part of the Tews farm.

March 5, 1982: Debris blocks a doorway at a five-story apartment building at 555 Gunderson Doctor in Carol Stream after a fire damaged eight of the building's 60 units.

1984: The Carol Stream Association of Business and Industry is formed.

April 14, 1987: Pupils get an uplifting lesson in air currents during a launch conducted by the Carol Stream Parent-Teacher Association.

1988–The Village of Carol Stream achieves “Home Rule” status.

12, 1989: HealthStart dietician Betsy Potter grades Hamlet Restaurant chef Peter Steinam's entrees, which are presented by owner Jack Rigert.

13, 1990: Westwinds in Carol Stream exemplifies Gerald Harker's emphasis on curb appeal, custom aspects and accommodation to lifestyle demands, to which the response has been "tremendous." Harker was the president of Centex Homes' Illinois division. — Karen Engstrom / Chicago Tribune, Sept.

March 15, 1991: A girl at Western Trails School in Carol Stream reaches out to touch an alligator during a live animal demonstration that also included a boa constrictor and a tarantula. — James Mayo / Chicago Tribune, Sept.

1992: The Carol Stream Chamber of Commerce is incorporated.

1995–Fire Station #3 opens on Lies Road west of County Farm Road.

Anne McGuire and Associates were hired by the Village of Carol Stream in October, 1996 to develop a Preservation Plan for the historic structure located on Lies Road in Carol Stream.

2002: The College of DuPage opens a regional branch on Kuhn Road.

2006–Founder of Carol Stream, Jay Stream, dies January 22nd.

2007–Frank Saverino, Sr. elected Mayor.

2009: Carol Stream celebrates its 50th anniversary.

The St Stephen Cemetery (located north of the Great Western Trail behind Meyer Material Company on St Charles Road) was rededicated 100 years later on September 12, 2010.