| When Ovaltine
Company first opened their factory, they needed a way
to make sure their employees could get to and from work
safely, no matter the weather, terrain or other issues.
Villa Park was built originally for that reason. Following
the construction of a subdivision called Villa Park
in 1908 and another called Ardmore in 1910 by the real
estate firm Ballard & Pottinger, Villa Park was
incorporated in 1914 by uniting the two subdivisions
of 300 people. The first village president, William
H. Calhoun, was elected on September 12, 1914. The town
was originally called Ardmore, but changed its name
to Villa Park in 1917.
Villa Park was one of a number
of suburbs directly west of downtown Chicago that flourished
as a result of the electric interurban line, the Chicago
Aurora and Elgin Railroad. The railroad ran from the
Chicago Loop directly west to Wheaton, Illinois, where
it then split into two lines, one traveling southwest
to Aurora and the other northwest to Elgin. Two small
commercial areas developed, one around the Villa Avenue
station and the other around the Ardmore Avenue station.
In 1957, the CA&E ceased to carry passengers resulting
from a dramatic drop in ridership due to the loss of
a one-seat ride stemming from the construction of the
Eisenhower Expressway (I-290), and the general increase
in use of personal automobiles.
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