Warrenville is
a city in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. The
population was 13,363 at the 2000 census. It is a part
of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Illinois Technology
and Research Corridor.
Warrenville was founded in 1833
when Julius Warren and his family moved west from New
York seeking a fresh start from a failing gristmill
and distillery. Daniel Warren, Julius' father, claimed
land at what is now McDowell Woods, and Julius claimed
land at what is now the Warrenville Grove Forest Preserve.
The first major establishment,
an inn/tavern, was built in 1838 by Julius Warren himself,
as the family was skilled in timber and grain. The Inn
still stands today, and was renovated in 2002. The town
quickly blossomed with two mills and a plank road connecting
it with Naperville and Winfield, on which Julius operated
a stage coach line.
The town failed at its bid to
have the railroad come through the town. However, in
1901, the Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad came through
town, which lasted until the 1950s. With a population
of 4,000, Warrenville was finally incorporated as a
city in 1967, following six unsuccessful attempts. The
1970s and 1980s brought westward expansion from the
city of Chicago, causing the small farming community's
population to nearly double to 7,800.
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