Westmont, Illinois The Progressive Village Ms. Oshel American History- 4 th

Then and Now Pictures BEFORE Stop and Chat (mid 80’s) prior to being torn down AFTER Richmond Station in 2013

Famous People from Westmont Ty Warner (Inventor Beanie Babies) Muddy Waters (Father of Chicago Blues; Musician)

  Westmont: 24,554  Male: 11, %  Female:13, % Population

Top Five Employers #Employer# of Employees 1Manroland350 2SIRVA320 3AutoNation260 4 Westmont CUSD Oak Brook Hills Marriott 235

 The area known as Westmont was inhabited by the Potawatomi Indians prior to the year  The Indians had a system of trails. One was the Buffalo Trail which is now named Naperville Road. The other was the Ottawa and LaSalle Trail which is now called Ogden Avenue.  The first settler of DuPage County, Bailey Hobson traveled through Westmont in 1829 to settle on Naperville.  Agricultural became the most prominent industry in the 1830s as a result of the Economic Panic, and the land was used for Farming because of its close proximity to Chicago. Historical Facts About Westmont

 In 1858, local incorporated towns and villages petitioned the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad to build a branch line from Chicago to Aurora passing through all of their towns. The railroad line was approved in 1864 and the first train passed through the area.  Westmont was first known as Gregg’s Station.  Vince Pastor was the first village president.  The Gregg House Museum is the oldest building in Westmont located at 117 S. Linden.  Neighboring towns include: Downers Grove, Clarendon Hills, and Darien.  Westmont is a community of six square miles. Historical Facts About Westmont continued…

 Schools in the Town:  Westmont High School  Westmont Junior High School  Miller School  Manning School Schools in the Town Central School 1957 (at right) Now known as Manning School THEN Manning School NOW

Map of Westmont

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