Wheaton's future take a page from its past

Spending a mere 12 months reliving the past 150 years is no easy task.

When you're talking about a thriving suburban community developing from prairie farmland, there's a lot of ground to cover.

Members of Wheaton's Sesquicentennial Commission are spreading out a variety of activities through next July to get the community involved, and the Danada Fall Festival's the next event on their calendar.

Organizers plan to attend the Oct. 12 event at the Danada Equestrian Center to help show the important role horses played in the development of the city. They'll also unveil a newly created traveling exhibit on the city's sesquicentennial that will spend time at businesses and schools across Wheaton over the winter and spring.

The focus of the commission is to highlight the origin of the city, which was incorporated Feb. 24, 1859.

"Wheaton is a great community to live in," co-chairman Ray Morrill said. "We have a lot to offer,"

While the list of events and activities is expected to grow, here's a sampling of what's planned so far for the sesquicentennial:

• Want to show your support? Team Wheaton's offering all manner of memorabilia: umbrellas, coffee mugs, sweatshirts and baseball hats. Crews will offer the items at the Center for History housewalk on Oct. 10 and the Danada Fall Festival on Oct. 12.

• Choirs from churches throughout the city, and the three high schools in town, will fill Edman Chapel with song on Feb. 22 during the Wheaton All-City Choral Festival. The festival will debut a special composition prepared for the sesquicentennial by Tony Payne, Wheaton College's Conservatory of Music director.

• Break out the tuxedos for the 150th Birthday Gala on Feb. 21 at the Arrowhead Golf Club. A separate group is planning the event that's geared as a fundraiser for 15 charities with ties to the city. In conjunction with that event, there's a commemorative cookbook that organizers hope will include 150 recipes from years past.

• The city plans to honor veterans from all wars during a May 23 ceremony at Memorial Park.

• Want to get in step with iambic pentameter? Try the sesquicentennial Poetry in the Park event on June 12 at Adams Park.

• A picnic following the Fourth of July parade next year will tie in the conclusion of the city's event with a kickoff of Wheaton College's yearlong 150th anniversary celebration.

For anyone wanting to savor the sesquicentennial memories, the commission is working with the Center for History to develop a commemorative book. Morrill said they're waiting for the year's events to end so all the events are included. The plan is to distribute the book midsummer 2009.