A glimpse into the unique history of the Wheaton community should begin with the introduction of its visionary founders, Erastus Gary and Jesse and Warren Wheaton. The three traveled west from the New England area and laid claim to hundreds of acres of land in northeastern Illinois in 1837 and 1838. There, they began to lay important cornerstones for what would later become the City of Wheaton. In an early strategic move, they offered the budding railroad several miles of free right-of-way through the growing area. Story has it that the rail workers posted a sign, "Wheaton Depot", giving the community its name. The founders gave away land surrounding the station at no cost to those who were willing to build immediately.

The region began to prosper and Wheaton incorporated as a village in 1859, with Warren Wheaton serving as its first president. He donated a parcel of land to the Illinois Institute, which was renamed Wheaton College in his honor. The historic campus of this nationally accredited college remains an important community fixture nearly 150 years later.

A successful campaign was led by the Wheaton brothers to move the DuPage County government seat from Naperville to Wheaton in 1867. Leading citizens campaigned extensively and free land for the courthouse was offered to sweeten the deal. A referendum vote approved the move by a narrow margin of 1,686 to 1,635. In present-day Wheaton, the government complex on the west side of town acts as the thriving central hub for DuPage County.