Wilmette, Illinois

Wilmette is a village in New Trier Township, Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is located 14 mi north of Chicago's downtown district (or 3 mi from Chicago's northern border) and has a population of 27,651. Wilmette is considered a bedroom community in the North Shore district. In 2007, Wilmette was ranked as the seventh best place to raise children in the U.S., according to Business Week.

Geography
Wilmette is located on the western shore of Lake Michigan and is a near northern suburb of Chicago, immediately north of Evanston at °N, °W (42.077178, -87.723736). The North Shore Channel drainage canal empties into Lake Michigan at Wilmette Harbor.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 5.4 sqmi, of which, 5.4 sqmi of it is land and 0.19% is water.

Wilmette has a well-developed urban forest and since 1983 has enjoyed "Tree City" status. As of 2006, Village parkways hosted more than 18,600 trees comprising 150 species and sub-species; over 2,800 of these trees were ash trees threatened by the emerald ash borer infestation.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 27,651 people, 10,039 households, and 7,730 families residing in the village. The population density was 5,135.8 people per square mile (1,984.4/km²). There were 10,319 housing units at an average density of 1,916.6 per square mile (740.6/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 89.66% White, 0.56% Black, 0.04% Native American, 8.16% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.42% from other races, and 1.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.08% of the population.

There were 10,039 households out of which 40.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.9% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.0% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.19.

In the village the population was spread out with 29.7% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 21.7% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.9 males.

According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the village was $120,469, and the median income for a family was $149,104. Males had a median income of $97,143 versus $50,007 for females. The per capita income for the village was $55,611. About 1.3% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.

The village ranks 46th on the list of highest-income places in the United States with a population of over 10,000.

History
Before European settlement, a Potawatomi village was located on "Indian Hill", currently the site of a golf course in nearby Winnetka. The village is named in honor of Antoine Ouilmette, a French-Canadian fur trader married to Archange, the daughter of Potawatomi chief Sauganash. For his part in persuading local Native Americans to sign the second Treaty of Prairie du Chien in 1829, the U.S. government awarded Ouilmette 1,280 acre of land in present-day Wilmette and Evanston.

German Catholic farmers from the area of Trier began settling the area in the 1840s. They named their village, which was centered west of Ridge Road, Gross Point. In 1848, Ouilmette sold his land to farmers and developers.

The Chicago and Milwaukee Railroad tracks were built in 1854, facilitating the settlement of what would become the North Shore. In 1857, John G. Westerfield built pickle and vinegar factories in the area. Other early commercial development included a cooperage, a brick kiln, and an icehouse.

In 1869, the Chicago & Milwaukee constructed the first station in the area. Within a few years, the Village of Wilmette was incorporated, on September 19, 1872; the Village of Gross Point was incorporated on September 19, 1874. September 19 is celebrated locally as Charter Day.

Wilmette was nearly annexed by its neighbor to the south, Evanston, in 1894 and 1897. Proponents wanted to take advantage of Evanston's then-superior fire, police, and water works. One annexation referendum lost by a vote of 168 to 165; three others also failed.

The Chicago, North Shore and Milwaukee (North Shore Line) arrived in 1899 and connected with a Milwaukee Road line into Chicago.

Gross Point's municipal revenues were dependent on the 15 taverns in town. With Prohibition, these revenues disappeared and the village went bankrupt. It was annexed in two parts by the Village of Wilmette in 1924 and 1926.

In 1942, the village annexed No Man's Land, an unincorporated triangular shoreline area bordering Kenilworth, in the vicinity of the present-day Plaza del Lago, that had been the subject of numerous municipal disputes and the site of a failed club-hotel complex.

The oldest surviving Bahá'í House of Worship was constructed in Wilmette between 1920 and 1953.

Village government
Wilmette is governed by a village board composed of six trustees and a president. Trustees serve staggered, four-year terms and are elected at-large. The current village trustees are Mike Basil, Cameron Krueger, Ted McKenna, Karen Spillers, Alan Swanson, and Mari Terman. The current village president is Chris Canning. Trustee-elects for a four-year term starting in April 2011 are Mike Basil, Bob Bielinski, and Julie Wolf.

In 2004, Wilmette was one of the first localities in Illinois to enact a ban on smoking in all public spaces, including bars and restaurants. Also that year, the village government prosecuted local resident Hale DeMar, age 59, for violating the town's handgun ban when he shot a burglar inside his house.

The handgun ban was enacted in direct response to an incident in 1988 when Laurie Dann opened fire on a classroom full of children in neighboring Winnetka. The handgun ban has since been repealed in 2008 after the U.S Supreme Court struck down a similar ban in Washington DC

Education
For grade school education, Wilmette is served by Wilmette Public Schools District 39 which includes elementary schools (grades K–4) Central, Harper, McKenzie, and Romona, Highcrest Middle School (grades 5 & 6), and Wilmette Junior High School (grades 7 & 8). Marie Murphy School, also located in Wilmette, is part of Avoca School District 37. It has the longest school day in the state of Illinois. There are also several parochial elementary schools in the area, including St. Francis Xavier and St. Joseph. Other private schools in Wilmette include the Ronald Knox Montessori School

For public secondary or high school education, serving grades 9 to 12, Wilmette students attend New Trier High School. High school freshmen attend classes at the Northfield campus while other grades attend the Winnetka campus. Wilmette is also home to Catholic high schools Loyola Academy and Regina Dominican High School.

Arlyn School in Wilmette is an alternative school supported by member school districts in the area. It serves junior high and high school students who have been referred by school districts, community agencies, private practitioners, and parents.

The Wilmette Public Library provides educational support to students at all grade levels, including those residing in neighboring Kenilworth, Illinois.

Attractions
Wilmette is home to the Bahá'í House of Worship and the administrative offices for the Bahá'í National Spiritual Assembly. In 2007 the house of worship was named as one of the Seven Wonders of Illinois by the Illinois Bureau of Tourism.

Wilmette has a small two theater multiplex named the Wilmette Theater located on Central Street in one of its downtowns. This theater shows classic films, contemporary movies, as well as hosting live performances.

Wilmette has three shopping centers. One of them is Plaza del Lago, one of the nations oldest shopping centers. It is located along Sheridan Road. The other two, Edens Plaza and West Lake Plaza, are on Lake Street along the Edens Expressway.

Other attractions include the Gillson Park with beach access, marina, and an off-leash area for dogs; Langdon Beach; and Centennial Park, with a public swimming pool, tennis and ice-skating facilities. The Wilmette Golf Club, hosting a 6,378-yard course, is located on the far west side of town.

Architecture
In addition to the Bahá'í House of Worship, Wilmette is famous for several other examples of religious architecture.

The oldest existing church building in Wilmette is the First Congregational Church (1909) designed in the Tudor Revival style. Trinity United Methodist Church (1928) is a Neo-Gothic structure and was designed and constructed by Granger & Bollenbacher of Wisconsin Lannonstone. The church features stained glass windows by Willet Studios of Philadelphia, among the top American studios during the 1920s. The church was also used as a filming location for Home Alone.

Both St. Joseph and St. Francis Xavier Church were designed by the firm of McCarthy, Smith and Eppig. St. Joseph's is Wilmette's oldest religious congregation, established in 1843. The present building (1939) is among the finest examples of Art Deco architecture on the North Shore. The interior is particularly well preserved and features Art Deco light fixtures, and stained glass windows designed and fabricated by Giannini & Hilgart of Chicago. The altar floor and sanctuary wall contain Italian and French marble inlaid with Portuguese onyx. The Stations of the Cross are pastel-hued mosaics crafted in the Vatican Studio of Mosaics in Rome. The design and materials of the Y-shaped school designed by Herman J. Gaul of Chicago and constructed in 1934, and the adjacent rectory harmonize with the church. St. Francis Xavier Church (1939) was designed in the Late Gothic Revival mode while McCarthy, Smith & Eppig were simultaneously working on St. Joseph's. The stained glass windows were made with English and German imported glass by the famed F. X. Zettler Studios of Munich, Germany and New York. St Francis Xavier School (1924), just east of the church, is a unique modern blend of Gothic architecture by Chicago architect Barry Byrne.

Wilmette has two houses built by Frank Lloyd Wright: the Frank J. Baker House (and carriage house) and the Lewis Burleigh House (also known as the JJ O'Connor House ).

Historic preservation
These places in Wilmette are on the National Register of Historic Places:

Transportation
The North Shore Line through Wilmette was abandoned in 1955. Wilmette is currently served by the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' Purple Line, the Metra commuter trains operated by Union Pacific Railroad on the old Chicago & Northwestern Railway line, and by the Pace suburban bus system. The northernmost station of the Purple Line is located at Linden Avenue in Wilmette. Wilmette's commuter railroad station is at Green Bay Road and Washington Avenue.

Sustainability
The Village of Wilmette has a stated commitment to "promoting and creating a more sustainable environment through energy efficiency, improved stormwater management, water conservation, pollution reduction, and recycling." Wilmette and 11 other communities are competing in the ComEd Community Energy Challenge for a $100,000 prize for energy consumption reduction. The Village has implemented some lighting and heating efficiency programs in some municipal buildings. In March, 2010, the Village partnered with Go Green Wilmette to present Going Green Matters: Wilmette's Green Fair, 2010, a sustainable living and recycling event that drew over 500 residents, exhibitors, vendors, and activists.

Notable natives and residents
Notable people who are natives of or have lived in Wilmette include:

Sister cities
Wilmette's sister city in Australia is Mona Vale in Pittwater Council, New South Wales and they participate in an annual student exchange program between their high schools. Mona Vale and Wilmette are connected spiritually as well, each is home to a Bahá'í House of Worship, of which there are only seven in the world.