58,316
78%
$73,639
38.3%
America/Chicago
60018 60016
The WikiXM 'Des Plaines' platform is your gateway to becoming an active part of our vibrant community, regardless of your age or how long you've called 'Des Plaines' home. It's more than just a news platform; it's a thriving hub where the collective wisdom of every 'Des Plaines' resident converges to ignite discussions, foster learning, and empower one another with knowledge about our beloved town.
Here in 'Des Plaines', we have a diverse tapestry of residents. Some have roots that run deep, their knowledge steeped in the rich history of our town. Others are students, dedicated to keeping us updated on school activities, while many are committed to sharing the ebb and flow of daily life.
What's more, from a civic and political perspective, there are countless opportunities for you to join in. Many in our community offer updates on policies and decisions, offering their unique insights. This platform is where all these local perspectives meld together, creating a better place for everyone to live, regardless of your age or how long you've been a part of 'Des Plaines'.
So, whether you're a long-time resident or a newcomer, young or old, WikiXM is your invitation to dive into the heart of our community, to engage, and help us all create a more vibrant, inclusive, and connected 'Des Plaines'. Join us and let's make a difference together!
Des Plaines, IL - History
We would like to provide the residents of Des Plaines a basic history overview.
Welcome to the Des Plaines Home page. The Des Plaines Home page provides as much information as possible on Des Plaines. Knowing Des Plaines’s history is essential to guiding its future. Within Des Plaines’s Home page, you will also find Des Plaines’s Founders, Holiday, and Birthday sections.
Des Plaines has a population of 58316. 48.7% of Des Plaines’s inhabitants are Male, and 51.3 are female. 51.9% of Des Plaines is married and 78.3% own their own home. The Average Home price is $266,661, and the average rent is $1,167. Household median income in Des Plaines is $73,639, and the individual median income is $35,661. Des Plaines’s Ethnic is the following: White(74.5%), Hispanic(18%), Asian(13%), Multiple(4.8%), Other(4.1%), Black(3%), Native(0.6%), Pacific(0.1%).
Potawatomi, Ottawa, and Ojibwe (Chippewa) Native American tribes inhabited the Des Plaines River Valley prior to Europeans' arrival. When French explorers and missionaries arrived in the 1600s in what was then the Illinois Country of New France, they named the waterway La Rivière des Plaines (English translation: "Plains River") as they felt that trees on the river resembled European plane trees.
The first white settlers came from the eastern United States in 1833, after the 1833 Treaty of Chicago was negotiated, followed by many German immigrants during the 1840s and '50s. In the 1850s, the land in this area was purchased by the Illinois and Wisconsin Land Company along a railroad line planned between Chicago and Janesville, Wisconsin.
In 1852, the developers built a steam-powered mill next to the river to cut local trees into railroad ties. Socrates Rand then bought the mill and converted it into a grist mill, which attracted local farmers. The Illinois and Wisconsin Railroad made its first stop in the area in the fall of 1854.In 1857, the Chicago, St.
Paul, and Fond du Lac Railroad began running its route, stopping near the mill on the Des Plaines river, where a small business section had grown up. The railroad platted the prospective town of Rand at the site. In 1859, the Chicago and North Western Railway purchased the rail line, giving the train station the name "Des Plaines".
In 1869, the Rand subdivision's name was changed to Des Plaines, and the village of Des Plaines was then incorporated.Des Plaines was reincorporated in 1873 and elected a village board the following year. Local brick manufacturer Franklin Whitcomb served as the first Village President.In 1925, village residents voted to convert to a city form of government and annexed the village of Riverview to the south.
Subsequent annexations included the Orchard Place area in 1956. The city experienced rapid growth after World War II and with the opening of nearby O'Hare International Airport.Des Plaines was the site of Ray Kroc's first McDonald's franchise, which opened in 1955. The restaurant was demolished in 1984, and a replica was built on the site as a museum dedicated to McDonald's history.
In 2017, McDonald's announced plans to demolish the building due to repeated flooding. The building has since been demolished. In 1979, Des Plaines was the site of the accident of American Airlines Flight 191, in which a McDonnell Douglas DC-10 departing from O'Hare lost an engine and wing material and crashed near a local trailer park just north of Touhy Avenue.
All 271 people on board the aircraft died, as did two workers at a repair garage. Two more, along with three civilians, were injured. In 2008, the Illinois Gaming Board awarded the state's 10th casino license to Midwest Gaming and Entertainment LLC to build a 140,000-square-foot (13,000 m2) casino on approximately 21 acres (85,000 m2) adjacent to the Tri-State Tollway at the northwest corner of Devon Avenue and Des Plaines River Road.
Midwest Gaming received the award despite having the lowest bid because other bidders were found unacceptable by the Board, with one board member finding no bidders acceptable. The city approved zoning in early 2010, and the casino opened in July 2011 as Rivers Casino.On July 29th, 2022, the third largest winning lotto ticket in US history valued at $1.34 billion was sold at a Speedway gas station in Des Plaines near O'Hare Airport on Touhy Ave.
As of November 2022, the winning ticket holder has not come forward or been identified.
The Des Plaines, IL founder's page is dedicated to those people in the Des Plaines, IL area that initially made the Des Plaines, IL WikiXM news a reality. Without their initiative, foresight and social fortitude the Des Plaines, IL WikiXM news would not have happened. Like all those that have come before us, these founder saw what others... Read More
The Des Plaines, IL founder's page is dedicated to those people in the Des Plaines, IL area that initially made the Des Plaines, IL WikiXM news a reality. Without their initiative, foresight and social fortitude the Des Plaines, IL WikiXM news would not have happened. Like all those that have come before us, these founder saw what others couldn't - potential in a new way of doing an old medium - a new way of providing the news to the people around them.
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