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Downers Grove Township, Illinois

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Downers Grove Township
Township
Location in DuPage County
Location in DuPage County
DuPage County's location in Illinois
DuPage County's location in Illinois
Country United States
State Illinois
CountyDuPage
SettledNovember 6, 1849
Government
 • SupervisorFrank J. Wurster (R)
Area
 • Total
50.93 sq mi (131.9 km2)
 • Land49.56 sq mi (128.4 km2)
 • Water1.36 sq mi (3.5 km2)  2.67%
Elevation
758 ft (231 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total
146,795
 • Density2,961.9/sq mi (1,143.6/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes
60439, 60480, 60514-60517, 60521, 60523, 60527, 60559, 60561
GNIS feature ID0428909

Downers Grove Township is one of nine townships in DuPage County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2010 census, its population was 146,795 and it contained 60,438 housing units.[1] It is the largest township in the county, both in terms of area and population.

History

Downers Grove Township is named for Pierce Downer, who settled in the neighborhood about 1830.[2]

Back in the 1800s, the town's residents buried people at a cemetery called Main Street Cemetery. That cemetery was close to a creek. There was flooding and icy conditions around the creek, which made burying people near it difficult to do. To find a new spot to bury people, the town's people asked a wealthy resident named Dexter Stanley, who owned large amounts of land, to donate some of his land to build a new cemetery. He agreed, and the town built the Oak Hill Cemetery. The cemetery is still used today.[3]

Geography

According to the 2010 census, the township has a total area of 50.93 square miles (131.9 km2), of which 49.56 square miles (128.4 km2) (or 97.31%) is land and 1.36 square miles (3.5 km2) (or 2.67%) is water.[1]

Cities, towns, villages

Unincorporated towns

(This list is based on USGS data and may include former settlements.)

Extinct towns

(These towns are listed as "historical" by the USGS.)

Cemeteries

The township contains these ten cemeteries: Cass, Clarendon Hills, Downers Grove, Fullersburg, Hinsdale Animal, Oak Hill, Pierce Downer, Saint Johns Lutheran, Saint Mary of Gostyn and Saint Patricks Catholic.

Major highways

Airports and landing strips

  • Argonne Heliport
  • Brookridge Airport
  • Darien-Woodridge Fire Department Heliport
  • Madison Avenue Venture Heliport
  • Midwest Heliport

Rivers

Lakes

  • Bruce Lake
  • Golfview Lake
  • Maple Lake
  • Picadilly Lake
  • Ruth Lake

Landmarks

School districts

  • Westmont Community Unit School District 201

Political districts

References

  • "Downers Grove Township, DuPage County, Illinois". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2010-01-10.
  • United States Census Bureau 2008 TIGER/Line Shapefiles
  • United States National Atlas
  1. ^ a b "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County -- County Subdivision and Place -- 2010 Census Summary File 1". United States Census. Retrieved 2013-05-28.
  2. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 108.
  3. ^ "Cemeteries". Downers Grove Township. Downers Grove, Illinois. 2011. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
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