Elmhurst and Salt Creek: History at a Glance

Elmhurst and Salt Creek: History at a Glance. .

"In 1842 Gerry Bates arrived from Ohio and staked claim to a treeless tract of land in what became the center of Elmhurst, the land along Salt Creek already having been occupied." , "Elmhurst," Margaret Franson Pruter in DuPage Roots, Richard A. Thompson, ed.

, Since Elmhurst's founding, increasing population, development and industry meant roads and buildings replaced open land. Engineers modified Salt Creek, changing its natural channel and flood plain. As Elmhurst grew along the creek, flooding became a significant threat to homes and businesses. , , Elmhurst built extensive municipal sewers to move waste and stormwater to treatment facilities along Salt Creek. , . 1834 Elisha Fish settles in York Township , . 1843 Gerry Bates builds Hill Cottage Tavern, a travelers inn , . 1860 Population reaches 200 , . 1890 Population is 1,050 , . 1893 First municipal sewer installed, discharges directly into Salt Creek , . 1910 First municipal sewage treatment plant built, population 2360 , . 1930 Population grows to 14,055 , . 1960s and 1970s Salt Creek extensively modified and straightened , . 1968 Dedicated storm sewer built, separating stormwater from sewage , . 1987 9.5" of rain in 24 hours cause massive flooding throughout Chicagoland , . 1989 DuPage County Stormwater Management Plan enacted , . 1992 Elmhurst levee system built, DuPage county purchases Elmhurst Quarry , . 1993 Elmhurst Quarry Flood Control facility opens , . 2000 Population is 42,762 , . 2008 Storms swell Salt Creek but floodwaters divert into the Elmhurst Quarry , , In heavy rains Salt Creek threatens to overflow its banks. Fortunately recent flood control measures, including reservoirs and levees, keep Salt Creek contained. , , Flood Prevention: Reservoirs , DuPage County built several reservoirs throughout the Salt Creek basin, mostly north of Elmhurst. Opened in 1993, the Elmhurst Quarry Flood Control Facility, a former limestone quarry, diverts creek water into a reservoir. It holds nearly 2,705,560,000 gallons and is one of the largest non-Federal flood-control reservoirs in the United States. , , Flood Prevention: Levees , Since 1992, a series of levees has protected southwest Elmhurst from Salt Creek flooding. This system extends from St. Charles Road south to Butterfield Road and, when combined with the reservoir at Eldridge Park, helps keep Salt Creek contained. , , [Caption beneath photo in upper right:] , In the early 1900s, Salt Creek was a great place to swim. Today, it's surrounded by developed land.