Milton Township in Wheaton in DuPage County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Judge Elbert H. Gary
Yellowwood
| | Cladrastis kentukea | |
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 19, 2025
1. Judge Elbert H. Gary Marker
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Horticulture & Forestry • Religion & Religious Structures • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1853.
Location. 41° 52.055′ N, 88° 6.515′ W. Marker is in Wheaton, Illinois, in DuPage County. It is in Milton Township. It is on Hale Street south of Union Avenue, on the left when traveling north. The marker is in Memorial Park, near the walkway towards the park's war memorial. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 225 Karlskoga Avenue, Wheaton IL 60187, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Chicago. It is also in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Vietnam Veteran's Memorial (a few steps from this marker); Korean War Veterans Memorial (a few steps from this marker); Memorial Plaza (within shouting distance of this marker); Memorial to World Wars I and II (within shouting distance of this marker); Veterans Memorial Bench (within shouting distance of this marker); Site of the World's First Radio Telescope (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Grand Theater (about 700 feet away); Adams Park (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Wheaton.
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Regarding Judge Elbert H. Gary. Born in Wheaton in 1846 to Erastus and Sarah Gary, he served as mayor of the city for three separate terms. The "Judge" moniker became a permanent fixture when he was elected as a DuPage County judge between 1882 and 1890. In addition to founding the Methodist Church in Wheaton, he also co-founded the Gary-Wheaton Bank, which operated in this city for more than 100 years before being acquired by First Chicago Bank (now part of Chase) in 1984. His name can also be found on Gary Avenue.
Gary was also the co-founder of U.S. Steel, and is the namesake of Gary, Indiana, the city created around the steel mill built in 1906. Elbert Gary moved to New York in 1900 to establish U.S. Steel's headquarters there, and he died in Manhattan in 1927. He is buried in the Gary family mausoleum at Wheaton Cemetery, about 1½ miles south of this park.
The land for Memorial Park, where this plaque is located, was originally owned by the Gary family. It was acquired by the Wheaton Park District in 1921 and is its oldest park.
Also see . . .
1. Cladrastis kentukea. From the Missouri Botanical Garden. (Submitted on September 22, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
2. Britannica: Elbert Henry Gary
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 19, 2025
2. Judge Elbert H. Gary Marker
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 19, 2025
3. Gary Memorial United Methodist Church
The church is a block east of Memorial Park.
Click for more information.
Click for more information.
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 19, 2025
4. Memorial Park, Wheaton
National Photo Company Collection, Library of Congress, January 8, 1925
5. Elbert H. Gary (left) with President Coolidge (middle) and John D. Rockefeller Jr. (right)
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, September 19, 2025
6. Gary Mausoleum at Wheaton Cemetery
Elbert Gary died in 1927 in Manhattan and was buried in his family's mausoleum at Wheaton Cemetery, about a mile south of downtown Wheaton.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 23, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 22, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 66 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on September 22, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.
