Darien guide

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Library Resources

Indian Prairie Public Library
(Serves Library District Map Area)
401 Plainfield Road
Darien, Illinois 60561-4207
Telephone: 630-887-8760
FAX: 630-887-8801
TDD: 630-887-1421

Hours: Mon - Thurs. 9:00am - 9:00pm
Friday 9:00am - 6:00pm
Saturday 9:00am - 5:00pm
Sunday 1:00pm - 5:00pm (Sept. thru May only)

The library will register voters during office hours. Two forms of identification, one with current address are required.

Downers Grove Public Library
1050 Curtiss Street
Downers Grove, Illinois 60515
Telephone: 630-960-1200

Suburban Library System
125 Tower Drive
Burr Ridge, Illinois 60521
Telephone: 630-734-5000

Westmont Public Library
428 North Cass Avenue
Westmont, Illinois 60559
Telephone: 630-969-5625

View houses for sale in Darien.

View websites in Darien of things and places to shop.

Public High Schools

Hinsdale South High School - District #86
7401 Clarendon Hills Road
Darien, Illinois 60561
Telephone: 630-887-1730

Hinsdale Central High School - District #86
55th & Grant Streets
Hinsdale, Illinois 60521
Telephone: 630-887-1340

Downers Grove South High School - District #99
1436 Norfolk
Downers Grove, Illinois 60516
Telephone: 630-271-6599

Lemont High School - District #210
800 Porter Street
Lemont, Illinois 60439
Telephone: 630-257-5838

Public Junior High Schools

Eisenhower Jr. High School - District #61 (7th & 8th Grades)
1410 - 75th Street
Darien, Illinois 60561
Telephone: 630-964-5200

Lakeview Junior High School - District #66 (6th - 8th Grades)
701 Plainfield Road
Downers Grove, Illinois 60516
Telephone: 630-985-2700

Cass Junior High School - District #63 (5th - 8th Grades)
8502 Bailey Road
Darien, Illinois 60561
Telephone: 630-985-1900

Old Quarry Middle School - District #113 (6th - 8th Grades)
16100 W. 127th Street
Lemont, Illinois 60439
Telephone: 630-257-2286

Public Elementary Schools

Maercker School District #60 (3-5)
5827 S. Cass Avenue
Westmont, Illinois 60559
Telephone: 630-968-6165

Oakwood School District #113 (Pre-3)
1130 Kim Place
Lemont, Illinois 60439
Telephone: 630-257-2286 dial 1

Bromberek School District #113 (3-5)
20W145 Davey Road
Lemont, Illinois 60439
Telephone: 630-257-2286 dial 2

Holmes School District #60 (K-2)
5800 S. Holmes Avenue
Clarendon Hills, Illinois 60514
Telephone: 630-323-2086

Central School District #113 (3-5)
410 McCarthy Road
Lemont, Illinois 60439
Telephone: 630-257-2286 dial 3

Lace School District #61 (K-6)
7414 Cass Avenue
Darien, Illinois 60561
Telephone: 630-968-7505

Mark DeLay School District #61 (K-6)
6801 Wilmette Avenue
Darien, Illinois 60561
Telephone: 630-852-0200

Fairview School District #61 (K-6)
7301 Fairview Avenue
Darien, Illinois 60561
Telephone: 630-969-6660

Concord School District #63 (Pre-4)
1019 Concord Place
Darien, Illinois 60561
Telephone: 630-968-3026

Elizabeth Ide School District #66 (K-2)
2000 Manning Road
Darien, Illinois 60561
Telephone: 630-971-3344

Prairie View School District #66 (3-5)
19W321 Plainfield Road
Downers Grove, Illinois 60516
Telephone: 630-910-0804

Parochial High Schools

Montini Catholic High School
19 W 070 16th Street
Lombard, Illinois 60148
Telephone: 630-627-6930

Benet Academy (High School)
2200 Maple Lane
Lisle, Illinois 60532
Telephone: 630-969-6550

Parochial Elementary Schools

Our Lady of Peace School (K-8th)
709 Plainfield Road
Darien, Illinois 60561
Telephone: 630-325-9220

Marquette Manor Baptist (Preschool-12th)
75th Street & Fairview Avenue
Downers Grove, Illinois 60516
Telephone: 630-964-5363

Private Elementary Schools

Fairview School District #61 (K-6)
7301 Fairview Avenue
Darien, Illinois 60561
Telephone: 630-969-6660

Kingswood Academy (Pre-8)
1501 N. Frontage Road
Darien, Illinois 60561
Telephone: 630-910-9911

Concord School District #63 (Pre-4)
1019 Concord Place
Darien, Illinois 60561
Telephone: 630-968-3026

Elizabeth Ide School District #66 (K-2)
2000 Manning Road
Darien, Illinois 60561
Telephone: 630-971-3344

Prairie View School District #66 (3-5)
699 Plainfield Road
Downers Grove, Illinois 60516
Telephone: 630-910-0804

The first people to settle here came form the New England states. They traveled here via the Erie Canal and the Great Lakes. Among the first to arrive was the Thomas Andrus family. They settled along an old stagecoach line which was roughly where I-55 was in 1835. Mr, Andrus opened up the Andrus Inn which served the 15 stage coaches that traveled the stagecoach line. Andrus Inn was located right about the entrance to Carriage Way West Subdivision.

The Inn included a tavern and a post office and Mr. Andrus named the area Cass. He was Justice of the Peace and served as the Town Clerk, Assessor and County Commissioner. His son, Edger, would ride his horse to the Illinois and Michigan Canal and swim across to get to the mail.

Thomas Andrus and Father Beggs built the First Cass Church, which was a log cabin design. The church's cemetery, located west of where the church stood (west of Baily Road and north of Frontage Road), can still be seen today. The church was also used as a school house.

Elisha and Eliza Smart settled here in 1838 with their 10 children. Elisha got gold fever and left for California, returning 7 years later as a very rich man. He bought more land and the Smart family donated the land on which a new Cass Church was built in 1870.

John and Hannah Oldfield came to cass in 1850. Mr. Oldfield raised cattle and increased his land holdings to 2000 acres.

Franklin Blanchard opened his cheese factory in 1881 — the location of the cheese factory being where McDonalds is today.

Martin Madden was an Irish immigrant who arrived at the cass area during the late 1800's. He became a member of the Chicago City Council and later was elected to the House of Representatives and served in the United States Congress. In 1903, Mr. madden built a home to look like the White House in Washington D.C. he called it castle Eden. Today Castle Eden is part of the Aylesford Retreat Center of the Carmelite Fathers.

A group of German Lutherans from Europe came to the area near 67th and Clarendon Hills Road in 1859. They built the first St. John Lutheran Church and laid out the cemetery behind the church. Today the cemetery is still located at 67th and Clarendon Hills Road. In 1899, a new church was built on the northeast corner of Cass and 75th Street. The Church was located where Taco Bell and Royal Shield Restaurant now stand. In 1969, the second church was torn down and the present St. John's Lutheran Church was built west of Cass and north of 75th Street.

A school was built on the northwest corner of Cass and 75th street in 1860. It was the first Lace School. It is now a museum which is open on the first Sunday of each month from 2:00pm to 4:00pm.

By 1890, the Village of Lace was established. The important location at that time was the triangle bordered by Cass Avenue, Plainfield Road and 75th Street. It was called "The Point". The Point included the Town Hall, General Store, Blacksmith Shop and the office of Dr. Roe. A Post Office had been established at The Point in 1884.

The City of Darien was originally part of these two communities — Lace and Cass. The idea to incorporate came from a desire of some of the residents of four subdivisions to unit into one city. Those subdivisions were Marion Hills, Brookhaven, Clairfield and Hinsbrook.

The City of Darien was incorporated in 1969. When the incorporation committee reached an impasse on an acceptable name for the new city, Acting mayor Sam Kelly suggested the name "Darien". (Kelly had visited Darien, Connecticut, and found ti to be a very pleasant and attractive community.) Today, Darien is known as "A Nice Place to Live".