Wood Dale

In the heart of DuPage County lies Wood Dale, a city brimming with history. Wood Dale wasn’t always known by this name. Before 1834, the Winnebago tribe journeyed annually from Wisconsin to this area, transforming the prairie with fire to aid their hunting. Hezekiah Dunklee and Mason Smith arrived in 1834, clearing the dense forest, establishing what became known as Dunklee’s Grove. German immigrants soon followed, cultivating these lands into thriving farms. The landscape shifted again with the arrival of the Chicago & Pacific Railroad in 1873. Farmer Frederick E. Lester generously donated land for a depot, giving birth to Lester’s Station. The area surrounding the depot flourished, and a subdivision named Wooddale emerged. Later subdivisions enticed new residents with the promise of ideal land for chicken farms. In 1928, the village officially incorporated as Wooddale. The name later changed to Wood Dale, distinguishing it from another Illinois town. While the paving of Wood Dale Road in 1916 improved access, it was air travel that propelled non-agricultural growth. An airport located on Thorndale Avenue served as a naval training field during World War II. In the 1950s, Moody Bible Institute acquired the airport, renaming it Moody Airport, which eventually became Klefstad Industrial Park within Wood Dale. Wood Dale’s strategic location near O’Hare Airport and major expressways attracted significant industrial development. Major corporations established facilities here, transforming Wood Dale into a thriving industrial hub. By 1990, Chancellory Business Park housed over 50 companies, with Wood Dale’s industrial landscape expanding to 700 acres. This growth fueled the development of a water park and a new city hall. From a quiet prairie, hunting ground, and farming community, Wood Dale evolved into the dynamic city it is today.