BARTLETT, IL

Bartlett is a village located in Cook, DuPage and Kane counties, Illinois. A small parcel on the western border is in Kane County. The population was 41,208 at the 2010 census.

History

In its earliest times, the Village of Bartlett, Illinois was served as a hunting and camping ground for the Cherokee, Miami, Potawatomi, and Ottawa Indians. Throughout the past, the Northwest Territory, Virginia, Indiana, Spain, France and England had staked their claim for Bartlett. However, the territory was owned by a man named Luther Bartlett. Luther and Sophia Bartlett had decided that a station stop would be beneficial for their town and townspeople. In 1873, Bartlett gave a monetary contribution and half of his 40-acre woodlot towards the construction for a train depot, which is why the town is named after Luther Bartlett. Bartlett later became one of the premiere pig towns, becoming their main export for years to come. A petition for incorporation was filed in Springfield on February 11, 1891. The village was incorporated on June 21, 1892. Bartlett experienced the majority of its population growth in the 1980s.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, Bartlett has a total area of , of which (or 98.51%) is land and (or 1.49%) is water.

Demographics

right|thumb|200px| BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Chicago

As of the census of 2010, there were 41,208 people, 12,179 households, and 9,986 families residing in the village. The population density was 2,646 people per square mile (956.9 per km²). There were 12,356 housing units at an average density of 834.1 per square mile (322.1 per km²). The racial makeup of the village was 78.62% White, 2.34% African American, 0.24% Native American, 14.36% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.47% from other races, and 1.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.63% of the population.

According to a 2010 estimate, the median income for a household in the village was $86,629, and the median income for a family was $93,547. Males had a median income of $60,182 versus $36,494 for females. The per capita income for the village was $29,652. About 1.2% of families and 1.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.5% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.

In 2011 Bartlett had 5,918 Asian residents, more than twice the number as in 2001. Ashok Selvam of the Daily Herald of Arlington Heights, Illinois said that the Asian population growth "could be traced to construction of the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir".

Economy

Retail and commerce

Apart from the downtown area, Bartlett has a large retail area centered by the intersection of Illinois Route 59 and Stearns Road. Businesses include:

Retail expansion

At the intersection of Illinois Route 59 and Stearns Road in The Home Depot parking area a four tenant building was voted for on October 17, 2017, successfully. The new building will include Starbucks, Great Clips, and two additional stores. The Great Clips was the first store to open in the four tenant building, leaving the older store across the street vacant.

Arts and culture

Notable features

On August 8, 2004, the BAPS organization, a sect of Hinduism, opened BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Chicago, a large temple, or mandir, on Illinois Route 59, just south of U.S. Route 20. Covering , it is the largest traditional Hindu mandir, of stone and marble, to be constructed in the United States. The mandir took 16 months to build and was constructed with Turkish limestone, Italian marble, and Indian makrana marble. The adjoining cultural center, known as the Haveli, was opened in October 2000. The large complex contains large rooms with intricately carved walls of stone and wood. It attracts many visitors of all faiths.

Sports and recreation

The local park district in Bartlett also has a recreation center called Bartlett Community Center. This facility hosts a variety of sports that residents can sign up for and this includes: Adult Softball and Adult Basketball, Youth Basketball, Youth Soccer, Youth Girls Softball, Volleyball, Swimming, and an open gym.

Government

The village of Bartlett has a mayor/council form of government. A village clerk, six trustees and a village president are elected in nonpartisan, at-large elections. They are elected for four-year terms. Elections are staggered, with three trustees elected every two years and the village clerk and president elected every four years. Municipal elections occur in odd-numbered years.

Kevin Wallace has been Bartlett's Village President since 2013.

Education

Schools

Public schools in Bartlett schools are entirely within Elgin Area School District U46. The Elgin Area School District serves a area in Cook, DuPage and Kane Counties. Almost 40,000 children of school age are within its boundaries. The Elgin Area School District is the second largest school district in Illinois.

Elgin Area School District schools located in Bartlett include:

Bartlett also has a community preschool.

Public library

The Bartlett Public Library was opened in 1973. After outgrowing the original building, the village purchased land in 1981 and opened the new facility in 1983. The library expanded again in 1995 when a second story was added. The library has a cozy, warm, cabin-like feel due to the exposed wooden structure on the interior of the building. In 2015, more renovations to modernize the library were made including the addition of study rooms, conference rooms, and an art room in the youth and teen services department. This renovation also expanded the display area in the entrance of the library.

Media (movies)

Lifestyle

The City of Bartlett was ranked the ninth-safest city in the United States according to the real estate market data platform NeighborhoodScout, with information analyzed from the FBI Crime Database from 2016.

There is an annual 4 July festival that takes place located at the corner of S. Stearns and S. Bartlett Road near the Bartlett Community Center, 700 S. Bartlett Road. This festival includes a carnival with rides and games, food, beverages, free entertainment for all ages, bingo, a turtle race, a parade, on-site presence for nonprofit groups, skydivers, fireworks, and a great sense of community pride.

Notable people