History

Wauconda is located in the southeastern part of Wauconda Township on the banks of a beautiful little lake which has from earliest times been known as Bangs Lake, named in honor of Justus and Mark Bangs, the first settlers of the place.

The town of Wauconda was organized in the year of 1849, by a vote of the people of the County to divide said County into towns. There were 1,695 votes cast and all except three were in favor of the division.

The name Wauconda was given to the village, it is said, by a young man named LaFayette Mills, who at that time was a teacher in the "Little Red School." Mr. Mills had read a story of Indian Life in the West and was greatly pleased with the part of the story which spoke of a small body of water called Wauconda, which in the Indian tongue means “Spirit Water.” So he suggested the name to the people of the village and commissioners were appointed and favorably considered the suggested name. Some of the oldest settlers

 

Demographics

Recreation

There's something fun for everyone in the Wauconda area. The fun begins with Wauconda’s centerpiece, Bangs Lake, and continues in the Park District’s 11 well-equipped parks and Community Center.

Bangs Lake covers 310-acres and offers swimming, boating, water sports and is one of the finest fishing spots in Lake County. Beach Park, on the south shore of the lake, has a broad beach, boat ramps, playground, and picnic area and a Community Center.

Homer T. Cook Memorial Park is located near the west shore of Bangs Lake and has a playground, picnic sites, three softball fields, two soccer fields, Volleyball court and fishing. The Wauconda Community Recreation Center and headquarters of the Wauconda Park District are located in this park.

The Wauconda Park District conducts a comprehensive, year-round program of recreation, sports and activities for residents of all ages, including a fitness center.

There are over a dozen public golf courses in Wauconda’s immediate area, each with its own challenges. Membership is available at other semi-private clubs locally, such as Four Winds, Chapel Hill, Prairie Isle. Kemper Lakes Golf Course, home of the PGA’s Kemper Open tournament, is nearby. The Golf Farm at Hickory Knoll, on Route 12, features a driving range, pro shop, miniature golf course and restaurant.

Nature lovers enjoy the Wauconda Bog, a National Natural Landmark. It contains more than 100 different rare plants such as tamarack, orchids, yellow birch, winterberry holly and poison sumac. Birdwatchers at the bog enjoy a myriad of birds that seek sanctuary there. Lakewood Forest Preserve, to the east of Wauconda, is another nature lover’s paradise.

A new YMCA in Lake Zurich, thanks to the joint efforts of residents of several Lake County communities, features an indoor swimming pool and whirlpool, an outdoor water park, exercise and weight rooms, a day care center and nursery, a gymnasium with elevated track and outdoor roller blade rink, racquetball and handball courts, and a youth adventure center.

For family camping fun and other outdoor activities, Wauconda residents head north to 6,000-acre Chain O’Lakes State Park that borders on three lakes and the Fox River.

Education

Wauconda’s public and private schools maintain excellent education programs and facilities. Students regularly score well above state and national averages on standardized test scores.

Wauconda Unit School District 118 serves the community, nearby Island Lake, Fox River Valley Gardens, and Volo, an area of some 32 square miles. It enrolls about 3,100 students in five schools, three elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. http://www.cusd118.lake.k12.il.us/

Robert Crown Grade School, Wauconda Grade School and the cotton creek school in Island Lake focus on the basics of reading, language arts, and mathematics, augmented by music, art and physical education. Each school has its own computer lab. Programs for gifted students are available.

At Wauconda Middle School, students are introduced to an expanded curriculum that continues to emphasize the basics at its core. There are also intramural sports, special interest clubs and activities.

At Wauconda High School, 840 students choose from 140 academic and career courses. There are several honors courses and advanced placement in calculus and biology, which give students the opportunity to earn college credit while still in high school. Four years of French and Spanish are also available. Extensive business courses are also open to students planning on a business career.

The high school also offers training in several trades including heating/air-conditioning, automotive mechanics, body and fender repair, industrial electrician, diesel mechanics, graphic arts, machine shop, radio/Tv repair, small engine repair, and building and construction.

Wauconda high school juniors and seniors can elect to attend vocational classes at the Lake County Area vocational Center on the campus of the College of Lake County, at nearby Grayslake.

Wauconda High School students are encouraged to participate in the school’s extensive competitive sports and wide range of extracurricular clubs and organizations. W.H.S. also offers comprehensive programs of special education specifically tailored to meet individual needs.

The Wauconda area offers several alternatives to public education. There are two parochial K - 8 elementary schools within the village and several more in nearby Lake Zurich. A Catholic high school is a short distance away in Mundelein. Wauconda has two preschools.

 

 

 

 

Compiled by Bob Dohn 2006

	Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage 140-A S. Roselle Road, Schaumburg, IL 60193

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