Wheaton is even more conservative and religious than most of DuPage county. (I was raised in Wheaton) The college and many of the churches in Wheaton had a very strong influence on the laws and ordinances. Up until the time i had left there the town was dry. When they tried to annex some land to the west of town they actually had to gerrymander around a tavern that was on the edge of the town as the owners would not sell the land. On Sunday's other than a few gas stations and convenience stores the town was dead.

At one time one of the major Christian book publishers offices (I think it was Zondervan) had their main offices in Wheaton. A number of non profits also had their main offices there. (Most were small so they really didn't need much space) Add to that that almost all of the churches themselves went from fairly rigid to very rigid. Then factor in that DuPage is also one of the 50 wealthiest counties in the US. Anyone who did not fit the "image" of a "normal upper middle class church goer" was either shunned,picked on or just down right rejected.

Needless to say it made for some really interesting times. sigh

Sarah and Julie,
  We had something of the effect here in Denver, but not necessarily religious.  We have a section in the west part of town named Barnum.  This tract was sold to Phineas T. Barnum to lure him in to have his circus wintering grounds.  Barnum finally picked Florida for that and he gave the tract back to Denver with the stipulation that no establishments to sell or to serve alcoholic beverages be allowed.  Barnum was in the Temperance movement back then.  There are no bars in Barnum itself, but across the main drags that border it, there are plenty! 
  There are some micro-communities that are springing up that are about as rigid as Wheaton, but Wheaton's strict religious mores has been there for a long time.  A lot of those other strict towns of the past simply whithered away.  Those newer micro-communities are also going away as the children grow up and move someplace where there is more tolerance.   A few of those communities do attract the white collar crooks who get elected to local office and break most of the Ten Commandments in the commission of that office.  Just as bad as those TV  mega-ministeries. 
  Joelene