The Great Western Trail begins in Villa Park, Illinois and extends for 12 miles through DuPage County along an abandoned spur of the Chicago Great Western Railway. Built in 1886, the spur served Villa Park and its businesses well into the 20th Century. After the line was abandoned, DuPage County purchased the property in 1986 and converted it into a recreational trail, with the last sections completed in 1992. The former Chicago Great Western Railway Villa Park Train Depot, built in 1926, served the railroad and local businesses, including the Wander Company, makers of Ovaltine, which used the railroad to ship and receive goods and to bring in coal for its powerhouse. The Chicago Great Western also served several lumber and fuel supply businesses in the village. In the 1950s, Villa Park purchased the depot, and in 2014 it was completely restored as a community facility for local events and to commemorate the village's Centennial Anniversary.
