City Spotlight

The gladiolus flower made the city of St. Charles world famous thanks to resident Carl Fischer who was the world's leading hybridizer of new and different types of gladiolus.

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Gladiolus Days is the annual festival in honor of the late Carl Fischer. The festival is celebrated with a grand parade and several other great activities for the family. St. Charles also hosts Whitewater Winterfest in February featuring tons of winter activities like sledding and an Ice Bar.

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Founded in 1854 along the Whitewater River, St. Charles became a city in 1858, named for St. Charles of Italy. Settlers were drawn to the area because of the fertile valley, the Whitewater River and the beauty of the surrounding bluffs.

St. Charles is home to a variety of activities including an aquatic center and several parks including the beautiful Whitewater State Park that is a great spot for fishing, hiking and biking trails, and camping. Winter activities are also very popular in the area including cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and more.

 

 

Famous Residents of St. Charles include:

• P/O Arthur Donahue - Pilot of the RAF

• Carl H. Fischer - Floriculturist

• Brad Nessler - Television sportscaster (ESPN, CBS, ABC)

 

Links

• City of St. Charles

• St. Charles Area Chamber of Commerce

• St. Charles Area Public Schools