John Manning Wells was chosen as the 2022 Founder of the Year. As part of the Downers Grove Founders Day activities, his selection was celebrated at a ceremony at the Downers Grove Main Street Cemetery on Saturday morning, May 7, 2022, at the site of his headstone. Speaking at the event were Lois Sterba, Downers Grove Historical Society Historian, Girl Scouts from a local Downers Grove troop, and Linda Painter, Forest Preserve of DuPage County Commissioner.
