St. James Farm

DuPage County has a wonderful collection of forest preserves, large and small, which cater to all sorts of outdoor activities. The newest is St. James Farm in Winfield, the former suburban home of Brooks McCormick, long the driving force behind International Harvester. The Farm hosted numerous steeplechases and other equestrian events, along with many other activities. When the land was bequeathed to the Forest Preserve District, the family home was razed, taking the personal portion of the farm away and leaving a wonderful, large plot of land open to the public on certain special occasions. The summer of 2008 was the first public look at the farm and its buildings, flowers, trees, fences, birds . . . just a lovely place to enjoy outdoor life.

Near the entrance to the farm, we see the barn with its interesting door to nowhere on an upper level. Our guide, Naturalist Ron Skleney from Willowbrook Wildlife Center, pointed out the beautiful color, known as Kremlin Yellow, that graces so many of the farm buildings. It was specially chosen by Brooks McCormick after he had taken several visits to Moscow, extending the nameplate of International Harvester into yet another country. He fell in love with the warm, bright color . . . and so did I.

In upcoming posts we will see a few other bright yellow buildings, several birds, and lots of scenery that is really impressive. Check back to see.

Meanwhile, this Saturday is International Migratory Bird Day at Willowbrook Wildlife Center in Glen Ellyn. Look on the Dupage Forest Preserve District web site for more information.