McCormick Reaper \ Deering artifacts - St. James Farm,Warrenville, IL
Posted by: 
adgorn
N 41° 50.022 W 088° 09.672
16T E 403581 N 4631964
Relocated columns and archway from the entrance to the old William Deering and Company, stone wording from the McCormick Reaper Manufactory, International Harvester Corporation insignia, and tablets from International Harvester Tractor Works.
Waymark Code: WMBZCQ
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 07/07/2011
Views: 4
St. James Farm was the retreat of the McCormick family, descendants of Cyrus McCormick, who invented the first commercially successful mechanical reaper in 1851 and was co-founder of what would become the McCormick Reaper Works, which would merge with the Deering Harvester Company in 1906 to become the International Harvester Corporation. Chauncey, great-nephew of Cyrus McCormick, and Marion McCormick acquired the initial 203 acres in 1920. In 2000, son Brooks McCormick sold St. James Farm to the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, retaining a life estate that gave him the right to live on the property until his death, which occurred in 2006. In July 2007, the Forest Preserve District officially took possession of the property.
To augment the landscaping, Brooks installed the columns and archway from the entrance to the old William Deering and Company facility in the farm’s courtyard. The stone wording on the wall is from the McCormick Reaper Manufactory, which was rebuilt after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The International Harvester Corporation insignia is on the west end of the wall, and tablets from International Harvester Tractor Works and Milwaukee Works hang from the wall and columns. (Later a horse sculpture was added.)
You can see an original photo here, including the words at the top: (
visit link)
From the marker, the Deering plant was located west of the Chicago River between Fullerton & Diversey Avenues. The Reaper plant was rebuilt after the Chicago fire at Blue Island & Western Avenues.
The 607-acre St. James Farm Forest Preserve in Warrenville now contains over 100 acres of woodlands, prairies and wetlands, which are home to over 300 native plant species and wildlife like great blue herons, red-bellied woodpeckers, white-breasted nuthatches, coyotes, fox squirrels and white-tailed deer. Agricultural fields border these ecosystems on the north and south. There are many trails to hike or bike, as well as interesting sculptures to view.
St. James Farm is closed December through May.
Learn more at (
visit link)