Dairy Day gives glimpse of early 1900s life in DuPage

Explore life on a dairy farm in the early 1900s at St. James Farm Dairy Day.

The free, all-ages event runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10, at the preserve on Winfield Road, a quarter-mile north of Butterfield Road in Warrenville.

Visitors can participate in a dairy-themed scavenger hunt, win ice cream, try milking Maggie the Milking Cow, see a live cow and explore a hay maze. Guided covered wagon rides along part of the "milk and newspaper run" of the former CA&E Railroad route will highlight the history of dairy farming in the region.

A costumed interpreter portraying Marion McCormick, who purchased the property with her husband, Chauncey, in 1926, will share stories from the farm's early days and explain how St. James Farm set the benchmark for dairy farms throughout the Midwest for the better part of two decades.

To support their growing, award-winning herd of Guernsey cows, the McCormicks built a state-of-the art dairy barn with roomy stalls and assorted outbuildings.

"There's something for everyone at the beautiful country retreat of St. James Farm," said DuPage County Forest Preserve District Commissioner Al Murphy, District 6. "Dairy Day is a great hands-on opportunity for people of all ages."

Steeped in history, St. James Farm has one of the last gabled-roof-and-wing farmhouses in DuPage County. It also features a wood-planked, German-style barn with cantilevered floors.

For information, call (630) 580-7025.

If you go

What: St. James Farm Dairy Day

When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10

Where: St. James Farm Forest Preserve, Winfield Road, .25 miles north of Butterfield Road in Warrenville

Cost: Free

Info: (630) 580-7025