Fermilab
HISTORICAL INFORMATION » SITE AND NATURAL HISTORY » FARMS BY SITE NUMBER
Historical Content Note: The following material is reprinted from publications from throughout Fermilab's history. It should be read in its original historical context.

McKee / Hadley / Brummel / Wolsfeld Farm: Site 57

Source: Remembrance of Things Past: Families and Farms of the Fermilab Site, 1838-1972, Second Edition, March 2011
(May include updated content)

James McKee, son of David McKee, blacksmith for Fort Dearborn and one of the early settlers of the Big Woods, built the large farmhouse that once stood on Eola Road, in 1889-90.  After James' death in the 1903 Iroquois Theater fire in Chicago, the house and 185-acre farm came into the Hadley Family upon James' daughter, Katy, marrying Rutherford Hadley, who worked for the first DuPage County Highway Department.

In 1929 George Brummel, of the German family descended from Heinrich and Maria Stickling Brummel, who had settled in the Big Woods area in 1871, leased the farm from Philip Hadley, Rutherford's son, who also worked for the County Highway Department until 1962. At this farm the Brummels tended 160 acres of corn, soybeans and wheat and were also dairy farmers. George and his wife, Magdaline Bauer Brummel, had three daughters whose “work was never ending!”  Jean Brummel Vose, the youngest of the three daughters, remembers that neighbors would take turns having "peaching days" and "corn days" to help with the harvests.  Everyone was neighborly and cooperative.

In 1952 George retired from farming and the Hadleys then leased the farm to Robert and Millie Brummel Wolsfeld. Millie was a cousin to Jean Brummel and her family.  The Wolsfelds, while raising three daughters, leased the property until 1970 when construction of the Main Ring accelerator began. Millie recalls the gates at Butterfield and Eola Roads and at Batavia and Eola Roads.  They were given a key to get in and out of the gates and when they had company the Wolsfelds would meet their guests to open the gate.  The Wolsfelds have the distinction of being the last family to leave the Fermilab site.

Jean Brummel Vose currently lives in Geneva. Millie and Bob Wolsfeld moved to Shabbona in 1970 and later to Yorkville. Bob passed away in 2007. 

The large, historic farmhouse from Eola Road was moved in 1971 and attached to the eastern end of the Warne/Kraft/Kuhn farmhouse at Batavia Road and Sauk Boulevard (Site 62) to form “Aspen East.”

Click image to see full size photo
Joseph and Catherine Brummel farm on old State Rd. (now Rte. 56) looking east. Late 1920s (1 of 20)
Aerial view of Andrew Brummel home, 1968 (2 of 20)
Brummel farm house - east side of State Rd, about 1930 (l-r) Peter, Florence, Katie Goldenstine (standing, hired girl), Walter in front, Carl on Julia's lap, Vincent, front bottom, Tony K (hired man) (3 of 20)
Barn of Joseph and Catherine Brummel - burned 1967 (4 of 20)
Brummel barn in background Julia with daughters Florence and Theresa (youngest) (5 of 20)
Original home of William Brummel (6 of 20)
Site 1. Andrew Brummel Farm on Butterfield Rd., Warrenhurst, IL, built in 1936 (7 of 20)
Andrew Brummel home on Butterfield Road (8 of 20)
Peter and Julia (Lenertz) Brummel, 1950's (9 of 209)
Children of Joseph and Catherine (Hermreck) Brummel Left to right: Henry, Peter, William, Elizabeth, Anna, Mary, John, Christopher Not present: Katherine (Sister Hyacinth), Fr. Frederick, Joseph (10 of 20)
Florence Brummel on Brummel farm, 1930's (11 of 20)
Taken on Brummel farm on State Rd. In buggy - Florence, Peter (father), Carl Left to right - Vincent, Julia, Walter, Katie Goldenstein (hired girl), Leo Patterman (12 of 20)
Family of Peter and Julia Brummel, 1940's Left to right: Elmer, Florence, Peter (father), Julia (mother), Robert, Theresa, Walter, Vincent, Carl (13 of 20)
Probably, taken at Chris Brummel farm on Eola Rd. ca.1904 Middle row on left end is Julia Lenertz, on right end - Peter Brummel, seated in middle row - Chris Brummel (14 of 20)
Peter Brummel family Julia (standing), Peter (seated) with Carl (left) and Robert (right) on his knees Children in front: Florence, Vincent and Walter (15 of 20)
Brummel family Bottom left to right: Carl, Elmer, Robert Top left to right: Walter, Peter (father), Vincent (16 of 20)
Wedding of Peter and Julia Brummel, November 1905 Left to right: Joseph Brummel, Clara Lenertz (later Joseph's wife), Peter Brummel, Julia Lenertz, John Bollweg, Anna Brummel, seated: Ed Patterman (17 of 20)
Children and spouses of Joseph and Katherine Brummel, 1930's Left to right: John Brummel, his wife Katherine Seppelfrick, Julia Lenertz, her husband Peter J. Brummel, Elizabeth (Brummel) Weisbrock, Sister Hyacinth (Katherine) Brummel, Henry Weisbrock, unknown nun, Mary Brummel, her husband Chris Patterman, Emma (Feldott) Brummel, Mary (Frieders Poss) Brummel, Christopher Brummel, Clara (Lenertz) Brummel (the widow of Joseph Brummel and the sister of Julia) Seated in front: Henry Brummel, Fr. Frederick Brummel, William Brummel Missing are Anna and Nicholas Brummel (18 of 20)
Family of Peter J. Brummel, 1950's Front row left to right: Theresa, Julia (Lenertz), Peter J., Florence Back row left to right: Elmer, Vincent, Walter, Carl, Robert (19 of 20)
McKee / Hadley / Brummel / Wolsfeld home on Eola Road, 1968 (20 of 20)