Edellyn Farm

In 1914, while President of Morris & Co., Thomas E. Wilson established his country estate along Telegraph Road northwest of Lake Forest, Illinois. The estate was a working stock farm from the beginning, and was named after the Wilson children: Edward and Helen. Edellyn Farm was the Wilson family's summer home. They also owned a residence in the Kenwood neighborhood of Chicago designed by Howard Van Doren Shaw, along with farms in Earlham, Iowa and Nevada, Iowa, and a ranch in New Mexico.

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Postcard road map showing route from Chicago's downtown Loop, north to Lake Forest, Illinois.
Postcard map to Edellyn Farm

Thomas E. Wilson Family Collection, Box 27, Folder 12, Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.

Directions to Edellyn Farm in Lake Forest, Illinois from Chicago's downtown Loop.
Postcard road map showing route from Deerpath Road in Lake Forest, Illinois, north to Edellyn Farm.
Postcard map to Edellyn Farm

Thomas E. Wilson Family Collection, Box 27, Folder 12, Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.
Color postcard of front of Edellyn Farm house. The house is a two-story, colonial mansion with white siding, black shutters, and a portico. There is a circle driveway in front of the house with trees and pink flowering bushes.
Postcard of north side of Edellyn Farm main house, undated

Thomas E. Wilson Family Collection, Box 14, Folder 20, Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.
Color postcard of back of Edellyn Farm house. The house is a two-story, colonial mansion with white siding and black shutters. There is a large, grassy lawn behind the house, several trees, and a bird feeder on a tall pole.
Postcard of south side of Edellyn Farm main house, undated

Thomas E. Wilson Family Collection, Box 14, Folder 20, Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.
Black-and-white snapshots pasted onto black photograph album pages. Handwritten notes in white ink indicate that the view of the Edellyn Farm house is from the south side. Depicts a white colonial mansion with an expansive lawn and trees. The family photograph shows Thomas E. Wilson, Helen Wilson, and Elizabeth Foss Wilson standing close together on the back porch/patio. They are laughing together.
Photo album of Edellyn Farm life, 1916-1918

Thomas E. Wilson Family Collection, Box 29, Folder 11, Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.

Left: Photograph of south side of Edellyn Farm house. Right: Photograph of Thomas E. Wilson, Helen Wilson, and Elizabeth Foss Wilson on south porch of house.
Black-and-white photograph of interior room of Edellyn Farm house. The library is a dark, wood-paneled room. A large area rug covers the floor. The ceiling has exposed beams. One wall is lined with bookshelves. Five chairs are set around the perimeter of the room. An octagonal wooden table with spindle legs is set in the center of the room. On it rests four trophies. A spinning wheel sets in a recessed part of the room. Another wall of the room has a rectangular table against it on which rests a radio. Four framed pictures are hung on the same wall above the table.
Library of Edellyn Farm house, circa 1916-1918

Thomas E. Wilson Family Collection, Box 29, Folder 11, Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.
Black-and-white photograph of interior room of Edellyn Farm house. The dining room walls are painted a light color and a large area rug covers the floor. A circular wood dining table rests in the center of the room, with four wooden chairs with rounded backs around it. Two more dining chairs are set against one wall between two windows with floor-length drapes. A buffet table with a lace runner rests along the opposite wall. Another wall has a central fireplace, above which hangs an American Colonial-style mirror. Open, exterior french doors are to the left of the fireplace. A closed, interior wood door is to the right of the fireplace. A chandelier hangs above the dining table. A vase of flowers is in the center of the dining table.
Dining room of Edellyn Farm house, circa 1916-1918

Thomas E. Wilson Family Collection, Box 29, Folder 11, Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.
Black-and-white snapshots pasted to black photo album pages. One photograph is of the sunken garden at Edellyn Farm. The other is of the north side of the white colonial mansion. Model T Fords are shown in the front circular driveway. Handwritten notes in white ink say that the house was designed by architect Howard Van Doren Shaw.
Photo album pages showing sunken garden and main house at Edellyn Farm, circa 1920s

Thomas E. Wilson Family Collection, Box 15, Folder 16, Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.
Black-and-white photograph of modest two-story home set amongst trees.
Photograph of home of farm manager for Edellyn Farms

Thomas E. Wilson Family Collection, Box 28, Folder 15, Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.
The program cover has a black-and-white photograph of Thomas E. Wilson in the center. Thomas E. Wilson is a young white man with dark hair, wearing a white shirt and tie, and a dark jacket. Above the photograph is printed "Program T. E. Wilson Picnic for Employees of" and the Wilson & Co. logo. Below the photograph is printed "Edellyn Farms, near Lake Forest, Ill. September 4th, Nineteen Hundred and Sixteen.
Cover of T. E. Wilson Picnic for Employees of Wilson & Co. program, 1916

Thomas E. Wilson Family Collection, Box 33, Folder 5, Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.

A company picnic at Edellyn Farm in 1916 offered employees of the newly reorganized Wilson & Co. a day of food, athletic games, horse shows, and general company culture building.
Introductory welcome text by Thomas E. Wilson for the company picnic. Concludes "You are more than welcome. There are no bosses here today. Let us all get acquainted and have a good time."
Excerpt from T. E. Wilson Picnic for Employees of Wilson & Co. program, 1916

Thomas E. Wilson Family Collection, Box 33, Folder 5, Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.
Black-and-white snapshots of a Wilson & Co. picnic at Edellyn Farm. One photograph depicts a horse being shown to a group of people. The other photo depicts a foot race and spectators.
Photographs of T. E. Wilson Picnic at Edellyn Farms, circa 1916-1918.

Thomas E. Wilson Family Collection, Box 29, Folder 11, Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.
Black-and-white photograph of a Wilson & Co. picnic at Edellyn Farm. A crowd of people standard near farm buildings.
T. E. Wilson Picnic at Edellyn Farms, circa 1916-1918

Thomas E. Wilson Family Collection, Box 29, Folder 11, Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.
Black-and-white photograph of 24 white men and women and one white child, seated and standing in a grassy field with a few trees and shrubs visible behind them. The majority smile into the camera. Most of the women are wearing cloche hats, and a few wear the popular 1920s style of women's suits with ties and vests.
Photograph of extended Wilson family gathering on lawn at Edellyn Farm, circa 1929

Thomas E. Wilson Family Collection, Box 28, Folder 8, Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.

Edward Foss Wilson is shown standing back row, far left. Elizabeth Foss Wilson is shown in first standing row, fourth from left. The young boy lying on the grass in the front is Bruce Forbes, brother of Malcom Forbes, publisher of Forbes Magazine. Bruce Forbes spent a summer at Edellyn Farm.
Black-and-white photograph of five white men and women and two white girls seated and standing in a grassy field with a few trees and shrubs visible behind them.
Gathering of extended Wilson family at Edellyn Farm, circa 1929.

Thomas E. Wilson Family Collection, Box 28, Folder 8, Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.

Thomas E. Wilson is shown standing, far right. Thomas' sister, Margaret Wilson Hunter is shown seated, far left. Margaret's daughter, Ruth, is show seated, second from right.
Black-and-white photograph of four white women, one white man and one white girl seated and standing in a grassy field with a few trees and shrubs visible behind them. The girl, the man, and one woman are holding food.
Gathering of extended Wilson family at Edellyn Farm, circa 1929

Thomas E. Wilson Family Collection, Box 28, Folder 8, Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.

Helen Wilson Williams is shown seated, right.
Black-and-white photograph of two white men and one white woman wearing chef's clothing, and a young white boy, standing around an open fire pit with spits of roasting meat. The fire pit is in a grassy field. Behind it are trees, a fence, and distant farm buildings. Boy appears to be Bruce Forbes.
Photograph of Bruce Forbes and three cooks around open fire pit at Edellyn Farm, circa 1929

Thomas E. Wilson Family Collection, Box 28, Folder 8, Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.

Note the Wilson & Co. logo on the bins around the fire pit.
Black-and-white photograph of Thomas E. Wilson and Edward Foss Wilson riding horses down a curved gravel road. Trees are visible on both sides of the road, and a low stone wall lines one side of the road. Edward rides a dappled horse, and Thomas rides a dark horse. Both are white men wearing dark suits and fedora hats.
Photograph of Thomas E. Wilson and Edward Foss Wilson riding horses at Edellyn Farm, circa 1930s

Thomas E. Wilson Family Collection, Box 28, Folder 9, Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.

Photograph by J. C. Allen and Son, West Lafayette, Indiana.
Black-and-white photograph of Thomas E. Wilson, Edward Foss Wilson, one of Edward's children, and a calf standing in a farm field. A wooden fence and trees can be seen in the distance behind them. Thomas is an older white man with white hair wearing a dark jacket, bowtie, light colored trousers, and boots. He holds a straw hat in one hand, and rests his other hand on the back of the calf. Edward is a young white man with dark hair wearing a jacket, tie, trousers, and boots. Edward is holding the child on one hip, The child appears to be a two-year-old white boy with light blonde hair, wearing a cardigan sweater, shorts, and white shoes and socks. The men smile into the camera. The child presses a finger to his lips.
Photograph of Thomas E. Wilson, Edward Foss Wilson, and grandchild on Edellyn Farm, circa 1940s

Thomas E. Wilson Family Collection, Box 28, Folder 9, Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.

Photograph by J. F. Abernathy, Live Stock Photo Co., Chicago.