Our Family's history
  • Home
    • Comments & Suggestions
    • Mysteries to Solve
    • What's New - Recently >
      • What's New - 2016 >
        • What's New - 2015
        • What's New - 2014
        • What's New - 2013
    • Film & Video >
      • Slideshow
      • Malcolm Little's Home Movies >
        • Colorado - December, 1930 >
          • Still frames from movies
        • Football games
        • Rodeo
    • Places >
      • Maps
      • Adams Street house >
        • Adams Street photographs
        • Adams Street recollections
        • Adams Street documents
      • Bobb Inn >
        • Bobb Inn photographs
        • Bobb Inn recollections
      • Castile, NY >
        • Photographs - Castile
      • Marshall house - Northbrook, IL >
        • Marshall house photographs
        • Marshall house - recollections
      • Mason house - Park Ridge, IL >
        • Photographs - Mason house
        • Recollections - Mason house
        • Park Ridge School for Girls
      • Mason farm - Barrington, IL >
        • Photographs - Barrington farm
        • Recollections - Barrington farm
        • Documents - Barrington farm
      • Mason house - Walden, CO >
        • Photographs - Walden house >
          • World War I memorabilia
        • Recollections - Walden house
        • Walden area photographs
      • Mason Ranch North Park
      • Fairview Farm - Downers Grove, IL >
        • Fairview Farm photographs
        • Recollections - Fairview farm
      • Colorado homestead >
        • Photographs - Colorado homestead
        • Recollections - Colorado homestead
      • Hill Ranch >
        • Hill Ranch photographs
        • Hill Ranch recollections
      • Hurd House - Castile, NY >
        • Hurd house - photos
      • Hurd House - Woodbury, CT >
        • Woodbury house photographs
      • Little house - Western Springs, IL >
        • Little house photographs
      • Maercker School >
        • Horace Mason - Maercker recollections
      • McKinley High School >
        • 1912
        • 1913
        • 1914
        • 1915
        • 1916
      • Oak Hill Cemetery >
        • Oak Hill Cemetery photographs
        • Oak Hill Cemetery history
        • Oak Hill Cemetery directions
      • St. Mihiel - Cemetery & Battlefield
      • Stanhope, England >
        • From Stanhope to Canada
      • Wisbech, England >
        • Wisbech - 2009 photographs >
          • Video
        • Wisbech - 1850s photos
    • Events >
      • Revolutionary War >
        • Daniel Hurd, Jr.
      • Civil War >
        • Matthew Wildman
      • Mason Family Reunion (August 12-14, 2009) >
        • Reunion photographs
        • Shared info
        • Reunion (2009) video
      • Mason Family Reunion (2014) >
        • Booklet (2014)
        • Reunion photos (2104) >
          • Family Reunion - Day One
          • Family Reunion - Day Two
          • Family Reunion - Days 3 thru 5
        • Reunion (2014) videos
      • World War One >
        • David Mason >
          • Dave Mason photographs
          • Photographs by David Mason
          • St. Mihiel info & film
          • Discharge documents
          • David Mason's Letters >
            • April 9th, 1918-postcard
            • April 11th, 1918-postcard
            • April 9th, 1918
            • April 26th, 1918
            • May 2nd, 1918
            • May 8th, 1918
            • May 11th, 1918
            • May 15th, 1918
            • May 17th, 1918
            • May 31st, 1918
            • June 18th, 1918
            • July 7th, 1918
            • July 18th, 1918
            • July 26th, 1918
            • August 10th, 1918
            • August 14th, 1918
            • Sept 3rd, 1918
            • Sept 14th, 1918 >
              • Sept 14th - typed copy
            • Sept 14th, 1918 - postcard
            • Sept 19th, 1918
            • Sept 30, 1918
            • Oct 11th, 1918
            • Oct 27th, 1918
            • Oct 29th, 1918
            • Nov 19th, 1918
            • Nov 25th, 1918
            • Dec 10th, 1918
            • mid-Dec, 1918
            • January 5th, 1919
            • January 9th, 1919
            • January 18th, 1919
            • February 4th, 1919
            • February 8th & 11th, 1919
            • February 9th, 1919
            • February 9th, 1919
            • February 28th, 1919
            • March 9th, 1919
            • March 10th, 1919
            • March 10th, 1919 - postcard
            • March 13th, 1919
            • March 28th, 1919
            • April 6th, 1919
            • April 11th, 1919
            • April 18th, 1919
            • May 2nd, 1919-postcard
            • May 11th, 1919
            • May 27th, 1919
            • June 7th, 1919
            • June 21st, 1919
            • July 6th, 1919-postcard
            • July 7th, 1919
            • July, 1919 - postcard
            • August 4th, 1919
            • August 8th, 1919-postcard
            • IDcard
          • David Mason - Medals & Souvenirs
          • David Mason recollections
        • James Mason >
          • James Mason Documents
          • James Mason photos
          • James Mason - Uniform & Insignias
          • James Mason's Letters >
            • February 13th, 1918 - postcard
            • April 8th, 1918
            • A;pril 13, 1918
            • May 7th, 1918
            • May 11th, 1918
            • May 19th, 1918
            • June 3rd, 1918
            • August 5th, 1918
            • August 16th, 1918
            • September 21st, 1918
            • October 1st, 1918
            • October 31st, 1918 to Father
            • October 31st, 1918 to Jane
            • November 2nd, 1918
            • November 27th, 1918
            • November 30th, 1918
            • December 24th, 1918
            • January 24th, 1919
            • February 18th, 1919
            • March 11th, 1919 - postcard
            • March 13th, 1919
            • March 17th, 1919
            • March 31st, 1919
            • April 26th, 1919
            • May 11th, 1919
            • May 18th, 1919
            • June 11th, 1919
            • June 12th, 1919
            • June 16th, 1919
            • August 12th, 1919
          • James Mason's Recollections >
            • Hubert Dawson
          • St. Mihiel info & film
        • Horace Mason >
          • Horace Mason's Letters >
            • May 27th, 1918
            • June 13th, 1918
            • August 5th, 1918
            • September 20th, 1918
            • September ??, 1918
            • October 8th, 1918
            • November 4th, 1918
          • Horace Mason photographs
          • Horace Mason documents
        • World War One 4th Division Unit Photos
        • WWI Museum
      • World War Two >
        • Bob Mason >
          • Bob Mason photographs
          • Bob Mason recollections
          • Bob Mason letters >
            • Stateside Training
            • Pacific Theater
            • China
        • David Mason >
          • David Mason photographs
          • David Mason letters
        • Dick Roberts >
          • Dick Roberts photographs
          • Dick Roberts recollections
      • Korean War >
        • Carl Hanke
        • Chuck Little
        • Bill Marshall
      • Vietnam War
      • Current Events >
        • Current Events - 2015
        • Current Events - 2014
        • Current Events - 2013
    • People >
      • A - F >
        • David Aldridge (1956-)
        • James Aldridge (1989-)
        • Sarah Aldridge (1957-) >
          • Sarah Marshall Aldridge recollections
          • Sarah Marshall Aldridge photogrpahs
          • Sarah Aldridge videos
        • Aubrey Richardson Biais >
          • Aubrey photos
        • Florent Biais
        • Caroline Bleser >
          • Caroline Bleser photos
        • Grant Bleser >
          • Grant Bleser photos
        • Mike Bleser >
          • Mike Bleser photos
        • Susan Marshall Bleser (1965-) >
          • Susan Bleser photographs
          • Susan Bleser recollections
        • Melissa Brown (19??-)
        • Charlie Cummings
        • Christine Cummings (1989-)
        • Jennifer Cummings (19??-)
        • Peter Cummings
        • Jaclyn Fenske (1985-) >
          • Jaclyn Fenske photographs
        • Jennie Fields >
          • Jennie Fields photographs
          • Jennie Fields recollections
        • Martha Marshall Flessner (1961-) >
          • Martha Marshall Flessner photographs
          • Martha Marshall Flessner recollections
      • G - L >
        • Hannah Gardiner (1781-1806)
        • John Gardiner (1777-1859)
        • Sarah Gardiner (1805-1872)
        • Thomas Gardiner (1801-1881)
        • Annabelle Hanke (2013-)
        • Carl Hanke (1928-2012) >
          • Carl Hanke photographs
          • Carl Hanke's trains
        • Chris Hanke (1959-)
        • Don Hanke (1963-) >
          • Don Hanke photographs
        • Eleanor Hanke (1932-) >
          • Eleanor Hanke photographs
          • Eleanor Hanke recollections
        • Jim Hanke (1961-) >
          • Jim Hanke photographs
        • Karin Hanke (19??-) >
          • Karin Hanke photographs
        • Hurd, Daniel (1758-1826) >
          • Daniel Hurd photographs
          • Daniel Hurd - documents
        • Elizabeth Howard Hurd (1839-1941) >
          • Elizabeth Hurd photographs
          • Elizabeth Hurd recollections
        • John Howard (1753-1827)
        • John Hurd (1585-1649)
        • Norman G. Hurd (1808-1896) >
          • Norman Hurd recollections
          • Norman G Hurd photographs
        • Ziba Hurd (1785-1854) >
          • Ziba Hurd biographical info
          • Last WIll & Testament
          • Ziba Hurd's Letter
        • Ziba Hurd (1837-1908) >
          • Ziba Hurd photographs
          • Emma letter to Ziba
          • Ziba Hurd recollections
        • Huey King
        • Patrick King
        • Chuck/Charles Little (1928-) >
          • Charles Little photographs >
            • Torkel Korling
          • Charles Little Recollections
          • Christmas store
          • Charles Little's art
        • Florence Little (1900-1988) >
          • Florence Little photos
          • Recollections about Florence Little
        • Malcolm Little >
          • Malcolm Little photographs
          • Malcolm Little recollections
      • M >
        • Heidi Mahlum (1959-) >
          • Photographs
        • Jon Mahlum (1953-) >
          • Photos
        • Bill Marshall (1927-2018) >
          • Bill Marshall photographs
          • Bill Marshall recollections
        • Ida Frances Marshall (1927-2023) >
          • Ida Frances Marshall photographs
          • Ida Frances Marshall recollections >
            • Things Remembered
            • Ida Frances Marshall - other recollections
        • Jane Little Marshall >
          • Jane Marshall photographs
          • Jane Marshall recollections
        • Robin Marshall >
          • Robin Marshall - photographs
        • Ted Marshall (1956-) >
          • Ted Marshall photographs
          • Ted Marshall recollections
        • Bill Mason (1957-) >
          • Bill Mason photos
        • Bob Mason >
          • Bob Mason photographs
          • Bob Mason letters
          • Recollections by/about Bob Mason >
            • Bob's own recollections
            • Recollections about Bob
            • Bob Mason's funeral
        • Chelsea Mason
        • David H Mason (1898-1974) >
          • David Mason photographs
          • David Mason recollections >
            • Colorado trip
          • David Mason documents
          • DHM Letters
          • David Mason - audio recording
        • Don Mason (1951-) >
          • Don Mason photographs
          • Don Mason recollections
        • Elmira Mason (1838-1923) >
          • Elmira Mason photographs
          • Elmira Mason recollections
        • Frances Cora Hurd (1864-1953) >
          • Frances Cora Hurd photos
          • Recollections about Frances Cora Hurd
          • Frances Hurd Mason Letters
        • Gloria Mason (1951-) >
          • Gloria Mason photographs
          • Gloria Mason recollections
        • Horace Mason (1894-1978) >
          • Horace Mason photos
          • Letters - Horace Mason
          • Recollections about Horace Mason
          • Horace Mason - Bob's biography
        • James Mason (1834-1895) >
          • Naturalization document
        • James Mason (1896-1985) >
          • James Mason photos
          • Recollections about James Mason
          • Recollections by James Mason >
            • e-mail exchange / newspaper interview
            • Maercker School
        • Jane Elizabeth Mason (1902-1988) >
          • Jane Mason photos
          • Recollections about Jane Mason
          • Jane Mason letters
        • John Mason (1937-) >
          • John Mason photographs
          • John Mason recollections
          • John Mason's music
        • Kate Mason (1988-) >
          • Kate Mason photographs
          • Kate Mason recollections
          • Kate Mason videos
        • Kathy Mason (19??-)
        • Kevin Mason (1973-) >
          • Charles Kevin Mason photographs
          • Charles Kevin Mason recollections
        • Linda Mason (1943-) >
          • Linda Mason photographs
        • Linda Mason (19??-) >
          • Linda Mason - photos
        • Louella Mason
        • Lucy Donelson Mason (1897-1995) >
          • Lucy Donelson Mason photos
          • Recollections about Lucy Donelson Mason
          • Recollections by Lucy
          • Don Mason & Lucy
          • Lucy Mason plays her piano
        • Neil Mason (1981-) >
          • Neil Mason photographs
          • Neil Mason recollections
          • Neil Mason - website links
        • Norman Mason >
          • Norman Mason photographs
          • Norman Mason recollections
        • Ralph Mason (1888-1950) >
          • Ralph Mason photographs
          • Ralph Mason recollections
          • Ralph Mason letters
        • Robert Mason (1862-1929) >
          • RJ Mason letters >
            • 1884 letters
            • 1891 letters >
              • Feb 13, 1891
              • Feb 14, 1891
              • Feb 15, 1891
              • Feb 16, 1891
              • Feb 20, 1891
              • Feb 22, 1891
              • Feb 27, 1891
              • Mar 5, 1891
              • Mar 6, 1891
            • 1893 letters >
              • July 17, 1893
              • July 24, 1893
              • July 25, 1893
              • Aug 1, 1893
              • Aug 7, 1893
              • Aug 17, 1893
              • Aug 24, 1893
              • Aug 25, 1893
          • Robert Mason photographs
          • Robert Mason recollections
          • Naturalization Documents
        • Russ Mason (1949-) >
          • Russ Mason photographs
          • Russ Mason recollections >
            • Burglary story
            • Jefferson Ice Factory >
              • Jefferson Ice Factory - history
            • Music >
              • Live shows Russ attended
            • Ireland Trip 2024
          • Russ Mason - family tree
        • Samuel Mason (1810-1877) >
          • Samuel Mason photographs
          • Samuel Mason documents
        • Shirley Mason (1915-2005) >
          • Shirley Mason photographs
          • Shirley Mason recollections
          • Shirley Mason documents
          • Shirley Mason video
        • Tara Mason >
          • Tara Mason - photographs
        • Teddy Mae Mason
        • Mason, Tori >
          • Tori Mason photographs
        • Virginia Mason (1908-1983) >
          • Virginia Mason Photographs
          • Recollections about Virginia Mason
        • Arsene Muhigirwa (1979-)
        • Bonnie Muhigirwa (1985-)
      • N - S >
        • Fran Pribyl (1935-) >
          • Fran Pribyl photographs
        • Bryn Richardson >
          • Bryn - photos
        • Elizabeth Richardson (1960-) >
          • Elizabeth Richardson photographs
          • Elizabeth Richardson recollections
        • Ryan Richardson
        • Dick Roberts >
          • Dick Roberts photographs
          • Dick Roberts recollections
        • Florence Mason Roberts (1928-2023) >
          • Florence Mason Roberts photographs
          • Florence Mason Roberts recollections
        • James Roberts (1989-) >
          • James Roberts photographs
          • James Roberts recollections
          • James Roberts art
        • Murdoch Mason Roberts >
          • Murdoch Roberts photographs
        • Shane Roberts (1985-) >
          • Shane Roberts photographs
          • Shane Roberts recollections
        • Steve Roberts (1954-) >
          • Steve Roberts photographs
          • Steve Roberts recollections
        • Emily Stoops (1983-) >
          • Emily Photos
        • Matt Stoops
      • T - Z >
        • Adene Wildman
        • Mary Alice Wildman
      • Women by birth names
      • Group pictures
Back

barrington farm - recollections

Picture
Aerial photo probably taken in the early 1950s

Don Mason's recollections about the farm:

When my brother Russ and I were growing up on the ‘Fun Farm’ (our name for it when we were teen-agers; and what we call it to this day) - the farm in Barrington that Sarah remembers for the summer weekend afternoons she spent riding her buckskin, Bourbon, in those beloved wide-open fields that flowed out from behind the barn – we were in kid heaven. We had our own orchard to play ‘army’ in (with lots of apples, pears, and cherries mom would can for winter use), fields to explore, a barn to play in, a tractor that we would drive to mow various parts of the yard and orchard, with its sicle-bar chopper and its gang mover that dragged behind. (That was my favorite chore as a kid. Made me feel so grown up.) In the fall, a dozen pheasant hunters could sometimes be seen advancing across the fields from the south, behind the barn. One fall, our fun-loving husky mix, who we called ‘Sarge’, came back to the yard with a big pheasant, full of buckshot, between his teeth. A hunter was, no doubt, hot under the collar over losing his bird.

I would go on long walks out in those fields with my dad; and he would tell me the names of the different kinds of grass and the other plants as we walked and talked (well, it was mostly dad talking. But I was listening.), and we would sometimes talk about family memories from the past, such as our car trip out to Colorado when Russ and I were young. But, mostly, we just walked in blissful silence; except, of course, for me asking lots of questions. I appreciate now how lucky I was to have a father, for however short a time, who had done and seen so much in his life; and so generously shared his gentle wisdom and wry sense of humor with us.

I explored those fields pretty thoroughly on my own in those idyllic years when the world was still somewhat innocent and not as fast-paced as it is now. We had a slough full of pussy willows and a creek with mysterious-looking mounds – five or six all the same size, all in a row - that we were convinced must be Indian burial mounds. And we had yet another orchard of gnarled and twisted trees about a quarter mile away we called ‘Italy’, because those trees reminded us of trees in the ‘Italy’ that we’d seen in movies. These places weren’t on our property, but they were part of our world. And what a great world it was. The Fun Farm was such a wonderful place to grow up. I am so grateful to our dad for moving us out there from Park Ridge in 1958. Those were some magical years.


PictureA weekend picnic circa 1958.



​Russ Mason recalls his visits to the farm:


For years after our mother sold the farm, any time I returned to Illinois I could go for a visit long after all the surrounding cornfields had been been replaced by houses. I'd just knock on the door, tell whoever answered that this was where I grew up, and that I'd like to walk around and take some photos. I was never invited inside the house, and the barn and other buildings on the property were always shut.

In 2008 I attended the memorial service for my friend Bruce Hirsch's mother, which took place in Evanston. The following day I drove out to the farm, only to discover that the house and all the buildings were gone. Only the deteriorating outdoor grill remained...

Picture
But out by the road a sign had been erected, announcing the proposed development of the property...
Picture
The following Summer Don, Kate, Jennie and I attended the first Mason Family Reunion in Lake Geneva, WI, and stopped to see the farm on our way...
Picture
Picture
Picture
However, the real estate slump of 2009 prevented this development from happening. The property remained vacant for several more years, and the next time I visited I found the sign no longer standing...
Picture
In 2017, on our way to my 50th high school reunion, Jennie and I drove down Bradwell Road and found the property had finally been developed. A cul-de-sac now provides access to seventeen homes on the five acres where Don and I grew up.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Proudly powered by Weebly