Threshing in Buffalo Grove
Threshing in Buffalo Grove
A Midwest Farming Tradition
Threshing took place on many farms all across Buffalo Grove. It was a community event, with farmers and their children all helping each other to complete the process. Women would often cook large meals at the end of a threshing day for all the families involved. Threshing season was a time for hard work but also community bonding and spending time together. The photographs below feature some of the farms and all the individuals who planned a part in making threshing season a success in Buffalo Grove.
On Buffalo Creek Farm, threshing was a huge job...
This farm was larger than most other farms in the area. Buffalo Creek Farm was established by Frances and Francis Lillie in 1907 and 1908. Residing between McHenry and Dundee roads on the border of Wheeling and Buffalo Grove, this farm served two purposes. There were two sides of the farm - a side for cattle raising experiments run by Dr. Francis Crane Lillie, and the other side was called Childerly. Childerly was a home for widowed mothers and their children from the city, started by Frances Crane Lillie. With lots of people to support and a large cattle population, threshing was a big deal at Buffalo Creek Farm.