JOSEPH HAMMAN FAMILY

In the past decade it has been easy to see the many changes in the DuPage county area. Whether it is a new subdivision or a strip mall, much of the farmland in this area has been converted for either commercial or residential use. I will show how one small farm on Eola Road has evolved over the years to keep up to speed with the rest of society.

In the summer of 1938 Mary Ann and Joseph Hamman purchase a plot of land at 7s343 Eola Road. By the end of the summer the house was built and this 7 acres soon took the shape of a small farm. Although at the time the Hammans’ owned few animals, a cow along with some chickens and ducks also took residence on the farm. In the spring of 1939 Mary Ann gave birth to her son Donald.

Throughout the 40’s two more children were born. Donna was born in 1942 and Joyce followed three years later in 1945. The farm underwent little change during this time period. Joe farmed the 7 acres while Mary Ann managed a strawberry patch on the property, which yields up to 3000 quarts of strawberries a day during the picking season. Then in 1948 the Hamman’s purchased 60 acres in the surrounding area so that more corn and soybeans could be farmed each year to support the growing family.

The 50’s was also a changing time for the Hamman Farm. In the fall of 1951 Mary Ann gave birth to her last child, Robert. Donald was now twelve years old and helped is father plant and harvests the sixty acres of corn and soybeans each year. Also during this time there was an addition of pigs and steer to the growing farm. The majority of the crop that was harvested was used to feed the animals on the farm. The kids also got a pony that was named Lady. Lady had almost a dozen babies and at one time there was 7 ponies on the farm.

The early 60’s were a time a struggle for the Hamman’s. With the unexpected death of Joseph Hamman a few years earlier, the boys had to take over most of the roles on the farm. Don and Bob farmed the land to provide for the family while their mother grow and sold an acre of pumpkins. These pumpkins were sold to stores such as Eagle and Amlings which are still present in the area today. The town of Eola was growing with the addition of a post office, gas station, and grocery store, along with Rebers canning factory. By this time the Hamman Farm had over a hundred cattle on the property. These cattle consumed most of the crop and the surplus was taken to the Frontenac elevator on Route 34.

By early 70’s all of the children had married except for Bob who still lived with his mother on the farm. Bob continued to farm 150 acres for his mother while he also raised pigs. Cattle production came to an end to make room for over 300 pigs. Bob continued to farm and raise pigs throughout the 70’s while Mary Ann grew and sold pumpkins. In the winter of 1976 Bob married Jeanne Gorey and moved away from the farm. Although Bob did not live on the farm he continued farming.

Throughout the majority of the 80’s Bob farmed in excess of 1500 acres in DuPage and Kane County area. This included land in Fermilab and at Statesville Prison. With a booming demand for residential and commercial land in the area, Bob and many other farmers saw much of the land converted into houses and stores.

As in anything else, time has changed Hamman Farm over the years. In the beginning, there was only a few animals and seven acres. As we move into the next millennium I hope that farms such as Hamman Farms will be around to show generations to come this important aspect of American history.