In 1907, Samuel Insull purchased 132 acres of land called Hawthorn Farm and a farmhouse that occupied the space. It was located on the west side of Milwaukee Avenue (RT 21) and today's Townline Road (RT 60).
Construction on a new house began in 1914, but the original structure stood for some time.
The Insull's new house at Hawthorn-Mellody Farms.
Hawthorn Mellody Estate Farm House was designed for Samual Insull in 1914. 1941 Photograph during the Cuneo period.
A one-room schoolhouse served children of employees and servants at the Insull home in Lake County. It stood unused for decades before finally being demolished in the 1990s.
Hawthorn One-Room Schoolhouse.
John F. Cuneo bought the 2000-acre farm from utility magnate Samuel Insull in 1937 and sold the property in 1967 to National Industries, Inc. of Louisville.
One of the largest dairy farms in Lake County, Hawthorn-Mellody served the North Shore as far South as Evanston.
Beyond functioning as a state-of-the-art dairy farm, Hawthorn-Mellody also ran a small but successful amusement park, including a Children's Petting Zoo, a Steam Train, a Country Store, Western Town and the Club of Champs, which displayed autographs and possessions of the star athletes of the time, such as Joe Louis' boxing gloves and Sonja Henie's ice skates.
Film star Hopalong Cassidy made an appearance at Hawthorn Mellody Farms.
Cuneo hoped it would be a fun, educational center for children and adults alike to learn about agriculture and the dairy industry. He constructed a public Milking Parlor where visitors could watch the Holstein cows milked there every afternoon. The "free of human touch" production process convinced visitors to try Hawthorn-Mellody milk.
Free-of-Human-Touch ─ Dairy Plant.
Hawthorn-Mellody Farms was torn down in 1970 due to decreased attendance and an inability to compete with more modern dairy facilities.
