Everyone in Glenview, IL, knows Wagner Farm. It’s red barns and cow pasture is imprinted in the memory of every citizen. Whether on a school field trip or as an independent activity on an otherwise boring day, nearly every Glenview resident has been on the farm’s grounds. Few know the true story of the land, though.

Wagner Farm has been functioning since the 1850s. The Wagner family arrived in Glenview from Trier, Germany, and settled on the land quickly. The family ran the farm up until the last member died in 1997. From that point, a group of local citizens begged the Glenview Park District to buy the farm and preserve it as a historic, working farm for the education and enjoyment of the community. By 2000, Wagner Farm belonged to the Glenview Park District.

Guidelines were set. Planning and development began. The barns and farmhouse were repaired. Chickens and pigs were added to the livestock with the cows and horses. Programming and events were put in place to allow the public to experience the farm. Fundraising assisted the creation of the Historic Wagner Farm Heritage Center Museum in 2006.

As the years passed, the farm adjusted to match the needs of the community. Elementary and middle schools began visiting the 1920s-farmhouse exhibit, which showcased different household chores one would have to perform, and the Heritage Center.

“I remember the staff dressing up as members of the Wagner family and giving tours of the tiny house,” Zimmie Frerichs (22) said. “I always wanted to believe they were who they said they were and hold onto everything they said.”

The Glenview Farmer’s Market opened in 2007 on the farm’s land, allowing people to buy locally grown food. Wagner sets up booths selling milk products from their dairy farm, vegetables from the gardens, and other produce along with Glenview residents. They do not follow what they teach, however.

“Well, modern technology allows us to harvest and slaughter pretty quickly, so there is no need to go through the extra hassle of making products truly authentic,” Blake Lanphier, the farm manager, said.

The Park District says that Wagner is intended to interpret Glenview farm life in the 1920s. One cannot help but wonder, however, what is not being shown. What is Wagner Farm today when all the modern structures and technology is taken down? Was the 140-year history of the Wagner Family really preserved? Or is their heritage deteriorating?