Hazelwood Estate

USA / Illinois / Dixon / North Brinton Avenue, 2052
 place with historical importance, Walgreens
 Upload a photo
genealogytrails.com/ill/lee/charters.html

In 1837 Alexander Charters obtained a tract of land three miles north of Dixon's Ferry. He named his estate Hazelwood and entertained such notables as William Cullen Bryant, Stephen A. Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, and General Philip Kearney. Charles Walgreen who lived in Dixon as a youth and later founded the Walgreens drugstores, purchased Hazelwood in 1929.

On the rustic, pine-shaded estate of the late Charles R. Walgreen at Dixon there stands an ancient, well-preserved log cabin that is one of the noteworthy historic landmarks of northern Illinois and the Rock River country. It has been standing there for over a century and is associated with more famous people of the state and nation than perhaps any other dwelling in that part of Illinois. And this association continues, for it now serves as the kitchen and dining room of the Walgreen guest house where well-known social and artistic personages are entertained.

From a historical sketch, "One Hundred Years at Hazelwood," written by the late Frank E. Stevens when the Walgreens observed the one-hundredth anniversary of the estate in 1937, we learn that among the famous people entertained at Hazelwood by "Governor" Charters were Abraham Lincoln, Stephen A. Douglas, William Cullen Bryant, General Philip Kearney, Margaret Fuller, John Quincy Adams, and Bayard Taylor.

"Governor" Charters died at Hazelwood in 1878 at the age of seventy-eight. Later the estate was acquired by Charles H. Hughes, banker and state senator. Subsequently, the old manor house was destroyed in a fire. But the log cabin and the barn remained. Then, in 1929, the estate and buildings were bought by Charles R. Walgreen, who, as a youth in Dixon, had admired the grounds of Hazelwood when he and his companions were fishing in the Rock River.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   41°53'2"N   89°29'3"W

Comments

  • Is Hazelwood Farm still open? My Grandma worked there as a cook and then later she worked for Mrs. Walgreen in Chicago on Lake Shore Drive. This was about 55 years ago but I was wondering if it was still open
  • Sojourns at Hazelwood left vivid memories that are finding expression in "Hazelwood Summers, 1941-1953." John J. Stephan, Emeritus Professor of History, University of Hawaii.
  • Hazelwood is still in the Walgreen family. When Myrtle Norton Walgreen died at the age of 92 in 1971, Hazelwood's stewardship fell to her son Charles R. Walgreen, Jr. Upon Mr. Walgreen's death in 2007, I believe that stewardship was assumed by his daughter Leslie Ann Walgreen Pratt. I vividly remember Sarah A Donoho (1908–1980), Hazelwood's cook from the 1930s until the early 1960s. Sarah was ably assisted by Cecille B. Fuller (1898–1957). Sadly, the "Lincoln Cottage" (which housed the kitchen and dining room) burned down ca. 1980. Its replacement, which I visited in 1990, is attractive but bears little resemblance to the original.
  • My late brother and sister-in-law, John and Sandra DeFrank, were the caretakers at Hazelwood from 1982 until Sandra left in 2009. The day the Lincoln Cabin burned down was a terrible day - John called me, crying, because all the wonder Lincoln memorbilia (and other Walgreen artifacts) had gone up in flames. Thank God, no one was hurt. My family and I visited Hazelwood probably 50 times in the years John and Sandra were the caretakers, and it was just a lovely place. My brother died in May, 2002, after mowing the grass there. He came into his house at Noon to make lunch, dropped to the floor and died. John is buried just west of the Walgreen family plot at Oakwood Cemetery. Sandra carried on as caretaker for several years, before returning home to the Chicago area. They really loved their job at Hazelwood; the Walgreen family were exemplary to work for.
This article was last modified 11 years ago