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Traditions such as the stirrup cup, sherry or brandy served at the start or finish, and the hunt breakfast, refreshments served at the end, have been preserved. The Wayne-DuPage Hunt Pony Club is a related organization for teaching young people riding, training and horse care. The land was later purchased by Franz Palm, who transformed the area into a sportsman's hunting and fishing lodge.
The village is served by St. Charles District 303 in its south and west portions and by Elgin Area School District U-46 in its central, north, and east portions. U-46 serves an area of some 90 square miles in Cook, DuPage and Kane Counties. Wayne has its own elementary school, Wayne Elementary, part of U-46, serving 600 children in grades K-6 from Wayne and surrounding communities.
Wayne Day and other gatherings
In 1961, the Wayne-DuPage Hunt was instrumental in purchasing more land from Dunham's Inc., including the Kennels and Upper Barn. This purchase was made in the name of the Dunham Woods Riding Club. Additional land was purchased in 1975, which included the outdoor riding rings, indoor riding ring, outside cross-country course, tenant house, and new pole barn all of which are leased to the Hunt by the club. At the height of the Percheron business, Dunham built a house, now called Dunham Castle, near the farm, on the northwest corner of Army Trail Road and Dunham Road. The Dunhams-based the idea for the design of their new home on that of French chateaux.
The offices of Dunham's farm, then popularly known as the “Inn”, are well-preserved, now home to Wayne's only dining establishment and social club, the Dunham Woods Riding Club. Wayne is a village in DuPage and Kane counties, Illinois, United States. The eastern portion, in DuPage County, is in Wayne Township, while the western portion, in Kane County, is in St. Charles Township. According to the 2010 census, Wayne has a total area of 5.868 square miles (15.20 km2), of which 5.78 square miles (14.97 km2) (or 98.5%) is land and 0.088 square miles (0.23 km2) (or 1.5%) is water. After Fletcher's death in 1900, the land changed ownership a few times before Mark Morton purchased it in 1926. One of the founders of the Morton Salt Company, Morton excavated the farm's southwest corner for sand and gravel.
Dunham Woods Riding Club
Started around 1997, this annual event highlights community organizations, local politicians, and historic exhibits. This event is run by community organizations in conjunction with the Village of Wayne. The 2009 event commemorated the 175th anniversary of the founding of Wayne. The Dunham Woods Riding Club is an active social and tennis club, with three dining rooms, two private rooms, a terrace, and a patio. The club hosts a variety of social events and private parties and is open February through December.
Assisting Mark in the design was architect Smith Hoag of Elgin, Illinois. For work, residents are primarily commuters to Chicago via railroad stations in Geneva, Bartlett, or West Chicago or drive to Chicago or other suburbs particularly in Kane, DuPage, Lake, Cook, or McHenry County. Wayne was originally named Wayne Station and was named after Anthony Wayne. Previously, the community was administered as a private association called the "Wayne Community Association" with voluntary contributions funding village services including police.
Pratt’s Wayne Woods
The building, of brick, and stone, with different colored slate roofing, stands surrounded by woods, gardens, and a gently sloping lawn. The interior has parquet floors, statues, tapestries, and copies of fine, French artwork. Mark Dunham's horse farm, Oaklawn Farm, founded in Wayne in 1866, was one of the earliest Percheron breeding farms in the U.S.; Dunham is known as the “Father of the Percheron in North America”. During the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, a train from Chicago to Wayne brought guests to see the Percheron horses at the 2,000 acres (8.1 km2) farm. Those that made the trip included Cyrus McCormick, George Pullman, and the Duke of Veragua. In October, 2007, the historic Chicago and Northwestern railway station was relocated from Dunham Castle to the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad tracks at Army Trail Road.
This is partially due to the native Oak savanna landscape between the DuPage and Fox rivers, with Tallgrass prairies that retain a large amount of water in the spring season. The village is surrounded by these prairies on three sides, and has taken steps to maintain them in their natural state. The area now known as Pratt's Wayne Woods first took form in 1965 with a donation of 160 acres (0.65 km2) by the state of Illinois. Housing in the Village of Wayne varies from small bungalows to multimillion-dollar estates. There are several subdivisions within the Village with house size and value more or less uniform within a given subdivision.
James "Pate" Philip State Park is located just north of Pratt's Wayne Woods. A 24,000 square foot visitors center that also houses the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Region 2 headquarters opened in April 2003. Since the early 20th century, the complex of wetlands in Pratt's Wayne Woods’ Brewster Creek area have been artificially drained by a system of buried clay pipes. The Forest Preserve District is now removing these drain tiles to restore this vital habitat, which over the years has become home to several threatened and endangered plant and animal species. Residents and guests celebrate Wayne Day around the first Saturday in October each year in the fields west of the Dunham Club with a kite flying, picnic, and evening bonfire.
Club members are primarily Wayne residents, as well as residents from neighboring communities such as St. Charles and Geneva. Wayne's primary landmark is the Dunham Castle, originally built between 1878 and 1882. The stone structure, complete with turret, was inspired by a Norman castle and was built by one of Wayne's first pioneers, Mark Dunham, a Percheron horse breeder.
Outbuildings are permitted but must follow Village rules that restrict usage generally to horse stables. Architecture varies within the Village but there are several "New England" style homes. Residents and guests celebrate Flag Day in June each year with a parade and picnic on the Sunday nearest June 14. The parade begins at the general store near Railroad Street at Army Trail Road and is open to all. Wayne residents and guests in the church courtyard eat donated cakes and bring picnics. A Wayne Citizen of the Year, honored for contributions to the village, is traditionally chosen at this event.
Land that was not used in the mineral operations was farmed for grain and corn up until a few years before Morton's death in 1951. The first private land owner of this area was Mark Wentworth Fletcher, a surveyor who made his living in Geneva, Dundee, Elgin, St. Charles and Wayne. Fletcher purchased 320 acres (1.3 km2) from the federal government on February 18, 1846, and built a farmhouse along Dunham Road.
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