# Danada History

> Friends of Danada - History Committee


## Pages

- [Friends of Danada Scholarships Now Open for 2026](https://danadahistory.org/friends-of-danada/scholarships/): Friends of Danada (FOD) offers support to young adults through multiple scholarships. Currently, three $1,000 scholarships are available to students who graduate high school in 2026 and enter college, or to students currently attending community college and majoring in one of the following: plant sciences, animal sciences, agricultural business, or environmental sciences.   “We need to tell the story of agriculture that we are rightfully proud of,” said Brennan Costello, National FFA Central Region Vice President. Over the years, this has primarily been through activities at the Fall Festival / Model Farm and during the “Down on the Farm” school field trip […]
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- [Volunteer](https://danadahistory.org/volunteer/): Volunteer At Danada House The Friends of Danada are always looking for volunteers who are willing to donate their time, talents, and resources. Consider completing our Volunteer Application, reading OUR Volunteer Handbook, and joining us!  Friends of Danada Mission: To engage the community in events and activities related to Danada House and Danada Farm. To educate the community about the history of the Rice Family, their philanthropic efforts, their passion for horses and farming that took place on their land in Wheaton. To recruit, train, and engage volunteers who are willing to donate their time, talents, and resources to support the Friends of Danada organization and their […]
- [Citations and Resources](https://danadahistory.org/citations-and-resources/): Local Archives & Primary Materials Friends of Danada History Committee ArchivesResearch files, photos, meeting notes, and interpretive texts maintained by the Friends of Danada History Committee and volunteers. These collections document the restoration of Danada House, the “Save the Rice Farm” movement, and ongoing public programs. DanaDa History+1 Danada House and Model Farm CollectionsHistoric photographs, display materials, and house history compiled by Friends of Danada and the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, including interior and exterior images of the mansion, barn, and farm operations. Forest Preserve District of DuPage County RecordsBackground on the acquisition of the Rice property, establishment of […]
- [Dispersal Sales](https://danadahistory.org/dispersal-sales/): Dispersal Sales Overview In 1975, the Danada racing and breeding operation entered its final chapter. In a carefully staged series of public and confidential auctions handled by the Fasig-Tipton Company, Mrs. Ada L. Rice dispersed virtually all of her Thoroughbred holdings. Contemporary coverage in The Blood-Horse recorded the scale of it. All but four horses went through the ring. The remaining four were the cornerstone stallions of the Danada program, sold separately in a confidential “courtesy” auction. Every horse offered was a Danada homebred. Each had won stakes in the 1960s and had stood at Mrs. Rice’s Lexington nursery, Danada Farm, […]
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- [Ada L. Rice Racing Stables](https://danadahistory.org/ada-l-rice-racing-stables/): Coast to Coast and Pastures in Between For more than three decades, Ada L. Rice turned Danada into a nationally known name in Thoroughbred racing. From the pastures of Danada Farm in Wheaton, Illinois, and later the Bluegrass fields of “Kentucky Danada,” her homebreds captured major stakes from coast to coast and reached the pinnacle of the sport with a Kentucky Derby victory. Derby Triumph And A Remarkable Record Mrs. Ada L. Rice sat in a folding chair in the receding pink light of a spring afternoon and remarked to friends that she was beginning to feel a letdown. For much […]
- [People](https://danadahistory.org/people/): Key Staff and Employees of Danada Farms Danada’s success was not only due to Dan and Ada Rice, but also a team of dedicated employees – from famed trainers to farm managers – who worked behind the scenes. The Danada History Committee has highlighted several notable individuals on the Danada staff. Here are brief profiles of the most prominent Danada employees and their contributions: Robert “Tom” Smith (1878–1957) – Tom Smith was an American Hall of Fame racehorse trainer, best known for training the legendary Seabiscuit in the 1930s. After Seabiscuit’s era, Tom Smith later joined the Rices in 1947 as […]
- [Pet Bully](https://danadahistory.org/notable-horses/pet-bully/): Pet Bully was born in 1948 and was the son of Petrose (sire) and Camelina (dam). Pet bully had 47 starts resulting in 4 places and 6 shows for career winnings of $365,702. He was among the first and best stakes winners to come from the Rice’s paddocks. Although leg trouble prevented him from being raced often, until he was four, he brought the Rices an unforgettable thrill when he won them their first $100,000 in the Washington Park Handicap in 1954. He was Mrs. Rice’s favorite thoroughbred. She was very interested in the early training of this colt, because she […]
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- [Videos](https://danadahistory.org/videos/): Danada History   1965 Kentucky Derby   Danada Farm History
- [Rice Donations & Grants](https://danadahistory.org/rice-donations-grants/): Rice Donations & Grants (Selected Beneficiaries) The Rice Foundation has supported a long list of beneficiaries over the years. Below is a structured summary of some key donations and grants made by Dan and Ada Rice (or their foundation), highlighting institutions that received major support and often have named facilities honoring the Rices: Chicago Botanic Garden: Received an $8 million challenge grant from the Rice Foundation toward its Plant Conservation Science Center, which opened in 2009. The state-of-the-art research building is named the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Plant Conservation Science Center, anchoring the Garden’s science campus. Art Institute of […]
- [Rice Foundation](https://danadahistory.org/rice-foundation/): Rice Foundation The Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Foundation, established in 1947, is a philanthropic foundation that carries forward Dan and Ada’s commitment to charitable giving. For decades the Rice Foundation has been a significant benefactor to a wide array of institutions, especially in the Chicago area. Here is an overview of the foundation’s history and impact: History and Endowment: Dan Rice created the foundation in 1947, initially funding it with contributions from his personal fortune. Over the next 40+ years, the foundation disbursed approximately $12.4 million via 1,257 grants, supporting causes the Rices cared deeply about. By 1988, prudent […]
- [Rice Estates](https://danadahistory.org/rice-estates/)
- [Danada Forest Preserve](https://danadahistory.org/danada-forest-preserve/): The Wheaton Estate – Danada Forest Preserve Overview Danada Forest Preserve covers close to 800 acres in Wheaton, Illinois. The land was once part of Dan and Ada Rice’s Danada Farm. Today it blends prairie, woods, wetlands, a lake, historic buildings, and horse facilities into one big open space for walking, biking, and exploring. You will find: Multiuse trails and a short nature loop Rice Lake and surrounding wetlands Danada Equestrian Center Danada House and formal gardens The preserve is managed by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, with Friends of Danada helping preserve and interpret the Rice history on […]
- [Florida Estates](https://danadahistory.org/florida-estates/): Dan and Ada Rice also maintained a luxurious winter home in Florida, reflecting their affluent lifestyle and the common practice of wealthy northerners spending winters in a warm climate. The Florida estate was located on Indian Creek Island in Miami Beach, Florida. Indian Creek Island is an exclusive, ultra-wealthy enclave often cited as one of the richest zip codes in the U.S., essentially a private island with a limited number of estates and a private golf course. Description of the Estate: The Rices’ Florida home was on Indian Creek Island by the 1960s (possibly earlier). Indian Creek Village records show Dan […]
- [Lexington Mansion](https://danadahistory.org/lexington-mansion/): The Lexington Mansion on the Danada Kentucky farm was a relatively understated but classic Kentucky home that served the Rices during their visits. As noted, it was a two-story colonial-style house with a brick facade, distinguished by a symmetric arrangement of windows and a central doorway with traditional trim. With five windows across the second floor and likely columns or pilasters by the door, it embodied the genteel architecture favored on Bluegrass horse farms. Little is recorded about the mansion’s interior or exact construction date. It’s possible the house pre-dated the Rices’ ownership (maybe built by a prior Idle Hour Farm […]
- [Lexington Farm](https://danadahistory.org/lexington-farm/): Lexington Farm  
- [Lexington Estate](https://danadahistory.org/lexington-estate/): During their racing years, Dan and Ada Rice established a significant second estate in the heart of Kentucky’s Bluegrass. Often referred to as the Lexington Danada Farm, this property was both a commercial breeding operation and a genteel country retreat for the Rices. Acquisition of Idle Hour Farm Land: In 1947, the Rices seized an opportunity to buy land from the dispersal of Colonel E.R. Bradley’s famed Idle Hour Stock Farm. Idle Hour, once home to champions like Bimelech and Black Gold, was being sold off after Bradley’s death. Dan and Ada purchased an initial 193 acres on Old Frankfort Pike, […]
- [Wheaton Estate](https://danadahistory.org/wheaton-estate/): Wheaton Estate and Danada Forest Preserve After Dan and Ada Rice passed away, their beloved Wheaton estate underwent a dramatic transition from private domain to public preserve – not without conflict and community action. This chapter of Danada’s story details how Danada Farm in Wheaton became the Danada Forest Preserve, and the ongoing developments on the property. The Conflict and “Save the Rice Farm”: When Ada died in 1977, there was no will specifying the future of the Danada property. The land, held by the Rice Foundation, was effectively put up for sale to the highest bidder. Given Wheaton’s booming suburban […]
- [List of Top-Earning Horses](https://danadahistory.org/list-of-top-earning-horses/): List of Top-Earning Horses – $100,000 Winners Horse Earnings Horse Earnings Talent Show $507,038 Delta Judge $159,762 Lucky Debonair $370,962 Apatontheback $158,060 Pet Bully $365,702 Mr. Paradise $144,007 Pia Star $306,240 Cerise Reine $143,052 Pucker Up $304,585 Doll Ina $134,429 Advocator $289,596 Flight History $127,730 Air Pilot $275,916 Rare Rice $126,154 Chief of Chiefs $176,039
- [Snow Boots](https://danadahistory.org/notable-horses/snow-boots/): All the thoroughbreds were run under her name as the Ada L. Rice Racing Stable. Top earner of that first string was Snow Boots that won his first start at Hawthorne on June 3, 1944, registering the first win for the racing stable. Snow Boots, appropriately named for his four white legs, won 7 of 21 lifetime starts including the 1946 Seabiscuit Handicap, and finishing a close third in the 1946 Santa Anita Handicap. Snow Boots certainly returned the investment of his $6,000 purchase price! Seven of the original eight purchases went on to win, including Danada Flash, and Danada Red, […]
- [Pucker Up](https://danadahistory.org/notable-horses/pucker-up/): Pucker Up was born in 1953 and was the daughter of Olympia (sire) and Inquisitive (dam). She was Kentucky bred and foaled on the Rice’s Lexington-based farm which was the primary breeding venture for Dan and Ada Rice. The ½ mile training track in Wheaton served as the local training grounds from 1954-1955 for the promising filly. Ada was placed with the creative responsibility of naming the thoroughbreds, usually deriving the names from the yearling’s pedigrees or habits. You guessed it, Pucker Up had a habit of puckering her upper lip. She was the first foal of her dam, Lou Lea, […]
- [Model Cadet](https://danadahistory.org/notable-horses/model-cadet/): Model Cadet was born in 1946 and was the son of Requested (sire) and Hedepine (dam). He began his career as a promising 2-year-old when he won the Washington Park Futurity. Model Cadet was the first Kentucky Derby entry for the Rices. He was entered in the 1949 Derby and finished 7th. Model Cadet was trained by Tom Smith and with jockey Ovie Scurlock. Ada showed high regard for Model Cadet by paying $2,250 to name him as a supplementary entry for the Preakness where he placed 7th out of a field of 9 horses. Overall, Model Cadet had 24 Starts, […]
- [Proud Delta](https://danadahistory.org/notable-horses/proud-delta/)
- [Delta Judge](https://danadahistory.org/notable-horses/delta-judge/): Delta Judge was born in 1960 as the son of Traffic Judge (sire) and Beautillion (dam).  Out of 16 Starts, he was the winner of 8 races, 3 places and 3 shows totaling $159,762 in earnings. He won 3 stakes, including the 1964 Fall Highweight Handicap. He sired over 20 stakes winners. In 1975, he was listed 26th on the Leading Sire list and 47th as Leading Sires Per-Capita Earnings. His daughter, Mississippi Mud, produced the leading sire Dixieland Band who stood at Lane’s End farm until 2010. He was the sire of DOUBLE DELTA (21 wins, $384,417) JUDGABLE, EGGY, DELTA […]
- [Admiral Lea](https://danadahistory.org/notable-horses/admiral-lea/): Admiral Lea was born in 1946 as the son of Bull Lea (sire) and Que Gato (dam) . He was trained by Tom Smith and with jockey Eddie Arcaro. Admiral Lea had 16 Starts, 6 Wins, 2 Places, and 5 Shows with career earnings of $58,800.
- [Advocator](https://danadahistory.org/notable-horses/advocator/): Advocator was born in 1963 as the son of Round Table (sire) and Delta Queen (dam).  He was the winner of 10 races totaling $338,658.  At the age of two, he already had three wins, one second and two third place finishes.  At the age of three, he collected one win, four times second (including the 1966 Kentucky Derby) and six times third (including the 1966 Belmont Stakes).  At age four, he had four wins and one third place while at age five he had two wins (including the Sunrise Handicap, 1 ½  miles, turf. 2:27 1/5), two second and four […]
- [Lucky Debonair](https://danadahistory.org/notable-horses/lucky-debonair/): Lucky Debonair remains the most celebrated Thoroughbred in Danada Farm history. Bred by Dan and Ada Rice of Wheaton, Illinois, he was foaled at the Rices’ Danada Farm operation near Lexington, Kentucky, on land that had once been part of the famed Idle Hour Stock Farm. A bay colt by Vertex out of Fresh as Fresh, Lucky carried a distinguished pedigree through his dam, a daughter of 1943 U.S. Triple Crown champion Count Fleet. Trained by Frank Catrone and raced under the Ada L. Rice Racing Stable banner, Luck developed from an overlooked young horse into one of the defining stars […]
- [Notable Horses](https://danadahistory.org/notable-horses/): Danada Farm Notable Horses Lucky Debonair Lucky Debonair is the best-known horse to ever carry Ada L. Rice’s colors. Foaled in 1962 at Danada Farm, the bay stallion by Vertex out of Fresh as Fresh grew from a lightly raced 2-year-old into a classic winner with a powerful, ground-eating stride. Bred by Dan and Ada Rice and raced under the Ada L. Rice Racing Stable banner, he became the horse who put the Danada name on the Kentucky Derby roll of honor. Racing Highlights In 1965, Lucky Debonair swept through a remarkable spring campaign. He won the San Vicente Handicap, then […]
- [James P. Conway](https://danadahistory.org/people/james-p-conway/)
- [Clyde Troutt](https://danadahistory.org/people/clyde-troutt/): Clyde Troutt was one of the trainers for Danada in the 1950s and early 1960s. Troutt was actually a son of Hall of Fame trainer Hirsch Jacobs (though not as famous as his father’s other protégés). For the Rices, Troutt oversaw the racing stable during a transitional time. By 1964, Clyde Troutt was the primary trainer and Frank Catrone was his assistant, especially when the stable split strings between tracks . For example, in late 1964, when Ada decided to race at Santa Anita over the winter, Troutt remained primary but sent Catrone ahead with some horses to California. Troutt’s notable […]
- [Howard Endicott](https://danadahistory.org/people/howard-endicott/): Howard Endicott was the long-serving farm manager for Danada’s breeding operations. He managed the Lexington, KY Danada Farm for about 20 years, essentially from its inception in 1947 until at least the late 1960s . Endicott’s responsibilities included overseeing stallions, broodmares, foalings, and yearling prep. Under his management, Danada Farm produced 64 stakes winners (as mentioned elsewhere). Endicott ensured mares were bred to top stallions (many Danada mares visited leading Kentucky sires, bringing blue-blood foals into Ada’s herd) and maintained high standards of care . He worked with veterinarians and bloodstock experts, likely coordinating with legendary horseman Olin Gentry early on. […]
- [Frank Catron](https://danadahistory.org/people/frank-catron/): Frank Catrone, Jr. (August 12, 1906 – March 7, 1985), best known for winning the 1965 Kentucky Derby as a trainer. He started out as an American thoroughbred horse racing jockey. Catrone stood 4 feet 9 inches (1.45 m) tall. While selling newspapers at a stand outside Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York, the diminutive 17-year-old was offered the chance to train to be a jockey by future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame trainer Sam Hildreth. Although Catrone met with some success as a jockey, he achieved nationwide recognition as a trainer. Battling weight problems, in 1936 he began […]
- [Lester Wander](https://danadahistory.org/people/lester-wander/): Lester Wander would break an average of 30 yearlings annually. He broke the fillies first, that seemed easier to train than the colts. “We don’t have much trouble with many horses,” he said. “Once in a while you get bad actor, but get a good rider who will take his time, won’t hit the horse or get angry, and the colt will ultimately do what you want him to. A horse has to have confidence in you and you in him. That’s where a good exercise boy is worth a lot of money. A good exercise boy on a yearling is […]
- [Tom Smith](https://danadahistory.org/people/tom-smith/): Robert Thomas “Tom” Smith (May 20, 1878 – January 23, 1957) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer who trained horses for the Rice’s from 1947- 1949. He entered the Rice’s Model Cadet in the 1949 Kentucky Derby. The trip to the Derby was the first of four visits by Dan and Ada Rice to Churchill Downs to try to win the classic race.  Model Cadet finished in 7th place and repeated the same performance in the Preakness. The other talented colt Smith trained for the Rice’s was Admiral Lee.  Smith is best known for having trained Seabiscuit in the late 1940s.. […]
- [Naming the Thoroughbreds](https://danadahistory.org/naming-the-thoroughbreds/): Danada Farm was owned by Ada L. and Dan F. Rice. They first entered the Thoroughbred business in 1943 when Ada told Dan that she would like to have a Thoroughbred to race. Mr. Rice purchased eight yearlings at Fasig-Tipton’s tent sales at Keeneland. Seven of them won. Well Mrs. Rice was hooked and they formed the Ada L. Rice Racing Stables. The responsibility of naming the horses was managed by Mrs. Rice, a duty she enjoyed and displayed with humor and creativity. Regarding naming, Mrs. Rice said, “Oh, you have to scratch for names. Like Lucky Debonair. I was trying […]
- [Dan Rice Jr.](https://danadahistory.org/dan-rice-jr/): Daniel Francis Rice Jr. (1927–1990) Early Life And Adoption Daniel Francis Rice Jr. was born on December 17, 1927, in Illinois. Modern genealogical indexes and memorial records list his birthplace as Chicago, Cook County. U.S. Geological Survey Publications His biological parents are not identified in publicly available records. In 1928 he entered the household of Chicago grain broker and future philanthropist Daniel F. Rice and his wife, Ada L. Rice. A later federal court decision, reviewing disputes over the Rice estates, describes him explicitly as “the adopted son and sole heir” of Daniel and Ada. The adoption was formalized when he […]
- [Ada Rice Career](https://danadahistory.org/ada-rice-career/): Ada Rice Career Ada attended school in Danville, Illinois through the 8th grade. She moved to Chicago around 1917 where she became a telephone clerk. She married Dan Rice in 1920 and in 1929 they purchased a 152-acre farm in Wheaton, Illinois. Although she enjoyed painting, skeet shooting and working with many charities, her career began in 1943 when she suggested to Dan that she would like to own a racehorse. Dan responded by purchasing eight thoroughbred yearlings at the Fasig-Tipton tent sale in Keeneland, Kentucky. He hired a trainer, Bill Cousey, who housed, managed and trained the young yearlings. Mr. […]
- [Ada Rice History](https://danadahistory.org/ada-rice-history/): Ada Rice History Ada Lucille Rice was born in 1898 in Danville, Illinois as Ada Lucille Perrigo.  Her maiden name was later changed to Bousman after her mother married Arlie Bousman in 1902. On April 22, 1920 Ada married Daniel Rice at St. Sebastian Church in Chicago54. She was described as a pretty brown-eyed, brown-haired bride. Standing at 5’5” she was much shorter than her tall husband. Ada was described as one of the most charming ladies to grace the American turf. Dan and Ada celebrated 54 years of marriage.   Ada was involved in numerous charitable enterprises during her lifetime. For […]
- [Ada Rice Ancestry](https://danadahistory.org/ada-rice-ancestry/): Ada Rice History (Life and Philanthropy) Ada Rice lived a remarkable life as a society figure, sportswoman, and philanthropist. Described in her youth as a “pretty, brown-eyed, brown-haired” bride (standing only 5’5″ next to her tall husband), Ada brought grace and charm to the American turf. She and Dan enjoyed 54 years of marriage, during which Ada emerged not just as the owner of champion racehorses, but also as a civic leader dedicated to charitable causes. Social and Civic Engagement: Throughout the mid-20th century, Ada was heavily involved in Chicago-area charities and social organizations. For 25 years she helped sponsor the […]
- [Dan Rice Career](https://danadahistory.org/dan-rice-career/): Daniel F. Rice’s professional career was firmly rooted in the commodities trading industry of Chicago. He began as a runner on the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) in the late 19-teens. In those days, a runner shuttled order slips between brokers – a lowly start, but Dan soaked up knowledge of grain markets. By 1920, at just 24, Dan had achieved membership in the CBOT, a clear indicator of his prowess and drive. He quickly made a name as an aggressive trader in agricultural futures (grains like wheat, corn, rye). Within a few years, Dan was reputed as […]
- [Dan Rice History](https://danadahistory.org/dan-rice-history/): Dan Rice History (Life and Business) Dan Rice (1896–1975) exemplified the 20th-century self-made American businessman, while also cultivating passions that ranged from sports to philanthropy. Born in Chicago on March 3, 1896, young Dan grew up in the city and attended local schools. He pursued higher education briefly at DePaul University and Notre Dame, but around 1917 he left academia, likely due to World War 1, and enlisted in the U.S. Army. Dan trained as an officer but never saw overseas combat; when the war ended in November 1918, he returned home to Chicago to start his career. Business Career Back […]
- [Dan Rice Ancestry](https://danadahistory.org/dan-rice-ancestry/): Irish Paternal Roots: Patrick Rice And Mary Sloan On Dan’s paternal side, the family reaches back to Patrick Rice and Mary Sloan, Irish immigrants who came to the United States in the mid-nineteenth century and eventually settled in the Great Lakes region. By 1900, Chicago had one of the largest Irish populations in America. Irish families like the Rices were deeply woven into the city’s working economy, from canal and dock work to municipal jobs and river traffic. Patrick and Mary’s son, the 1859 Daniel, followed that pattern. He made his living on tugboats along the Chicago River, part of the […]
- [The Rice Family](https://danadahistory.org/the-rice-family/): The Rice Family And Their Legacy Danada is a property rich in the story of one self-made man’s American dream. Daniel F. Rice was born on March 3, 1896, in Chicago and rose from humble origins to become a prominent commodities trader. After a brief stint in Army officer training during World War I, Dan returned to Chicago and joined the Board of Trade, where he gained renown as one of the most daring grain speculators in the pits. By 1919 he had founded his own brokerage, Daniel F. Rice & Company, which grew to 200 employees with offices nationwide. In […]
- [Danada Property and The Rice Family](https://danadahistory.org/danada-property-rice-family/): The Danada House Property: A Historic Legacy Danada House is the 19-room country mansion that Dan and Ada Rice built in 1939 as the heart of their Wheaton estate. Set on rolling farmland that once stretched to more than 1,000 acres, the house was both a family home and a place where Chicago business leaders, entertainers, and racing friends gathered. The name “Danada” blends their first names, Dan and Ada, and today it also ties together a much larger story. Visitors who walk through the front door are not just entering a beautifully restored house. They are stepping into the history […]
- [DuPage Forest Preserve](https://danadahistory.org/dupage-forest-preserve/): Forest Preserve District Of DuPage County The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County is the public agency that owns, protects, and cares for the open space that surrounds Danada and so much of the county. Headquartered in Wheaton, its core purpose is simple and steady: to acquire and hold lands with forests, prairies, wetlands, and other native communities, or lands that can be restored, so that the plants, wildlife, and scenic landscapes of DuPage County remain in place for future generations to enjoy. The preserves exist for education, recreation, and quiet refuge, but they are built first on conservation. Early History […]
- [Danada Equestrian Center](https://danadahistory.org/danada-equestrian-center/): Danada Equestrian Center Since 1984, the Danada Equestrian Center, located within the Danada Forest Preserve in Wheaton, has provided educational and recreational equestrian experiences for DuPage County residents.  The Center is operated by volunteers with supervision and oversight from a few Forest Preserve employees.  Danada programs are designed to give a holistic approach to horses and their daily care and to teach basic riding skills to participants 12 and older.  Programs include introductory and advanced horsemanship classes, group tours, summer camps, seminars and clinics.  Horse-drawn hayrides and sleigh rides are available seasonally for groups and individuals.  In addition, on the second […]
- [Danada House](https://danadahistory.org/friends-of-danada/danada-house/): Danada House Built in 1939, Danada House was the pinnacle of three Rice homes.  The other two were in Kentucky and Florida.  Dan and Ada Rice also often stayed at the Palmer House Hotel in downtown Chicago where they rented a penthouse suite on a continuous basis.  The estate’s name comes from the combination of their first names, Dan & Ada.  Dan and Ada were married on April 22, 1920.  In 1929 they adopted a five month old boy and named him Daniel F. Rice, Jr. Dan Rice was a commodity trader on the Chicago Board of Trade and it was […]
- [Danada Fall Festival](https://danadahistory.org/friends-of-danada/danada-fall-festival/): Danada Fall Festival Friends of Danada is a major participant in the annual Fall Festival which has become a showcase for the Danada Forest Preserve and attracts as many as 10,000 visitors on the second Sunday in October of each year.  The festival consists of equestrian shows with riders in costume, horse drawn hay rides, visits to the Danada Model Farm via tractor drawn hay rides, an art show of approximately 200 art and photo exhibits, activities for the children, food and entertainment. The Danada Fall Festival was organized by the forest Preserve District and the “Save the Rice Farm” group […]
- [Danada Model Farm](https://danadahistory.org/friends-of-danada/danada-model-farm/): Danada Model Farm Nearly 40 acres of the original Rice Farm are cultivated and harvested by Friends of Danada volunteers using vintage farm equipment.  As farming operations around DuPage County are giving way to suburban development, this is one of the few working farms left in what was once a major agricultural area.  The farming operation is a showcase of agricultural methods of the 1950’s and 60’s (when Danada Farm was at its peak) using machinery and equipment of that era, but addressing ecological and land conservation situations of today.  Our volunteers have been dedicated to cultivating the land for well […]
- [Danada Nature Art and Photo Show](https://danadahistory.org/friends-of-danada/danada-nature-art-and-photo-show/): Danada Nature Art and Photo Show The annual Nature Art and Photo Show has become a long-standing tradition at the Danada Fall Festival held annually at the Danada Forest Preserve on the second Sunday of October. Originally held at the Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve, it was moved to Danada in 1991 with the Friends of Danada co-sponsoring the event. Full responsibility for its undertaking was delegated to the Friends of Danada in 1992 with 2026 Art & Photo Show Save the Date (2) (3)the District assuming a co-sponsorship position.  It has since been sponsored and financed by Friends of Danada. The […]
- [History Committee](https://danadahistory.org/friends-of-danada/fact-finders-history-committee/): History Committee Friends of Danada was incorporated by the State of Illinois in 1986 to promote and encourage or foster civic, patriotic, historical and educational activity related to this wonderful property.  To foster this purpose and to assist and support the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, Don Nash, a Friends of Danada Board of Trustees member and a former President formed the History Committee in 2011 to research, document and preserve the history of Dan and Ada, the Rice Estate, the Ada L. Rice Racing Stables, the Estate property as well as the Friends of Danada.   The Committee is […]
- [Friends of Danada](https://danadahistory.org/friends-of-danada/): Friends of Danada | Preserving History, Building Community Friends of Danada Preserving History, Building Community For over 40 years, we’ve been dedicated to preserving the rich heritage of the Dan and Ada Rice estate while creating meaningful experiences for our community. Join Us Learn More Our Mission Friends of Danada is committed to supporting and promoting Danada Forest Preserve through education, preservation, and community engagement. We work to honor the legacy of Dan and Ada Rice while making their historic estate accessible to all. The Beginning: Save the Rice Farm In 1975, when the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County announced […]
- [Contact Us](https://danadahistory.org/contact-us/): Have a question about Danada House or the work of Friends of Danada? We would love to hear from you. Please use the form below to contact our volunteer team with questions about memberships, donations, programs on the estate, or general inquiries about the property’s history. We read every message carefully and do our best to respond within a few business days so you always know there is a real person on the other side of this form. Private Event Software powered by Tripleseat
- [About Us](https://danadahistory.org/about-us/): About Us (Friends of Danada – History Committee) Formation of Friends of Danada: After Dan Rice’s death in 1975 and Ada Rice’s in 1977, their 1,350-acre Danada estate in Wheaton, Illinois was left without a will and put up for sale. When developers eyed the land, local residents mobilized under the banner “SAVE THE RICE FARM,” successfully lobbying the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County to purchase 764 acres for $21 million. The grassroots group of nearly 200 volunteers incorporated in 1986 as the Friends of Danada (FOD), a nonprofit dedicated to assisting the Forest Preserve in managing the former Rice […]
- [Home](https://danadahistory.org/): Danada History The People. The Horses. The Estate. Their Legacy. Explore The History The Racing Stables Dan and Ada Rice built Danada into a working farm, a racing powerhouse, and a place the community still loves. Volunteers helped save it, researchers keep the story alive, and the archives keep growing. Start anywhere. It all connects. History Overview A fast way into Danada’s full timeline. Learn More → Notable Horses Lucky Debonair, Pucker Up, Pet Bully, Pia Star, and more. View Horses → Danada Estates Dan and Ada had multiple estates and propeties. The Estates→ Friends Of Danada The volunteer group that […]

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