08/24/2026
Have you ever wondered where the name “Danada” came from?
It was created by combining the names of Dan and Ada Rice, the husband-and-wife team whose story shaped this remarkable piece of DuPage County history.
Dan and Ada married in Chicago in 1920. Nine years later, they purchased 152 acres of farmland between Wheaton and Naperville. Over time, their estate grew to approximately 1,350 acres and became a working farm, a family home, and one of the country’s leading Thoroughbred racing operations.
Their accomplishments reached far beyond the farm. Dan and Ada supported medical research, education, conservation, the arts, and numerous charitable organizations. Their horses won thousands of races, including the 1965 Kentucky Derby, but their greatest legacy may be the land and opportunities they left behind.
Following their deaths, local residents and preservationists fought to protect the property from development. Much of the former estate eventually became the Danada Forest Preserve, allowing the community to continue enjoying the land that Dan and Ada built together.
Dan + Ada = Danada.
Their names are still joined together, and their story is still being written.
Learn more about Dan and Ada Rice:
https://danadahistory.org/the-rice-family/
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.
