A Rare Community Gem

A Rare Community Gem. . , How did Porter County come to own this beautiful and historic park? It all began back in 1934, when Colonel Robert Heffron Murray and his wife, Sue, bought 80 acres here and started Sunset Hill Farm. Within a year, they had 1000 chickens and sold eggs and broilers to local residents. In 1939, they produced ten gallons of milk a day and sold it for 30 cents a gallon., Over the years, the farm expanded to its present size of 238 acres. By 1970, Sunset Hill Farm produced about 400 gallons of milk a day. That year, the farm stopped selling milk directly to the public and instead sold it through a local distributor. The farm's dairy operations ended in 1978., Colonel Murray died in 1972 and left the farm to Purdue University to use as an agricultural experiment station. Purdue opted not to take over the farm, so the Murray estate donated the land to Porter County. Now, thousands of people enjoy the farm each year, thanks to Colonel Murray's generous legacy., [Captions:] , In 1936, the Murrays planted 36,000 red. pines (foreground, above) to stabilize the sandy hillside behind their home. Look for the mature pines as you explore Murray Woods. The Murrays' home, above, was torn down in 2009., Lloyd and Ethel Prosser managed Sunset Hill Farm from the.mid-1950s until 1981. In the 1955 photo above, the Prossers stand-in the new dairy barn, built to replace the original barn, which burned in 1954., The original entrance of Sunset Hill Farm Park. This sign still remains at one of the entrances today, just off Meridian Road., Fun, Fitness, Field Trips , As Sunset Hill Farm Park, we aim to promote understanding and respect for Earth's natural resources. We also strive to share the park's rich farming tradition with visitors., Through our education programs, students can explore the park with our interpretive staff. Our summer camp program also immerses kids (grades K-8) in nature and outdoor fun., We hold many fitness clubs and programs at Sunset Hill as well. In the mornings, you'll find running and jogging enthusiasts enjoying the five miles of trails. The park is also home to cross country meets for youth running,, which includes teams organized by the parks department as well as local high school and middle school teams., Campers can choose from eight weeks of summer camp, each with a different theme. Whether they come one week or all eight, there's something new to discover at each visit.