Orchard Lake
Stock Farm
Overview
- The farm itself
- Herefords in Indiana
- A look at a few of its owners through the years
- Orchard Lake today
1. Orchard Lake Stock Farm
The farm is a concept
- Acreage and parcels varied wildly over the years
- Recorded "officially" under the Orchard Lake name in 1939
- 1801.58 acres
- The only constant is the piece where the buildings stood
- SW 1/4 & W 1/2 NW 1/4 Sec. 6, Twp. 27N R. 8W
- Coussens homestead is located on this piece
- That's the ONLY parcel also in the "official" description
My big surprise
- Newton Co. contains two major soil associations
- Glacial Outwash Plain
- Prairie
- Loess
- I assumed Orchard Lake was prairie; I was wrong
- That said, it's pretty fair ground
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11273672/wssSplash.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11277247/wssMap.png)
It's (mostly) sandy glacial outwash!!
The Friedline Connection
- Fred Friedline cited as builder of many structures there
- He also designed and built Sunny Crest, my farm
- It shares a unique feature with Orchard Lake
- We know for sure he built some of it
- John Friedline's scan of horse barn construction
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11273653/orchardLakeBarnGlassPlate.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11273583/farmMap.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11279833/farmMapN.png)
North
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11279832/farmMapM.png)
Middle
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11279828/farmMapS.png)
South
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11273585/orchardLakeEntrance.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11276365/oilHouse.jpg)
Oil House at Sunny Crest
Some views
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11276216/Orchard_Lake_Stock_Farm_1957.jpg)
$10 1957 Aerial
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11273575/20240416_160541.jpg)
1966 Aerial
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11279430/mccrayFarm.png)
"McCray Farm"
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11279839/mcCrayFarm2002.png)
2002 Newcomer
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11282031/orchardEntrance1Scaled.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11273641/oilHouseMaybe.jpg)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11282041/orchardCattleScaled.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11282032/cattleStrollScaled.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11282035/horseStrollScaled.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11273630/mccray0035.jpg)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11282034/horseBarnScaled.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11282042/saleBarnScaled.png)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11273635/mccray0046.jpg)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11282033/discountDepositScaled.png)
2. Northern Indiana and the Hereford Industry
It's hard to overstate the importance of this area to the development of the Hereford breed in the United States
Herefords in our area
- Tippecanoe County
- Shadeland Farms (Hawkins/Earl)
- Benton County Cattle Barons
- Thos. Atkinson, ca. 1824
- Fowler, Earl, Raub, Sumner, Boswell etal.
- William S. VanNatta
- Iroquois County, Illinois
- Lemuel Milk (into Newton County)
- Newton County
- McCray, Conrad, etal.
McCray bought his first registered Herefords in 1905 from Wm. VanNatta
(VanNatta was Moses Fowler's herdsman)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11273619/mccray0001.jpg)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11273621/mccray0007.jpg)
Perfection Fairfax Pedigree
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11273639/earlOfShadeland.jpg)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11273627/mccray0021.jpg)
3. Bigger-than-life owners
- Warren McCray
- Daniel F. Rice
- Eli Lilly & Co.
- Richard Gumz
- Henry Coussens
Warren T. McCray (1865-1938)
Purchased SW 1/4 Sec. 6, 1901, $55/acre
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11273643/mccray0001.jpg)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11273646/mcray_wins_1920.jpg)
McCray definitely had some skeletons
- Obvious one: the various convictions
- "Scandals" reported by the Jasper Co. Democrat
- On the other hand, he took on the Klan
- He seems to have always been in serious debt
Here is an exhaustive story of McCray's downfall
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11281434/IMG_20191021_131938105_2c.jpg)
Ade elevator, constructed ca. 1914 by Friedline
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11281433/20240419_202037.jpg)
Elevator at Effner 4/19/24
Purchased all of "official" Orchard Lake, 1939, @$33/acre
The Rices were busy folks
- Huge grain trading operation
- Farmers - both Wheaton and Lexington KY
- Thoroughbred Breeders
- Their horse Lucky Debonair won 1965 Kentucky Derby
- Philanthropists
- Wheaton home, Danada, is museum/event center
- A web search reveals an incredible array of gifts
- Epic battle over the Rices' estates
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11276519/danAdaRice.jpg)
With Lucky Debonair
Richard Gumz (1903-2001)
Purchased in 1972, $667/acre
Fred Gumz's legacy
- All five of his sons became big muck farmers
- Victor farmed in Pulaski County
- Richard was the "most successful"
- Elmer farmed along the Kankakee near South Bend
- Arthur's holdings were in Pulaski and Jasper counties
- Marcus farmed in Wisconsin; was very well-known
- His descendants are still farming today
Richard Gumz's vast enterprise
- 50+ transactions in Newton County alone, over almost 50 years
- Grew mint and potatoes near Enos
- Introduced mint in Newton Co. in 1963
- Was at one time largest mint grower in USA
- Began on the"Burbank Farm" near North Judson, 1940
- Bought Orchard Lake in 1972
- Worked locally with Marvin Miller family, Butch Derflinger
Meeting in Chicago during WWII
Henry Coussens
Purchased in 1986
Highlights
- Formerly farmed in Granger/Mishawaka area
- Purchased Orchard Lake etal. in 1986
- Portion of Section 6 was only part that is "original"
- Few buildings were left at that point; they were deteriorated
- Worked to save Pavilion
- Commissioned statue of Perfection Fairfax
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11280811/pavilion.webp)
4. Orchard Lake Today
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11273576/20240416_161349.jpg)
Orchard Lake
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11273573/20240416_155956.jpg)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11273578/20240416_162002.jpg)
"Castellated" silo
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11273625/mccray0016.jpg)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11273577/20240416_161718.jpg)
Perfection Fairfax Grave
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11273579/20240416_163133.jpg)
Old pump/power house
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11273580/20240416_163617.jpg)
Mint Distillery
Thank you!!
- Many thanks to:
- Richard Gumz
- Steve Gumz
- Henry Coussens
- Butch Derflinger
- Beth Bassett
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/11282057/20240422_001758.jpg)
Orchard Lake Stock Farm
By capouch
Orchard Lake Stock Farm
- 87