The Ellis County Rural Heritage Farm Inc celebrates the farming and natural history of the Texas Blackland Prairie. Ellis County is in the heart of the Blackland Prairie, a complex tallgrass prairie ecosystem named for its rich dark soil. The soil was also ideally suited to crop agriculture that led to the development of small family farms and ranches which provided the foundation for the growth of the cotton industry and ultimately of the Ellis County and Dallas-Fort Worth area economy and communities.
The 145-acre Ellis County Rural Heritage Farm (the Farm) is the remnant of the Marvin W. and Mattie F. Aday Family Farm of which ~315 acres were appropriated for the Superconducting Super Collider Project in the early 1990s. A centerpiece of the farm is the beautifully restored 1913 McKinney-Aday Farm House.
The site is comprised of a working farm and native prairie areas. The Farm will offer organized tours, active learning opportunities, educational and living history programs, and garden or row crop or native prairie demonstration projects to provide opportunities for future generations to gain an understanding and appreciation of rural life in late 19th and early to mid-20th century Ellis County, Texas.
Click on the map image for a larger view.
A Board of Directors oversees the organization and operation of Ellis County Rural Heritage Farm Inc. The Farm was developed in association with the Ellis County Museum, Inc. and there remains a close association between the two organizations. The Farm will be an ongoing project to enhance public appreciation of and provide educational opportunities to students and learners of all ages about rural farm life. Interested parties can become members, contribute direct financial support, and/or volunteer for specific projects to assist with the operation of the heritage farm.