We are Mark & Sandy Murray. Mark is a native Buckeye (useless nut). Sandy is a sweet South Carolina girl. We met in Berlin, Germany in 1983, when the east was divided from the west. For a long time, we desired to move to the country and live on a few acres, to enjoy all nature has to offer. Once we decided what we wanted, we diligently searched for property for about three years, maybe longer. One day, totally by chance, we drove past a For Sale sign posted near the road. 70 acres was definitely more property than we thought we could afford, but we fell in love during our first walk in the woods. We moved into the cottage in 2015. It was in much worse condition than what you see now.
Our property is located on what once was part of the White Farm. Mr. White is a descendent of group of families that moved here from Virginia in the 1800’s. Story has it, that a Virginia slave owner, named William Ragland, decided to free his enslaved persons and had the families brought here to Ohio. He purchased an entire township of land (one square mile) and gave it to the families. White, Ragland, Carter and Fox, are a few of the family names. Descendants still own much of the land in this area. Our property surrounds the Ragland Family Cemetery. Some markers date back to the Civil War era.
Bordering our property to the northeast, is 146 acres known as the Liberty Wildlife Area. The state-owned property was a gift from the Central Ohio Hunters Club in 1956. There is no access to the wildlife area from the cemetery. Only our registered guests can easily access the wildlife area from our property.
We have traveled quite a bit throughout the lower 48 and overseas. Germany, France, the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Badlands, all have stunning landscapes. While they all have their special qualities, there are few places that are as beautiful as it is right here in southern Ohio. We may seem a little bias, but we believe it is a gorgeous place to live or visit.