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Bray Family Park History
The 92 acre Bray Family Homestead Park was donated on July 31, 2007 from the Bray Family of Noblesville. The land has been under ownership of the Bray Family for over 150 years.
Bray Family History
The Bray Family began arriving in Westfield, Indiana in 1836. Like many other Quakers, the Bray's left their original homestead in North Carolina for new opportunities in Indiana. A major reason Quakers fled the south centered on their deep commitment to the abolishment of slavery. The territory of Indiana came into the Union in 1816 with its declared law as "all men are born, equally, free and independent." This sentiment appealed to Quaker families like the Bray's, which began their journey north into Indiana in the spring on 1815.
Henry Bray arrived on this property in 1841. With $607.50 in his saddlebags, Henry traveled over 100 miles from Mooresville in Morgan County to the land grant office located at Jeffersonville, Indiana in order to purchase the property. With the help of his Uncle Edward, who had arrived in the county a few years earlier, he built a log cabin on the 135 acres. The price of land was approximately $1.25 per acre.
Bray Family History
The Bray Family began arriving in Westfield, Indiana in 1836. Like many other Quakers, the Bray's left their original homestead in North Carolina for new opportunities in Indiana. A major reason Quakers fled the south centered on their deep commitment to the abolishment of slavery. The territory of Indiana came into the Union in 1816 with its declared law as "all men are born, equally, free and independent." This sentiment appealed to Quaker families like the Bray's, which began their journey north into Indiana in the spring on 1815.
Henry Bray arrived on this property in 1841. With $607.50 in his saddlebags, Henry traveled over 100 miles from Mooresville in Morgan County to the land grant office located at Jeffersonville, Indiana in order to purchase the property. With the help of his Uncle Edward, who had arrived in the county a few years earlier, he built a log cabin on the 135 acres. The price of land was approximately $1.25 per acre.
Bray Family Park Today
Since their arrival into Hamilton County over 170 years ago, the Bray's have contributed greatly to their community and remained an active, influential, and philanthropic family.
The Bray Family property direct lineage is Henry and Betsey (Mills) Bray, William C. and Elizabeth (Porter) Bray, Porter Bray, Dr. Malcolm and Mary Bray, Phyllis (Bray) Lay, and finally Alice (Bray) Drexler. In the picture, Dr. Malcolm Bray proudly displaying the Hoosier Homestead Farm Sign in 1987.
The donation of the Bray Family Homestead Park by Phyllis (Bray) Lay and Alice (Bray) Drexler, the great-great granddaughters of Henry Bray, is another testament to the Bray Family's enduring spirit of giving, caring, and sharing.
Since their arrival into Hamilton County over 170 years ago, the Bray's have contributed greatly to their community and remained an active, influential, and philanthropic family.
The Bray Family property direct lineage is Henry and Betsey (Mills) Bray, William C. and Elizabeth (Porter) Bray, Porter Bray, Dr. Malcolm and Mary Bray, Phyllis (Bray) Lay, and finally Alice (Bray) Drexler. In the picture, Dr. Malcolm Bray proudly displaying the Hoosier Homestead Farm Sign in 1987.
The donation of the Bray Family Homestead Park by Phyllis (Bray) Lay and Alice (Bray) Drexler, the great-great granddaughters of Henry Bray, is another testament to the Bray Family's enduring spirit of giving, caring, and sharing.