Marmon Valley Farm just celebrated 40 years of operation and 40 years God's marvelous grace in using the camp to bring many people to the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ. Here's a brief look back at the beginning of it all.
Historically Marmon Valley Farm sits on land that was once familiar to Wyandot and Shawnee Indians, in fact, Chief Tarhe's Wyandot village existed where Zanesfield stands today.
The camp was also home to legendary frontiersmen Simon Kenton at one time. The name Marmon Valley Farm was adopted by the Wiley's in recognition on first homesteaders to settle the valley back in 1805. Two of the Marmon homes remain on the property today. The camp itself is actually spread out over three formerly neighboring farms which were gradually acquired over time. The Louden farm, now the stable area of the camp, was the first property attained. Bill Wiley's dream in 1964 was to open a farm camp for children where they could experience "real" farm life for a week. The early years emphasized farming, gardening and small animal care. However, it didn't take long for the horse program to take off after being introduced on a much smaller scale than you see today.
