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Eppen Hopes for Linear Park Name
(posted Mar 15)
"The light bulb" went on for Julie Eppen when she heard the plans
to close Georgetown Road for the conversion to a 43 acre linear park. For
her, the area is ground zero for the Eppen family farm to finally be recognized.
Eppen is now busy contacting town councilors and redevelopment commissioners
to get the ball in motion to preserve the family's farming roots that started
when John Eppen purchased land along Georgetown Road in 1906. Although
Julie is an Eppen by marriage to Stanley, she figures after 41 years of
marriage she is a true Eppen. She wants the family farming legacy to be
remembered by naming the park the Eppen Recreational Park.
The Eppens were landowners in Speedway and sold part of their farm to the American Legion. The family owned farm bordered from the American Legion Post to 1800 block of Auburn up to 21st Street to Georgetown Road. A 1931 plat map at the Wayne Township Assessor's Office shows the farm in an upside down "L" shape. Eventually the Eppen farm bordered about three-tenths of a mile along Georgetown Road. The Eppen farm expanded by purchasing other surrounding farms.
It was a big operation to run the 55 plus acre Eppen Truck Farm. According
to Stanley, labor houses once stood where the IMS handicap parking now
exists on the west side of Georgetown Road. They would also make daily
drives to Haughville to pick up additional hired hands.
The Legion now occupies the site where the original homestead and
water tower once stood. The Eppens did not confine their farming operations
just to this particular location. They also tenant farmed on the northeast
side of the race track and where the Speedway Super Center stands today.
According to Stanley, the family was out of the farming operations by 1960
when his dad Herman finally quit. Herman dedicated the 44 acres for race
parking like the other Eppens were already doing.
Julie explained that the death knell to farming operations was the death
of John Eppen. He died without a will, which led to the farm being broken
down into smaller parcels. She said Lem Trotter, who selected the IMS site,
and Reinhart Eppen subdivided the farm among the three brothers and three
sisters. She said it became a nightmare for the county auditor's office
to track all of the fragmented farm areas. The smaller parcels also made
it difficult to produce higher yields, so it forced the brothers and sisters
to combine operations, which often created family tensions .
The farm was subdivided to create a housing subdivision on Auburn Street.
It was called the Eppen Speedway Addition. Julie explained that not many
people are aware that the subdivision exists with the Eppen name.
Stan explained that one of his uncles wanted to keep pushing housing development
on the farm but the rest of the family members were cash strapped, so it
never materialized. At one appoint, Ernie wanted to build apartments, but
the IMS eventually purchased the land. Stanley explained the Eppen family
first approached the IMS about buying the farm parcels, but nothing happened.
It was after the IMS reduced its infield parking that sparked a greater
interest in acquiring the property
The Eppens, like other town residents, relied on race parking to supplement
their income. Initially it was the fans soliciting the Eppens for places
to park because of the farm's accessibility to the paddock seats. The Eppens
cleared spots for cars to wedge in between the rows. As parking became
more lucrative, the farm was reworked to provide more parking space. The
book "Images of America Speedway" illustrates the Speedway's
history with photos of the Eppen farm and race parking.
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