The Kinder Family
Kinder Farm Park is named for the German-born Kinder family who over the course of 80 years expanded initial land acquisitions into a large scale agricultural operation.
The Kinder Farm complex began in 1898 when Gustave Kinder bought 41 acres in Millersville. Between 1902 and 1907 his brother, Henry Kinder Sr., purchased his first of many parcels of land adjacent to Gustave. Over the next half century Henry and his sons acquired about 600 acres of farmland. Other siblings, Ulricka, Alvine, Frederich, Herman and their mother, Henrietta, also purchased land along what was later named Kinder Road.
Gustave and his family had a home on the farm property and Henry built a new home for his family in 1926. Henry's house later became the park office. Henry’s sons, Edward, Henry, August and Albert eventually would share in the farm operation and ownership, building homes within the farm complex. They purchased land from Gustave in the 1940’s and Henry's brother, Herman in 1952 to manage “one of the largest cattle operations in the state of Maryland”.
During the early 1900’s the Kinder family focused on produce sales as truck farmers with small sales of milk, eggs and ice to neighbors. The Kinders took their produce to markets in Baltimore by horse and wagon and later by truck. After World War II, the long hours and dropping profits at the markets led them to expand their operation to include hogs, turkeys and later exclusively beef cattle. This beef cattle business of 1100 - 1300 head, was very successful with sales to Baltimore Union Stockyards.
During the 1950’s and 1960’s various Kinder properties were sold for school and residential development. In 1979 the Kinder brothers, Edward, Henry Jr., August and Albert sold 288 acres to Anne Arundel County in the interest of preserving open space and farm history. This land became Kinder Farm Park.
Agricultural Heritage
There are no shortages of opportunities at Kinder Farm Park to learn more about our agricultural heritage. The Visitors Center’s Exhibit Hall and the Tobacco Barn Museum, and the Farmhouse Museum offer a great variety of displays that show what past times were like.
Visitors can walk through the barnyard to see antique tractors and view the antique saw mill which still operates (usually on Wednesday mornings and for special events).
Content courtesy of Friends of Kinder Farm Park Historical Society.
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