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FINLEY
MEMORIAL
WOODS
LOCATED THREE MILES EAST OF HARMONY, INDIANA,
the 40 acres at Finley Memorial Woods consist
of rolling hills with a stream flowing through the
center of the property. In 1923, at age 67, George
W. Finley described the forest as overgrazed and
eroded with trees only found on its steep slopes.
Some of the old field areas were reported to
be in such poor condition they “couldn’t even
grow weeds.” Over a period of 20 years, 15,000
trees were planted to rejuvenate the forest. It
now boasts a range of species. Its forest canopy
includes tulip poplar, white and red oak, hickory,
pine, spruce, ash, and beech.
The daughters of George Finley gifted the land
to Purdue in 1959. He had cultivated the woods
as a memorial to his parents, who pioneered the
land. The Purdue Finley property now stands as
a memorial to multiple generations of Finleys
and their woodland stewardship.
“The Finley property shows the importance
of long-range planning in forest management,”
Carlson says. “Charles Deam guided Finley in
reforesting the land at a time when forestlands
in Indiana were at their lowest. It was once a
dilapidated field that could barely grow trees,
and we’re now harvesting some of those trees
Finley reforested 100 years ago.”
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P U R DU E A LUM N U S
