Community Park Blossoms from Successful Local Nursery Business

Ray L. Price Memorial Fund

Nestled on the north side of Plymouth, Ind., Price Memorial Park is one of Plymouth’s best-kept secrets.

Ray L. Price founded Price Nursery in 1927. Originally located in South Bend, the nursery later relocated to Harrison Street in Plymouth and then, in 1945, to U.S. 31 bordering the north side of Plymouth-Goshen Trail. Price developed a spring-fed pond on the property in 1969, the first step in achieving his longtime goal of creating a community park. The nursery moved to its current location on King Road in 1985; most of the old nursery land was sold.

The Ray L. Price Foundation, a nonprofit organization, is operated for religious, charitable and educational purposes for the benefit of residents of Marshall County and surrounding areas. Price Memorial Park, 205 Plymouth-Goshen Road, employs high school and college students during the summer months while offering swimming, fishing, a playground and picnic areas to its members. Memberships are open to everyone. The park also provides two pavilions and a gazebo which are often rented by members and community organizations for parties, picnics, weddings and baptisms.

The Ray L. Price Memorial Fund was established at MCCF in 1997 to support operation of the park and, in turn, help support emerging community needs and development through a match from Lilly Endowment to MCCF’s Community Impact Fund. Another of Ray Price’s goals was to offer local students scholarships; that dream may be realized as the park grows. That is a goal Price’s nephew and current president of the board, Robert A. Price, still hopes will come to fruition.