Ox Bow Park was once the site of the Elkhart County Farm, a residence for people who could not support themselves. Built in 1886, the facility included the home, two barns, a hog lot, a corncrib, implement storage buildings, pastures, and agricultural fields. Residents helped run the farm and worked with livestock and garden operations, growing food and generating income. In return, those living there received room, board, medical attention, and recreation programs. The home closed in 1977 and was torn down in 1981, and a cemetery with unmarked graves is all that remains. The County Farm system began in the mid-1800s during the Industrial Revolution as a safety net for people who had nowhere else to turn, including the poor, the mentally ill, the elderly, and orphans. The program expressed the idea that government is responsible for caring for the less fortunate, and its former services are now provided by mental institutions, orphanages, nursing homes, and social programs.