Magnolia Farm

Virginia Green and her husband Travis, a WWI Veteran, ran a farm and resort hotel for African Americans. Their resort was called Magnolia Farm, and was located near the current Thunder Ridge Ski Area in Patterson.  Across town, the Moran’s operated a similar resort called Snowdale Farm.

Putnam County’s early 20th century resorts catered to city-dwellers, encouraging them to seek refuge in the countryside for long weekend escapes. Once at Magnolia Farm, guests could enjoy “delicious chicken dinners…swimming, camping, and picnic grounds.”

Magnolia Farm appeared in the 1938 “Green Book,” a travel guide listing safe places for African Americans to obtain travel services during segregation.