1 of Indiana's richest, most unique properties is not far from Evansville. It's for sale.

SANTA CLAUS, Ind. – Nestled in the rolling hills of Southern Indiana rests 550 gated acres of scenic beauty and luxury.

Self-made business tycoon Ed Ewing is selling his Big Tree Farm Estate, located between Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial Park and Holiday World/Splashin' Safari for a cool $47.9 million, making it one of the most significant listings in state history.

Kara Hinshaw, owner of Key Associates Signature Realty, is the listing agent. She has expectations of selling the legacy estate to an individual or corporation attracted to its amenities and Southern Indiana charm.

"You have to see it to understand it,” Hinshaw said. “The property was created by B. Edward Ewing himself. Once upon a time, the rolling hills were merely cornfields. The grounds are the product of 30 years of imagination and an endless supply of sod, trees, and stone strategically placed to create this masterpiece.

“Behind that white fence is not just a house or lots of acreage. It's a private resort that you enjoy as you go from one area to the next connected by gardens, bronzes, paths and beautiful designed buildings that you do not typically see in Indiana. Everywhere you look, you will see and understand the value."

Big Tree Farm includes a replica 1950s diner, memorabilia, a classic car museum, a honky-tonk roadhouse, pools, tennis and basketball courts, eight lakes, plus woodland nature trails for mountain biking and ATV trails. Its abundant wildlife includes wild turkeys and white-tailed deer.

Ewing's personal residence and guest quarters are all situated on Indiana 162. The private residence is similar in design to the log cabin lodges at Yosemite and Grand Canyon national parks.

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Ewing, a private equity tycoon who worked with the Carlyle Group, remains attached to the property and the area since he grew up in nearby Jasper, Hinshaw said.

“I was inspired to create a place for my kids and grandkids,” Ewing told the Courier & Press. “It’s different from when I grew up with no car and no money. My kids did not grow up that way.”

Most of his family members don’t live nearby and don’t come to Big Tree Farms very often, and the property needs tremendous upkeep, said Ewing, who plans to keep the property on the market at least six months.

No heat, no hot water

Ewing grew up in a family with one coal stove, which they used to both heat the house and cook food. Ewing’s father was a janitor. His mother cleaned houses. And money was short. They had no hot water and sometimes the power company shut off the electricity because they had fallen behind on its bills.

Motivated in part by those early experiences, Ewing was determined to make a very different life for himself.

“I couldn’t call the house because we didn’t have a phone," he said. "I couldn’t ask for money because we didn’t have any."

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He one option: go to work and work harder than anyone.

“I had to go perform,” Ewing said. “That’s one thing I tell young people. Go out and work harder, work longer hours. It’s what you act like, look like and perform like.”

While still a student at Jasper High School, Ewing landed a job as a draftsman at Jasper-based Kimball International, drawing parts for the pianos the company then produced.

The pay was good, Ewing said, but after graduation he moved on to the Air Force.

Four years later, he got a job working for International Harvester's engineering department in Fort Wayne and bought a house. He found roommates and charged them rent, using the money to pay his mortgage. Any money left over went toward buying extra properties.

Those real estate ventures became Ewing Properties, which owns residential and commercial properties in Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, Ohio and Texas.

His main gig was as a "turnaround expert": someone who could come in and help revive struggling companies. He partnered with The Carlyle Group, a private equity firm. At one time, he was an executive with companies in five different industries: aerospace, automotive, private equity, shipping and real estate.

Ewing, who semi-retired several years ago, owns several houses across the country. His son, Chris, still lives in Jasper and oversees Ewing Properties.

Big Tree Farm, big vision

Ewing's dream began with a car ride.

Riding in his uncle's 1949 Ford when he was 12 years old, he looked out the back window and saw the white fences and green pastures of Calumet Farm: a thoroughbred breeding and racing operation in Lexington, Kentucky. It was about one-sixth the size of Big Tree, but was etched into his memory.

If he ever had the financial wherewithal, he vowed, he would own a property with a white fence. And “as far as you could see, there would be green.”

Kennebunkport, Maine, one of President John F. Kennedy’s most well known vacation spots, created another lasting impression on that 12-year-old boy.

“To see his family and friends all get together there for a holiday – wow – how can that not be special,” Ewing said. “I thought someday I would really like a place with a lot of amenities and I created that here at Big Tree Farm, for family and friends and generations after that."

His first acquisition was Christmas Lake Village in Santa Claus, which has since grown into an upscale gated community.

His initial idea for Big Tree Farm was to have a place that was really cool. A farm with a barn and a stage with good country music, fried chicken and steak. He lived up to that vision and more. Through the years, he has hosted charity fundraisers and entertained dignitaries from all over the world, especially from Europe. Alabama, Charley Pride and Kris Kristofferson are among the acts who have provided entertainment at those fundraisers.

In addition to his fortune, Ewing hasn’t lost his sense of humor. He’s had famous investors visit Big Tree Farm from Texas to Spain to Italy to France.

“If you come to my house, I’ll put you in the stables,'” Ewing said. “You’ll have a horse stall.”

In actuality, the luxurious guest suites are named after Kentucky Derby winners such as Foolish Pleasure (1975) and His Eminence (1901).

“I get a big kick telling people from all over the world I’m going to put you in the stables, put you in a horse stall,” he said.

Kidding aside, when you live in Southern Indiana, you better be really, really good, Ewing said. He ticked off a few names of famous people whose roots lie roughly within a 60-mile radius of Santa Claus: Muhammad Ali, Larry Bird, Scott Rolen, Don Mattingly, Florence Henderson, Johnny Depp, Darrell and Michael Waltrip, Jay Cutler and yes, Abraham Lincoln.

He doesn’t want to put himself in such high company.

“I’m nothing special,” Ewing said. “I’m just a guy from Jasper High School who went out and worked hard. I dedicated myself to hard work. I’m nothing fancy. That’s just the truth.”

He says Spencer County is a special place and is looking for the right person to purchase Big Tree Farm.

"It's not just about money," Ewing said. "It's about character."

Contact Gordon Engelhardt at gordon.engelhardt@courierpress.com or on Twitter @EngGordon

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