Murray was Governor of Oklahoma when the Great Depression began. He brought a team of mules to the mansion in order to plow a large portion of the lawn, which he did himself, converting the grounds into a vegetable garden where the poor were invited to plant vegetables.
During the Great Depression, while serving as Governor of Oklahoma, Murray used his own labor and a team of mules to transform the mansion's expansive lawn into a community vegetable garden, inviting those in need to participate.