Now Reading: Missouri family wins $214k for 600 acres in 1970 park eminent domain fight
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Missouri family wins $214k for 600 acres in 1970 park eminent domain fight
Missouri family wins $214k for 600 acres in 1970 park eminent domain fight
A Missouri farming family has received $214,000 for nearly 600 acres of land taken by the federal government in 1970 to create the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. The Blackwell family's farm, known…
The Story in Brief
A Missouri farming family has received $214,000 for nearly 600 acres of land taken by the federal government in 1970 to create the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. The Blackwell family's farm, known as the Blackwell Tract, sat across from Pulltite along the Current River. The government initially offered $73,000, but the family took the case to federal court and won the higher amount.
The story is unusual because Darrel Blackwell worked as a seasonal park ranger for the National Park Service from 1969 to 1972 while his father Wayne was fighting the same agency in court over the farm. Darrel later became a concessioner for the park. The family's attorney, Dorman Steelman, could not practice in federal court, so another lawyer from Cape Girardeau was brought in.
The Indian Opinion
The Blackwell story is often used to paint eminent domain as a raw deal for landowners. But the family got nearly three times the government's initial offer, and the son worked for the very agency his father fought. That suggests the system can work, at least when a family has the means to fight. The real test is whether low-income landowners without a lawyer from Cape Girardeau get the same outcome.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
