Tennessee farmer refused $20 an acre for national park land
In 1929, Tennessee farmer John W. Oliver refused to sell his 375-acre Cades Cove farm for $20 an acre, leading to a lengthy court battle over land wanted for Great Smoky Mountains National Park. After the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled against him, Oliver ultimately lost his property and received $17,000 in 1935.
In 1929, John W. Oliver, a Tennessee farmer, refused an offer of $20 per acre for his 375-acre farm in Cades Cove. The land was coveted by officials for the proposed Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Oliver took his case to court, but after years of legal battles, he was compelled to surrender his property and was compensated $17,000. This story exemplifies the struggle between the creation of the national park and the residents who had lived on the land for generations.
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