Missouri family wins $214k for 600 acres in 1970 park eminent domain fight
In 1970, the Blackwell family’s nearly 600-acre Missouri farm was acquired through eminent domain during the creation of Ozark National Scenic Riverways. The government initially offered $73,000, but after a federal court battle, the family received $214,000. Darrel Blackwell later became a park ranger and longtime canoe rental concessioner.
In 1970, a Missouri farming family, the Blackwells, found themselves embroiled in a legal dispute with the federal government over nearly 600 acres of land along the Current River. The land, known as the "Blackwell Tract," was initially offered for $73,000 by officials seeking to establish a national park. However, after the case went to court, the Blackwells ultimately received $214,000 for the property.
The story is tied to Darrel Blackwell, who worked as a seasonal park ranger for the National Park Service during the early years of Ozark National Scenic Riverways, while his father fought the agency over the family farm. Darrel, who grew up in Rector, Missouri, later became a concessioner for the park through Jadwin Canoe Rental.
His father, Wayne, had purchased the property in the mid-1930s and expanded the farming operation to include cattle and crops.
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