familys

An Ohio farmer watched gullies repeatedly cut through his family’s 700-acre farm and decided to change how he worked the land; decades later, the family operation has grown to 8,000 acres while becoming a conservation showcase

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An Ohio farmer watched gullies repeatedly cut through his family's 700-acre farm and decided to change how he worked the land; decades later, the family operation has grown to 8,000 acres while becoming a conservation showcase

The Kellogg story is also one of persistence. He began farming at 14 after his father left agriculture to care for his ill wife. By his senior year of high school, Bill was managing 700 acres, much of it through relationships with older farmers in the community. For Bill Kellogg, conservation did not begin with … Read more

In 1873, Rutherford B. Hayes began buying a 7-acre Lake Erie island that became his family’s summer retreat; after listing for $5 million, the undeveloped island is now asking $3.8 million

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In 1873, Rutherford B. Hayes began buying a 7-acre Lake Erie island that became his family's summer retreat; after listing for $5 million, the undeveloped island is now asking $3.8 million

A private seven-acre island in Lake Erie once owned by former US President Rutherford B. Hayes has had a major price cut. The asking price for the property has dropped to $3.8 million from its original $5 million listing price. Mouse Island is located about 1,500 feet off the coast of the Catawba Island peninsula … Read more

In 1974, the National Park Service bought the Stewart family’s 890-acre California ranch; they negotiated the right to remain and continued ranching there until 2021

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In 1974, the National Park Service bought the Stewart family's 890-acre California ranch; they negotiated the right to remain and continued ranching there until 2021

Photo credit: Canva (Representative image) When the federal government stepped in to buy the Stewart family’s 890-acre ranch in 1974, most people assumed a century of family cattle operations had reached its end. The acquisition was part of a major initiative to build out California’s Point Reyes National Seashore, setting up an obvious conflict between … Read more

In 1962, New Jersey took a family’s seaside property through eminent domain for a new park; they challenged the price and were awarded $350,000

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In 1962, New Jersey took a family's seaside property through eminent domain for a new park; they challenged the price and were awarded $350,000

Photos courtesy NPS/Gateway NRA A collection of vintage postcards donated to the National Park Service has given historians a detailed look at life along the New Jersey coast in the early 20th century.In a series of oral history interviews conducted by National Park Service historians Tom Hoffman and Elaine Harmon, retired Lieutenant Colonel John Joseph … Read more