NPS

In 1835, Free Frank McWorter, a formerly enslaved man, paid $100 for 80 Illinois acres; a year later he founded New Philadelphia, and 191 years later nearly 20 acres entered NPS ownership

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In 1835, Free Frank McWorter, a formerly enslaved man, paid $100 for 80 Illinois acres; a year later he founded New Philadelphia, and 191 years later nearly 20 acres entered NPS ownership

Nearly two centuries after a formerly enslaved pioneer bought 80 acres of Illinois prairie and founded the first legally registered town in the United States platted by an African American, nearly 20 acres of the historic townsite have officially been transferred to the National Park Service.According to the National Park Service, the land was donated … Read more

In 1927, John D Rockefeller Jr secretly used a shell company to buy over 35,000 Wyoming acres for $1.4 million; NPS says acquiring the same amount of Jackson Hole land today would cost over $1 billion

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In 1927, John D Rockefeller Jr secretly used a shell company to buy over 35,000 Wyoming acres for $1.4 million; NPS says acquiring the same amount of Jackson Hole land today would cost over $1 billion

Rockefeller toured Jackson Hole in 1926. (Alamy stock photo) In the 1920s, Jackson Hole in Wyoming was changing quickly. Tourism was growing, development was spreading and wealthy visitors were arriving in the valley for an authentic cowboy experience. At the same time, local ranchers and businessmen were becoming concerned about the growing number of cabins, … Read more