Virginia man refused $4,855 for land and was evicted as Shenandoah park formed
This article details the historical forced eviction of families, including Melanchton Cliser, to make way for the creation of Shenandoah National Park in the 1930s. It highlights the conflict between federal land acquisition goals and the rights of local residents living in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Why it matters
It provides historical context on the human cost of conservation efforts and the use of eminent domain in the development of American national parks.
In 1935, Melanchton Cliser and his family were forced out of their 46-acre property in Virginia as the state pushed ahead with plans for what would become Shenandoah National Park. Cliser owned the land along US 211 and also operated a gas station there. When he refused to leave, the local sheriff and his deputies came to remove him and his family.According to Virginia Center for Digital History, the deputies handcuffed Cliser, took the family's belongings out of their home and then sealed the house. The forced eviction was part of a much larger and difficult process in which hundreds of families were removed from land that was being acquired for the future national park.The creation of Shenandoah National Park had been discussed for years.
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