Preston County Journal
Government Buys Arthurdale Farm for $35,000.00
Deal Is Closed Wednesday For Large Acreage At Reedsville
Houses to be Built
Federal Government Plans "Back To Farm" Program For Needy Families
October 5, 1933
A deal was closed here yesterday whereby the United States Government became the owner of "Arthurdale" a farm of 1,017 acres near Reedsville, this county. The farm was owned and operated for the past many years by Dick Arthur and is considered one of the best farms in this section of the state. The price paid for the farm is understood to have been $35,000.
According to reports the Federal Government plans to put families who are now homeless on this tract of land. Houses will be built by the government for these families and a small parcel of land will be laid out for each family placed on the farm.
It has been known for a week or more that the government was thinking of making the purchase, but the final deal was not made until Wednesday, according to several who were interested in the deal.
How soon the government will start the erection of houses, could not be learned here this week. It is believed however, that the work on the project will not be far away. Families living in mining camps with no way of making a living will perhaps be some of those brought to the farm near Reedsville and similar other farms bought up by the government.
With the buying up of land for such purposes, the government goes into the real estate business. A special act authorizes governmental agencies to purchase such tracts.
It could not be learned whether the authorities in charge of the project intended to put Preston county families on the land or whether other counties would also be represented. It is the general belief that families who wish to get back to the "land" will be taken from all over this section and tracts marked out for each of them.
The Arthur farm lies will and is practically all clear land. It has a large house and other buildings now standing. In recent years Mr. Arthur has not been able to do a great deal of farming, but the land has been kept in good shape. It is considered one of the larger farms in Preston county and the new project by the government will be watched with interest. The farm lies about two miles south of Reedsville on a county road.