201 acres, owned by the Alspaugh family is being donated to the city of Columbia, Missouri in honor of the death of John W. Alspaugh. The land was previously a Christmas tree farm, bringing smiles to families all around the area. John had a vision for their land to establish their family legacy, picturing barn dances, hay rides and apple orchards to serve as a community space. Parkinson's disease took John away from his family, but didn't kill his dream.
This story was one that took a group effort from many parts of the Missourian newsroom. I found archive photos we have of the Alspaugh family from 2011 and 2014. I thought it was so special that we were able to find photos of John before he passed, showing a family united and always displaying love for their community.
Read the long-form I worked hard on here!