SFLR Network presents a mini-documentary highlighting Hodges Smith, a forester with LRLEAN, an SFLR Network site, and his family’s extraordinary journey of resilience, landownership, and legacy in Greene County, Alabama.
Beginning with Abram Murphy, who was born into slavery in 1830 and later purchased the very land where he was once enslaved, the Smith family’s story spans generations of perseverance and stewardship. Over time, the family navigated the complexities of heirs’ property while working to preserve and sustain their land for future generations.
Over the course of nearly 200 years, the Smith family transformed 235 acres into a thriving 355-acre legacy through determination, collaboration, and a steadfast commitment to keeping their land in family hands. Despite legal and financial obstacles that have led many families to lose their land, they built something that has endured across generations.
Today, Hodges continues to carry that legacy forward through his work in forestry and land stewardship, helping other families protect, manage, and preserve their own land for future generations.