Some of the best stories are generations in the making. Such is the case at Selwood Farm, where a piece of farmland has become a living family legacy rooted in tradition and values.
The property came to the Hill family in 1946, when O.V. Hill purchased it from the family who had settled there in 1834. A county extension agent and natural builder, O.V. experimented with crops, cattle, poultry, sheep, and turkeys, always looking for what might work next.
Beyond the farm, he helped bring Talladega Superspeedway to Alabama. Family history — and an old Plainsman account — also credits him with delivering a wounded golden eagle found near his property to Auburn University while making a delivery of Thanksgiving turkeys. The bird, later known as War Eagle II, recovered with help from the veterinary school and became part of the tradition that grew into Auburn’s famed raptor program.
When O.V. Hill died in 1968, his son Dell was 27.
Dell and his wife, Carolyn, had a decision to make: continue their life in Auburn or move their young family to Selwood and expand what O.V. had started.
They chose the more adventurous option.
Their 9-year-old son, Alan, was unsure about the move at first, but the promise of a dirt bike helped ease the transition. He still looks back fondly on growing up in the country.
“Sure, sometimes I wished I had neighbors, but whenever I brought friends out there, they were just blown away by how awesome it was.”
At Selwood, there were decades of smoked turkeys, holiday gift boxes, and cattle. There were lean years, too. By the early 1980s, the cattle side of the business was no longer profitable.
“Disposal of the land is not an option,” Dell explains. “Continuation is the option. So we just changed direction.”
He repurposed Selwood toward recreational use of the land. In time, the property became home to one of Alabama’s earliest hunting preserves and later the state’s first sporting clays course.
What Dell built was never meant to be the old stereotype of a hunting camp.
“We wanted Selwood to be a place where if you walked in unannounced with your wife and your young child, you’re not going to see or hear anything that’s going to be an embarrassment,” he says.
That says as much about the family as it does the business. Their approach has made Selwood the kind of place that becomes part of other families’ traditions.
“We had a family that hunted with us the Friday after Thanksgiving for at least 25 years. The kids grew up down here. It was just part of their tradition,” Dell says.
But things changed, as they do. The children grew up, got married, and began traditions of their own. This year, they did not come. The father called Dell and told him he hoped they would find another family who could create the same kind of memories his family had made there.
“That spoke chapters to me,” Dell says, his voice catching. “Maybe we’ve done something right.”
About 11 years ago, the Selwood story turned again when Dell’s son, Alan, stepped away from a career in commercial insurance and into the family business full-time.
“Dad had laid a really good foundation and character of the business,” Alan says, “and we both saw a lot of potential areas for growth.”
He and his father are different men. Alan describes himself as more creative and strategic. Dell, more black and white.
“We lock horns once or twice a year,” Alan says with a laugh. “But I think now we’re pretty well aligned.”
Dell, age 84, speaks of his son with unmistakable pride.
“I think he inherited a work ethic to do what needs doing,” he says. “And he has a natural talent with people.”
He praises Alan’s ease with guests, his eye for growth, and his talent as a shooting instructor.
When asked about the importance of time outdoors for children, Dell offers a sermon that includes the role of a father.
“Kids need more time outdoors, but even more than that, they need the association with their daddy.”
“He was there,” Dell says of his own father. “He was involved.”
O.V. was not a hunter or fisherman himself, but he made sure his son spent time with men who were. He showed up for Little League games, high school activities, and even college events whenever he could. Friends were always welcome at the house. He took an interest in whatever interested his son.
Dell did not have many years with his father in adulthood. But he remembers what mattered most.
“He was there,” he says again. “And it made a difference.”
People often tell the Hills what a pretty piece of property they have.
“Well, if you like it, you’d better get started,” they laugh, “because it took 40 years to get here.”
But more than the beautiful land, they are proud that Selwood is a place where people come to make memories and pass along the joy of the outdoors and shooting sports.
“You know you’ve been coming a while when the young lady who’s been in the country house 20 years knows if you want cream and sugar in your coffee when you come in,” Dell says. “That’s the kind of culture we wanted to create. And hopefully we’ve done that, and it passes on to the next generation.”
"Kids need more time outdoors, but even more than that, they need the association with their daddy." — Dell Hill
Selwood: A Timeline
1834 — Original family settles the property
1946 — O.V. Hill purchases Selwood Farm
1968 — O.V. Hill passes; son Dell takes the helm at age 27
Early 1980s — Cattle operation ends; Dell pivots to recreational use
Late 1980s — Selwood becomes one of Alabama’s first hunting preserves
Early 1990s — Alabama’s first sporting clays course opens on the property
2014 — Alan joins full-time, bringing a new generation of leadership