I read somewhere that an original layout of the lots is in one of the deed books -- maybe one of the ladies at the courthouse can help you with that. There are old newspapers on microfilm in Tuscaloosa and the UDAH has some as well that you can order ($30 each). Here is a starting place: http://magnolia.cyriv.com/GreeneAlGenWeb/Resources/Newspapers.asp -----Original Message----- From: Alice Campbell [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, June 14, 2006 12:38 AM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: [ALGREENE] More on Lots in Eutaw in the 1800's >There is a book you can buy from the Historic Society in Greene or look at >in the library in Eutaw called "Eutaw: The Builders and Architecture of an >Antebellum Southern Town" that has some information about lot owners and >photographs of homes. Yes, I have that one. Fortunately I inherited my mother's copy. I also have her copy of /A Goodly Heritage/, another one about Eutaw. But the drawings of the lots are so tiny that I need my magnifying glass which is in the far end of the living room with the rest of my office furniture piled in front of it while the men sand the floor and paint my office! >81 & 82: Originally purchased by Foster Kirksey in 1839, deed book J, page 873 I'd love to know when Dr. Alexander bought these from Kirksey. I guess it's back to the deed books! But Lancaster said there was no record of Alexander's purchase or the city's purchase. >89 Originally purchased by Abram F. Alexander in 1840 deed book L, pages >71-72. There is a drawing of the house that was built on this lot in the >above-mentioned book on page 137 - though the drawing may be of the house >that was built after his was torn down. Apparently the house was auctioned off after Dr. Alexander died and it was purchased by Sydenham Moore on 17 >Dec 1877. The original house was on Main Street next to William P. Webb and >no longer stands. The drawing was made by Dr. Alexander's granddaughter, my gg aunt, Carrie Bell Webb. I am sure it is a picture of his original house because I have Aunt Carrie's description of her childhood days rambling around her grandfather's house (she lived in the next block in the Alexander-Herndon-Webb-Wilson House), and the descriptions and the picture match. I have a copy of the picture and it too is labeled Dr. A. F. Alexander's House in her handwriting, so that's pretty definite. But what happened to this house is something that I'm trying to find out. Did Sydenham Moore tear it down? Or did the next owner, William Smaw? Or the next owner, James Murphy? Murphy separated an 80 ft strip at the east side and sold it to William R. Ward in 1896 and built himself a new house on the rest of the lot, implying that by 1896 there was no longer a house there. When and where did the house disappear? Dr. Alexander's father's family bible is said to have burned when his house burned. I vaguely remember hearing that his house had burned, but what house and when is a total mystery. The oldest living relative in the family, my aunt doesn't know either. So I am looking for a housefire on Dr. Alexander's property. If his father's bible burned in the fire, I'm guessing he was living in the house when it burned, so I don't really think the mysterious disappearance of the house on Main Street is what I'm looking for, but who knows? >179 I don't see this one in the book. I just found it, even without the magnifying glass. On figure 2, Finches Ferry Road (the road to Clinton) crosses something that turn into Springfield (?) when it turns north. Lot # 179 is right south of that road. >186 Originally purchased by Stephen F. Hale in 1842 deed book M page 197 Can't find that one. >On pages 87 and 88 of this book it says: > >Lot #93 was purchased for $474 by Dr. A >bram F. Alexander on 1 April 1844. >Dr. Alexander had a two-story house brought from near Finches Ferry (old >Erie) and set up here. It was a typical sort of early home, the Grassdale >type, to which was given a front portico with four colossal square piers, >the front plane of the roof raised and extended to cover it... (snipped >architectural details) > >Dr. Alexander gave the house to his daughter and her husband, Thomas E. >Herndon, for "natural love and affection" on 13 Sep 1849. Herndon sold a >strip of the back lot to his neighbor William F. Bell and in turn purchased >35 feet on the west side from him, each valued at $50, in June of 1852. It >is said that Mrs. Herndon did not like the house and it was sold back to Dr. >Alexander for $2,500 on 4 April 1856. Two years later the Herndons bought >the Catlin Wilson house on Wilson Street. Alexander in turn presented the >Main street house for "natural love and affection" to his other daughter and >son-in-law, Henry Y. Webb... > >I believe this would be the "Alexander-Webb-Wilson house" aka the >Webb-Alexander house located at 309 Main Street? There is a little bit of >info about the house on this page: > >http://magnolia.cyriv.com/GreeneAlGenWeb/Geography/Eutaw/EutawLandmarks.asp Now that house I know well. :-) My grandfather was born there, son of H.Y. Webb, and my cousin Betsy Bell lives there now. It's also where Aunt Carrie grew up. I have a several photos of it. My favorite is one with my sister as a little girl going onto the porch. >As far as the vacant lot goes, Samuel Gordon owned lot #129 and lot #128 >which is where the hotel "The Eutaw House" was. The empty lot may have been >where the gardens for the hotel were located, though it is possible Samuel >Gordon had other land. There is no mention of an O'Connor I finally crawled thru all the mess and retrieved a small magnifying glass, but I still don't see Lot #129. I do see Lot #128, however. What I would like to know is where is the original from which Clay Lancaster made all those illustrations! Hopefully it would be big enough to read! I noticed that the book mentioned at least two different numberings of the lots, but haven't read enough of the text to see what that's all about. I know I've been rambling, but one more question. Are there copies, paper or microfilm, of the Eutaw newspapers in Eutaw? or Tuscaloosa? or Birmingham? or Montgomery? I'd really like to track down this house fire report and I'm guessing that would be my best bet. Thanks, Alice ==== ALGREENE Mailing List ==== This is the Message board for Greene County, Alabama http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec?htx=board&r=rw&p=localities.northam.usa.st ates.alabama.counties.greene ============================== Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx