1st survey of the city of tuscaloosa

 To commemorate the 200th anniversary of the first survey of the town of Tuscaloosa next year, I propose that a historic marker be placed on that small triangular block at the intersection of Queen City and 21st Avenue across from the old location of Sam Jackson's. Here's my attempt at a text:

On October 4, 1816, the Choctaw Indians extinguished their title to this property when they signed a treaty which ceded all of their remaining land east of the Tombigbee River to the United States. On March 3, 1817,the U.S. Congress reserved from public land sale this Section 22 of Township 21 South, Range 10 West(Huntsville Meridian) . Queen City Avenue runs north to south along the eastern margin line of the land section. This approximately 640 acres was first surveyed for streets, blocks and lots in 1821. With only a few alterations, the present layout of the original city has been preserved for 200 years. (from the April 4, 1920 TUSCALOOSA NEWS~ "section 21 of township 22" should read SECTION 22 OF TOWNSHIP 21. Clinton gets it right later in the same article. Notice that many of Clinton's  "experts" on local history are former slaves.)