About Leeds, AL

This website has concise information about Leeds:

http://www.usacitiesonline.com/alcountyleeds.htm

Location

Leeds location: in central Alabama about 18 miles east of Birmingham. Other nearby communities include Moody, Trussville, Irondale, Grayson Valley, Chalkville, Center Point, Branchville and Margaret.

History

Leeds began as a small farming settlement around 1828 when the Cedar Grove Post Office was opened. Once the county line of Shelby and Jefferson Counties was changed, a new post office opened in 1869 and was called Oakridge. Later, in 1884, the Leeds post office was opened. Leeds was incorporated as a town in 1887. It was named for the city of Leeds in England. Once the railroad came into town, more growth occurred. In 1906, the Standard Portland Cement Co was opened further aiding the growth in the area.

Attractions

Leeds is one of two cities in the State of Alabama that is located in 3 counties - Shelby, Jefferson and St. Clair Counties. The predominant land area of Leeds is in Jefferson County. St. Clair County is the next largest with Shelby County having the smallest amount of land area in that county. The other city is Waverly.

Leeds, Alabama is a Tree City USA City

Leeds today

If you are looking for information about Leeds today, you'll be interested in the following list of URLs.

1. The Leeds Area Chamber of Commerce. In a lovely coincidence, the head of the Chamber is Sandra McGuire!

http://www.leedsareachamber.com

2. Demographics of Leeds today:

http://www.leedsareachamber.com/demographics

3. Historic tourism in Leeds:

http://www.leedsscenicbyway.org

4. The Leeds Historical Society:

http://www.leedshistoricalsociety.org/page0.html

5. The Leeds News:

http://www.theleedsnews.net/

6. City of Leeds

http://www.leedsalabama.gov/

Now you know.

Davidson's neighbors and land in Leeds, AL

Leeds, Her Story has a nifty map "showing location of early settlers and date title received on land grants from the United States Government by Edward Lee Goodson and Bryant Whitmire." (To give credit where credit is due.) The base map was created in 1959 and revised in 1970. The overlay shows who lived where and when they bought their land. You can find L:HS at many AL libraries including the Shelby County Historical Society and the Huntsville Public Library.

About the neighbors:

To the north within a few miles Davidson's neighbors included William Perkins and Edward Sims (assignees of Trion/Tryon Fuller), John Oliver, Hezekiah Balch Moor, and William Neal. To the north and east were Greenberry Armstrong and Elbert Armstrong. South was Hezekiah Balch Moor. Southwest were Amos Hutchinson, Joseph Ray, James Hamilton, Mitchell Pool, Henry Little, Daniel McLaughlin, Joe (Job??) Mason, Lewis W. Herring, John Scott, Stafford Scott, John Wallace, and William P. Herrin. Moving up west were Ben Lockhart, J. W. (Jonathan Washington) Bass and Thomas Rowan. Toward the north west were Samuel McGuire, John McLaughlin, Alexander McLaughlin, William McLaughlin. Finishing up the circle were A. B. Moor and Joseph Moor. This brings us back full circle to our northern starting point.

Biggest land owners were William Perkins and Edward Sims, assignees of Trion/Tryon Fuller; John Oliver, Thomas Rowan, Henry Little, Mitchell Pool, and H. B. Moor.

Abutters whose land touched Davidson's were H.B. Moor, Amos Hutchinson, Alexander McLaughlin, Perkins/Sims/Trion/Tryon Fuller. Despite the fact that they were abutters, in 1850 William Perkins and the only Sims family in Jefferson County, Elijah Sims, were on the Truss Beat of District 32, while Davidson was on the Cahawba Valley Beat of District 32.

Exploring a little further, we find some family connections among the neighbors:

• Greenberry Armstrong was Davidson's brother-in-law; he married Margaret Kelley McGuire's sister Nancy (Charles Kelley Bible). Elbert Armstrong was Greenberry's brother.

• H. B. Moor's daughter Sarah married Isaac McGuire, a cousin.

• Alexander, John, and William McLaughlin are all related. William McLaughlin married Mary Jane McGuire, Joseph McLaughlin married Axy/Alsy/Alice McLaughlin.

• And on and on.

About the land:

Davidson McGuire purchased his 39.95 acres in 1836. You can find the description, location, and a JPG of the document here:

http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/PatentSearch/Detail.asp?PatentDocClassCode=STA&Accession=AL2640%5F%5F%2E341&Index=1&QryID=82587%2E55&DetailTab=1

The land lies about one mile southwest of the 1970 Leeds High School. To see a satellite picture of the land, use the following link to Google Maps, enter "Leeds High School, Leeds, AL," then pan about a mile southwest and look at the land.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

The photo shows 11th St. running near it. The satellite picture shows a gravel pit or dug out area or mine area. Not farmed at all anymore. This is the location for the Lehigh Portland Cement Company of Leeds, AL. The company uses the rich lime deposits in the making of its cement. Nearby Calera in Shelby County, AL, used to be known as Lime Kilns. Pretty raw. But there is a need for good cement, so I guess the eradication of my ancestral homesite is to be expected. It is what it is.

Davidson would surely agree, I think.

Copyright June 2010 by ALRoots.blogspot.com. All rights reserved.

Odds and ends about Leeds, AL

Cemeteries I have found in AL that contain names connected with Davidson McGuire/Margaret Kelley family:

Cedar Grove, Leeds, St. Clair County, which is the first PO associated with Leeds.

Shiloh Cemetery in Jefferson County: Thomas Rowan, many of the McLaughlins, Martha Bailey

Bethel Cemetery, St. Clair County: Many of the members of Hebron Church where D & M worshipped came from here

Seddon Cemetery, St. Clair County: Timothy and wife Elizabeth McGuire

Pleasant Valley Cemetery, Jefferson County: Britta Ann Green, wife of John L. McGuire, Ellen Nora McGuire Hill, Mary Drucilla McGuire Eddins

Many names are found at Findagrave.com, though not all listings are complete.

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Website that talks about why Leeds, AL, is associated with three counties:

http://www.leedshistoricalsociety.org/page14.html