TUSCALOOSA'S INDIAN QUEEN HOTEL 

from the February 18, 1918 TUSCALOOSA NEWS 

FOR RENT-15 room house, located on corner of Broad street and 25th avenue, known as "The Stephens House." Apply to Fleetwood Rice.

from the May 26, 1920 TUSCALOOSA NEWS

MASSA GROCERY CO. TO BUILD ON SITE OF INDIAN QUEEN HOTEL

 One of Most Desirable Places in the City for a Wholesale Grocery Store 

Albert Leo Massa has purchased for the Massa Grocery Company the piece of property on Broad Street and 25th Avenue, known as Iho old Druid City Hotel. This property; fronts 83 feet on Broad Street, running back 157 feet. The purchase was made through Robert E. Rodes, real estate dealer. 

The old Druid City Hotel was owned by C. B. Verner, Glenn Foster and Fleetwood Rice and has been run for the past few years as a boarding house. Before the war it was known as the Indian Queen Hotel and was one of the social centers of the city. Later it was run as the Druid City Hotel by Capt. Jemison, father of Robert and Mims Jemison, and was the leading hotel of the city for many years, being the gathering place for all of the notables of the state when they came here for commencement. 

When it was run as the Indian Queen Hotel, there was a figure of an Indian girl standing in front of the building. This figure was afterward purchased by Pope, the cigar maker, and used by him as a cigar sign. The hotel when known as the Indian Queen, had a state-wide reputation and was the gathering place for the famous men of Alabama when they came to the old state capital on business or for political gatherings.

The purchase price of the piece of property was $14,500. Being located on the corner with an electric line in front and at the side, it will make an ideal place for his wholesale grocery establishment. While Mr. Massa has not given it out, it is supposed that he will erect a tremendous wholesale building, covering the entire lot.

It has been intimated that this will be one of the most modern, up-to-date grocery stores in the entire state, with tracks running through the building, so that cars can be loaded and unloaded at the very lowest cost. The frontage on Greensboro 83 feet, will be occupied by the building, in fact the new edifice to be erected sometime in the future is expected to cover the entire lot. With this modern building, up town and their splendid warehouse frontage on the A. G. S. at the depot, will put the Massa Grocery Company In position to handle groceries as cheaply as any house in Alabama and they will then forge to the front still faster in covering West Alabama with their goods.

from the May 17, 1925 TUSCALOOSA NEWS

 The Old Indian Queen Hotel By Thomas P. Clinton

 The recent tearing down and removal of the old Hotel building corner of Twenty-fifth Avenue and Broad Street revives old memories and old traditions concerning this old landmark. If one may be allowed the expression, it witnessed the prosperity and the adversity of Tuscaloosa for ninety-seven years . I doubt if there is another building in the city that has stood so long. The records of land sales in Tuscaloosa in 1821 and kept in Montgomery, show that on November the first 1821 Lot 160 on which the building stood was bid in and purchased by one Otis Dyer, he being the and best bidder. From all authorities available this man Dyer must have taken quite a part in the early building of Tuscaloosa and Northport about a century back. He was a veteran of the Creek Indian war of 1813 and 1814. And just a few years after this war he made his way to these parts. Probably his soldier experience and travel at the time gave him the conviction that the Falls of the Black Warrior was a good place at which to locate. I read of him, and old records show that he and a party named Dodson at one time owned something like half of the land on which Northport is built. They plotted it out into streets and lots and called it the  Dyer and Dodson survey, and they had a land sale. He was the first man to run a ferry between Tuscaloosa and Northport. In his later years he kept a store where the Harris and Hamner store now stands. In 1835 he, along with five or six other public spirited men built the first bridge across the Warrior River at Tuscaloosa. He died in Montgomery about the beginning of the Civil War. On January 29th, 1828 he sold his lot 160 to Thomas R. Bolling. This man Bolling migrated to Tuscaloosa from Virginia. He was of the Virginia family of Bollings and they were lineal descendants of Pocahantas, the Indian Princess of Captain John Smith fame. Bolling built the Hotel the same year he purchased the lot. He felt a pride in his lineage or family tree as tradition tells us and named the new Hotel the "Indian Queen." It was known by this title for about forty-five years. Or in other words till about 1873 when Captain Wm. H. Jemison took charge of it and christened it the "Druid City Hotel.' 

About that period of time a great many business houses had the prefix "Druid City" or Oak City in their naming of their place of business. And if memory serves me correct, it was a custom started about this period of time, about fifty-two years ago. But regarding Thomas R. Bolling: He named his place of business the Indian Queen. And had a life size portrait of Pocahontas near the entrance or the Hotel that remained there many years. And until the year 1873 the place was always referred to as the "Indian Queen." In all probability the Hotel was built to help to accommodate the crowds that came to Tuscaloosa each winter at the assembling of the State Legislature.  At this time, 1828, the State Capitol had not been finished. But bias across the street from Bolling's Indian Queen there had been erected a frame building as temporary quarters for the Legislature to meet in. There were two sessions of Legislature held there, besides one session held in the old "Bell Tavern" Hotel, where the post office now stands before the State Capitol was finished.

 This temporary legislative hall was corner of Broad Street and Twenty-fifth avenue North west. For some reason unknown to me it was always called the "Jones house." It was burned during the Civil War or in other words more than sixty years ago. Thomas R. Rolling retained the ownership of the Indian Queen until January 1834 when he sold it. A while after this, probably not long--the place was run by a man named Grimes, who had the misfortune to become involved in a great tragedy. As guests boarding in the Hotel there was a man named Verrell and his wife. As this Mrs. Verrell was disagreeable and objectionable she was ordered to leave the house. The husband, as was related to me years ago, was a gambler. He was coming in from Columbus. He was nearing the Hotel and very probable bad feelings existed between himself and Grimes on account of the gambler's wife being ordered out. Now as I say the story was related to me a good many years back that as Grimes saw Verrell coming in from Columbus, he met him about where the Hardin Bakery is located and with a double barrel shot gun killed the gambler on the spot.  My informant told me that Doctor W. A. Cochrane, father of Mr. Bob Cochrane saw this terrible murder. At some period after this the place was run by a man named Samuel G. Frierson who was also postmaster in 1840. He gained distinction in the community, by his enormous size, weighing as it was about four hundred pounds. In a sketch of him, I have read, he is portrayed as the funny man about town, and as always being in a good humor. It was claimed that he could mimic to perfection most any other person in the community and when the crowd saw him coming all expected something humorous and then a hearty laugh. In other words, he had the Lappy ability, so to speak, of making friends everywhere and all the time. He died in April, 1857. He held different offices and positions of trust. He was State treasurer for a long time. In 1847 he resigned this office and perhaps a year or two afterwards took charge of the Indian Queen Hotel. 

During his incumbency, and in the year 1850, there was a notable political caucus held in the reception rooms of the venerable old building. There were at the meeting Judge Wm. R. Smith, Colonel Bob Jemison, John Gill Shorter of Barbour County and who was elected Governor in 1863. Also there was in evidence that might the immortal W. L. Yancy with his Jeff Davis cut and dried States Rights Dogmas. And a great many other political, celebrities. And I am here reminded of parties who lived here contemporaneous with the times saying that Yancy was a frequent visitor to Tuscaloosa and made speeches in the old Court House that stood where the Alston Building now stands. This political assemblage on that notable night in 1850 was characterized by want of harmony. As I understand dissension ruled supreme. And old Tuscaloosa people who made themselves conversant with the details of that meeting claimed that the heated discussions at this meeting at the Old Indian Queen in 1850, had considerable to do with the bringing on the war of secession eleven years later. We all know that the publication of Harriet Beecher Stowe's book called, "Uncle Tom's Cabin was regarded by a large element as the main factor in bringing on the war. And another school of writers for a generation past have contended that Yancy's fire eating oratory, so to speak, and leadership  in the South was responsible for this, the greatest calamity that befell the human race up till that period of time.  As stated above, Yancy was in evidence that might. He was there in all his glory. So that it is just possible that the old time Tuscaloosa folks were correct in that the mustard seed of secession was sown that night in the reception rooms of the old Indian Queen. Now time passed on and Samuel G. Friedson died in April 1857. And Wm. Johnson, grandfather of Tom Garner, took charge and he ran the business four years, or in other words, till the breaking out of the Civil War. In connection with this business he ran over-land stage routes out of Tuscaloosa there being no railroads here then. When the war came on in the Spring of 1861, Mr. Johnson vacated the place and it was converted into a hospital for sick and wounded Confederate Soldiers. It was thus used during nearly all the war period. The chief doctor and surgeon in command was one Doctor Anderson. Very soon after the close of the war in the Spring of 1865, the building was occupied as quarters for Federal troops from Minnasota. There was quite a number of Indians among these troops. I recall passing the building the fourth of July 1865, three months after peace was declared and I was much impressed with these soldiers and Indians. There was so many of them on the ground floor that it appeared difficult for them all to find standing room. And as memory serves me they appeared to be in a merry condition, giving one the impression that perhaps some of them had been drinking. Further down the street and very near where the L and N. freight office stands some of these soldiers had placed a cannon pointing east, and in commemoration of the glorious fourth, and perhaps in commemoration of peace fired the cannon off quite a number of times. This was in the afternoon of that day. Just how long this Federal Garrion ccupied the building after the war I do not recall. But about 1872 or 1873 Captain Wm. H. Jemison purchased the building and repaired and painted it and called it the "Druid City Hotel." He ran hotel there about four years. And perhaps, 1876 sold it to Mr. Cotter who also ran it several years. In after years Mr. Cotter rented it to other parties. It was run a long time by Mr. Dee Caraway. Also for some time by Mr. John F. Warren. Within the past ten years has changed hands quite often. And now it remained for this year of grace 1925 to witness it's end--it's death. In the evolution of time it had given way to other and more up to date buildings. It had to go the way of all things earthly. It passed as Scott puts it "Unwept, unhonored and unsung," after having fed the hungry and sheltered the weary traveler for ninety-seven years.