SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
During the Huntsville City Council meeting on Thursday, February 27th, the Jones family of Huntsville addressed the council, urging them to investigate a land claim they believe was stolen from their family in the 1950s. The family is asking for the city’s assistance to resolve concerns about property ownership and to uncover the truth behind the alleged theft of their land.
Michael Jones, a member of the Jones family, has long carried the weight of this unresolved issue. He says the theft of 10 acres of land along Athens Pike, now known as Holmes Avenue, has haunted his family for decades, particularly the loss of a well on the property. “We will not rest until there is true compensation for this family,” Jones declared at the meeting.
The land in question was inherited by Willie and Lola Jones, who were descendants of one of the few Black families to own land in Madison County in the post-Civil War era. Historical records show that, despite being illiterate, Willie Jones signed a deed in 1954 transferring ownership of the land to W.L. Sanderson, the head of the city’s land acquisition office. Michael Jones emphasized to WHNT-TV 19 that his father, Willie Jones, could not even sign his own name: “My father was illiterate. He couldn’t even sign his name. The document he allegedly signed was not his own signature.” The Jones family claims the document was forged, asserting that Willie Jones was pressured into accepting a $900 offer after the land was condemned. Michael Jones expressed, “If you are going to go and negotiate a price on the well, knowing that the person who owned the well only had a third-grade education, how could you give him a price when he doesn’t know how to articulate?”
Later, Sanderson transferred part of the land to the University of Alabama to be used for the UAH campus. While UAH has denied that the land was illegally obtained, the Jones family continues to question the fairness of the transaction. A UAH spokesperson stated that records show the family was compensated for their property, and that the transfer to the university was legally conducted. However, the Jones family insists that part of the fraud involved compensation given to individuals unrelated to the family. “They were not descendants,” Jones explained.
In response to the ongoing battle, Michael Jones and his sister, Brenda Jones Elliott, have requested that the city create a commission to investigate their claim of land theft further. “It’s just asking the city of Huntsville, UAH, and Huntsville Utilities to get together and rectify this injustice,” Jones said.
Michael Jones’ sister, Brenda Jones-Elliott, added, “Now it’s a time to pick a side, not to side with a political party, race, or gender. Be the officials to protect the people from agencies and institutions that commit theft and fraud daily. We need to know that you will protect us.” Both Jones and Elliott emphasized the importance of this matter, drawing attention to their family’s long history in the community and the injustice they believe their ancestors and family members endured.
Michael Jones made a passionate plea at the council meeting: “I feel like we’re being ignored. You are elected officials. You have to be transparent when it comes to being our elected officials. Your constituents want to know what you will do about this family. This family dates to 1820 when the slave owner emancipated my great-great grandmother in 1820, and the sons she bore after that became legislators of the state capitol. They risked their lives for this community. Their community would have been District One now, but 1960 Jim Crow laws bamboozled our family out of a great well, 10 acres of property. Great farm property. You cannot be complacent about this. As the Jones Family, this was something that would be passed down to us. We need satisfaction, and we need it now. If not now, then tomorrow. You are elected officials. You are responsible for this commission. You must work together; this is about the city, UAH, and Huntsville Utilities to rectify the problem. Form a commission to investigate these discrepancies. I ask you today to keep in mind, have a heart, and have grit. Do your jobs!”
Jones also pointed to the support they’ve received from the community, saying, “8,000 names on a petition have been signed. That’s enough to garner a commission to investigate this fraud and theft that was taken away from our family. You owe it to us and the taxpayers of this city.”
As the fight continues, the Jones family hopes the city will take their request seriously and form a commission to investigate the long-standing injustice.
Elliott concluded her remarks by stressing the deep personal toll this fight has taken on their family: “Our father, Willie Jones, had to fight to live, and my brothers had to quit school to provide because of the abuse of the institutions and those in power who failed to protect our citizens.”