Way Back Wednesday in Calhoun County February 1-7

Welcome to the first edition of the “Way Back Wednesday in Calhoun County Blog”. This will be a weekly feature hosted on our website. The blog posts will include people, places, and events that occurred in the past along with some pictures and interesting facts. Many of the photos and additional information can be found in the Images of America books: Anniston, Anniston Revisited, and Calhoun County. We hope you will make this feature part of your weekly reading.

February 1, 1938: Calhoun County, AL. It was announced on this day that the Probate Office only issued 27 marriage licenses for the month of January 1938. The Probate Office was located in the Calhoun County Courthouse. The Courthouse had recently been rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1931.

February 2, 1929: Anniston, AL. “Fugitives” staring silent-screen star Madge Bellamy opened at the Noble Theatre. The Noble Theatre was located on the corner of 10th and Noble Streets. The “Opera House” was completed in October 1883. In 1908, after the back was struck by lightning, the theatre was remodeled with a lower stage and the capacity to seat 1,100 people. The building was razed in 1958 to make way for more viable commercial prospects.

February 3, 1918: Anniston, AL. The Inn announced the opening of the thoroughly renovated hotel. The Anniston Inn was constructed in 1883 and opened to the public in April 1885. In the 1890s, the hotel was forced to close and it served at various times as a girl’s school and apartments. During World War I, the Inn accommodated the many soldiers and their families that were coming to Anniston for training at nearby Camp McClellan.

February 4, 1931: Anniston, AL. The Memorial Window for Miss Mary Noble was unveiled at St. Michael’s and All Angels Episcopal Church. Mary was the sister of Anniston’s founder Samuel Noble and St. Michael’s patron John Ward Noble. John W. Noble funded the construction of church complex in 1888. Miss Noble never married and lived at Crowan Cottage until her death in 1930.

February 5, 1957: Calhoun County, AL. It was reported that the Coosa River near the Calhoun-St. Clair border was set to crest at 23.9 feet which was 5 ½ feet above flood level. County Farm Agent A. S. Mathews warned that livestock and possessions should be moved to a safe area. Since there were few buildings in the area, flood damage to the county was foreseen to be minimal.

February 6, 1919: Camp McClellan, AL. A truck carrying soldiers from Camp McClellan into Anniston crashed near the southern entrance to Edgemont Cemetery. The truck went down a 15 foot embankment killing one sergeant and injuring several other soldiers. The camp had been constructed in 1917 to serve as a training camp for soldiers deploying to Europe to fight in World War I.

February 7, 1935: It was announced the new highway from Piedmont to the Georgia line would be opened in a few months. The section of highway in Piedmont would be a modern road that included curbing, gutters, and asphalt.