Way Back Wednesday in Calhoun County
What was daily life in Calhoun County Alabama like during the Great Depression? Check out this week’s edition of the Way Back Wednesday in Calhoun County Blog. Remember to click on the links in the blog to view many of the photos seen in Images of America series books: Anniston Revisited, Anniston, or Calhoun County.
Upcoming Events: During the July Makers Market in conjunction with the Anniston Main Street Program, we have two events.
Local historian and author Kimberly O’Dell will be conducting a Tour of Historic Downtown Anniston. The tour will start at 6:00 PM (CT) in front of Lyric Square on July 28th. Tour maps can be picked up at The Catalyst (1224 Noble Street) or the Makers Market Hospitality Table on 13th and Noble Streets.
The Anniston Revisited Book Signing will be at the Anniston Council on Arts and Humanities building, The Catalyst (1224 Noble Street). Books will be available for purchase (cash or check only) on July 28th from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (CT).
July 19, 1933: Anniston, AL. The Anniston Kiwanis Club observed “big brother day” at their luncheon held at the Alabama Hotel. The keynote lecture was given by the Rector of Grace Episcopal about the citizenship of the organization for the benefit of the young boys attending.
July 20, 1939: Mobile, AL. The Anniston Rams, of the Southeastern Baseball League, lost to the Mobile Shippers 4-3. The following day the Rams headed to Jackson, Mississippi to the play the Senators. Baseball was a popular sport in the early 20th Century. Anniston’s Semi-Pro team had been a training ground for many players but the most famous ball player to pass through the ranks was Ty Cobb in the early 1900s.
July 21, 1938: Anniston, AL. The Retail Clerks Union held a 7:45 PM meeting at the labor hall on 13th and Noble Streets. Labor unions had had a presence in Anniston since the earliest days but they never held significant power. Labor Day parades were held throughout the 1930s with moderate attendance.
July 22, 1937: Anniston, AL. The Ritz Beauty Parlor in the Ritz Theater building announced the addition of Miss Wilkerson of Brown’s Beauty Shop to the staff. The beauty parlor opened in the late 1920s and continued to operate through the 1930s.
July 23, 1936: Anniston, AL. The Bonnet Box held a clearance sale on hats. The hats were offered for as low as 59 cents. The hat store was a fixture at 1025 Noble Street throughout much of the 20th Century until it was no longer fashionable for women to wear hats.
July 24, 1931: Anniston, AL. Kiker’s Meat Market, at 1028 Noble Street, advertised loin steak for 15 cents a pound. The market, a strictly cash enterprise, opened in the early 1920s. However, the store closed in the mid-1930s possibly due to the Great Depression or the advent of “Supermarkets” that carried meat products.
July 25, 1930: Anniston, AL. Wakefield Clothing Co., at 1110 Noble Street, held their July and August Wind-Up Sale for men and boys clothing. Later in 1930, the building was incorporated as part of the new Art Deco style Kress 5 and 10 cent Store. After the Alabama Hotel burned, Wakefield’s occupied the new building constructed on the site.
