Way Back Wednesday in Calhoun County---July 4-10

Alabama will celebrate her Bicentennial year in 2019 but decided to extend the celebration over three years. While the United States celebrated her 242nd birthday on July 4th, the city of Anniston quietly celebrated her 136th birthday the day before on July 3rd. The founding fathers of Anniston, Samuel Noble and General Daniel Tyler, decided to open their Model City the day before the nation celebrated her 107th birthday. But why did the founders choose to have their city’s birthday so close to the national founding?

Anniston was founded on the idea of industrialization. The two founders could not have been more different: a northern military commander and a southern industrialist. These two men and their families forged a business enterprise together just seven short years after the hostilities of the Civil War ended. The motto Samuel Noble lived by was “Profitable labor is the foundation of all progress and prosperity.” He was a man of his times and he saw industrialization as the model to success. Noble had definite plans for the way the city would develop and asked General John Forney, an engineer, to design his model city.

It was only after increasing pressure to open the Woodstock Iron Company town to the public that Noble agreed. He consulted his close friend Atlanta Constitution editor Henry Grady. Grady had given favorable coverage to the fledgling company town in his columns. He was present on Anniston’s opening day on July 3, 1883, and even suggested the name of the town newspaper, The Hot Blast.

Anniston experienced a boom almost immediately after opening to the public. Investors came from all parts of Alabama, the southeast, and the northwest helped build the new city. But with Samuel Noble’s death in August 1888, things changed for the young city. The guiding hand and visionary for the development of the city was gone. Anniston, despite losing her mentor, became a bustling industrial city that was home to textile mills and iron foundries. In 1899, Anniston celebrated her 16th birthday with a parade. The teenager would overtake the other cities in the Calhoun County when she became the site of the county seat the following year when courthouse was moved to Anniston.

For Anniston’s Diamond Jubilee in 1958, there was a huge celebration and the whole town was involved in the preparations. The Jubilee Headquarters was set up at 1224 Noble Street. There was a beauty contest, mustache and beard-growing contest, merchant window decorating contest, and various other activities for citizens. In addition, the Queen’s Ball was held in April 1958 to celebrate Miss Anniston Diamond Jubilee Queen.

When Anniston celebrated her centennial in 1983, festivities were moved to a week in October, possibly when the weather was more hospitable. There was an outdoor play about the history of Anniston performed at the football stadium, a parade, and numerous other activities for the citizens to enjoy. Since the centennial Anniston has lost more of her industry. The military complex that supported Anniston economy has been vastly reduced. For Anniston to return to the days of her youth, when there were industries to support the citizens, she needs another Samuel Noble to implement his vision of the model city to benefit all the citizens of the town.

To learn more about the history of Calhoun County pick up a copy of Images of America: Calhoun County (ISBN 978-0738589985), Anniston (ISBN 978-0738506012), or Anniston Revisited (ISBN 978-1467114752) by Kimberly O’Dell.