Way Back Wednesday in Calhoun County---July 11-17

Once Anniston became a public town in 1883, investors rolled into the city and new businesses were established. One of the early professions that seemed to be prolific in the new town was saloon keeper. Most of these establishments were located on Noble and West 10th Street which was the main hub in the new city. The saloons had names like Levi and Co., Reid Bros., and the Iron Queen. Some of the local saloon keepers had immigrated from Europe while others relocated from other areas of the United States.

One of the earliest buildings built in Anniston was the Opera House on the southwest corner of 10th and Noble Street. Completed in 1883, the Opera House include a bar. The Opera House bar was operated by Max Markstein. Markstein immigrated from Germany when he was a child. He operated his saloon in Anniston until around 1907 when it became known as the Jos A. Magnus Saloon. Markstein moved on to the southern part Alabama where he passed away in 1926.

Isidor Levi, also a German immigrant, came to Anniston in the early 1890s. He operated his saloon at 1024 Noble Street in what became known as the Levi Building around 1894. Mr. Levi retired from the saloon business around 1907 when the Reid Bros moved into the establishment. He and his wife Bertha remained in town and around 1920 moved to the Anniston Inn as boarders.

Across the street from I. Levi and Co., was one of two saloon’s Newton and Charles Reid, known as the Reid Bros., operated. The Reid’s owned and operated both the Palace Saloon at 1025 Noble and The Office Saloon at 10th Street and Market Avenue. After the Reid Bros purchased Levi’s business, they moved their establishment to the west side of Noble Street.

The most well-known of the early saloon keepers was Robert (R. E.) Garner. Garner was born in Pike County, Ga, to a farmer who was a Baptist deacon. The Garner family also produced a Baptist preacher but R. E. and his brother Thomas choose another profession. The brothers came to Anniston in the mid-1890s during a boom period. By 1896, R. E. had opened his first saloon, the Iron Queen Saloon, at 133 W. 10th Street and brother Thomas managed the establishment. He was successful and by 1898 had opened a second saloon at 21 ½ W. 10th St., The Peerless. He operated a café downstairs called the Peerless Café. In 1903, Garner moved the Peerless Saloon closer to the heart of downtown. That February he opened the New Peerless at 13 W. 15th Street. When he died, Garner left his estate to the city of Anniston for the construction of Garner Hospital.

There were other establishments in Anniston during the early days but often did not survive long. The term saloon had a much different connotation in the early 20th Century than it does today. The advertisements targeting patrons would include phrases like “gentlemen who know how to drink”. Most of the time other activities that were questionable took place in the establishments. There were times when the police were called to deal with the aftermath of altercations. Boom towns have their growing pains and Anniston was no exception.

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.