Once known as Pine Ankle and sparsely populated with
farms, Anniston, Alabama, has seen a multitude of changes over the course of its history. Founded on land that was originally home to Native Americans, the town was created by Samuel Noble and General Daniel Tyler as a "model city" for their Woodstock Iron Company in 1872, and not opened to the public until 1883. Rapid growth in the late nineteenth century brought not only new industries to the area but also Anniston's designation as seat of Calhoun County and an expansion of the entire downtown area.
The vintage photographs within...