Calhoun County, Alabama was named for John C. Calhoun, whose
many faces are depicted above on January 29, 1858. Calhoun
was originally created on December 18th, 1832 from ceded Indian
Territory, and then named Benton County in honor of Thomas
Hart Benton, and the county seat established in Jacksonville in
1833. The name of the county was changed in 1858 and the
county seat moved to Anniston, Alabama in 1899.
Calhoun County is located in the northeastern section of the
state, in the Appalachian Mountain chain. It encompasses 611
square miles. The Coosa River flows along the western boundary
of the county. Notable towns include Anniston, Jacksonville,
Piedmont, and Oxford.
Anniston (depicted above), is located in the foothills of the Appalachian
Mountains, near Sand Mountain, and the name derives from Annie's
Town, named for Annie Scott Tyler, wife of railroad president
Alfred L. Tyler. It was also often called "Woodstock". It was
developed as a company town an iron-making center for the
Confederate Army during the Civil War.
Source:
Owen, Thomas McAdory. History of Alabama and Dictionary of
Alabama Biography. Chicago: S. J. Clarke Publishing Co.,
1921. |
