Calhoun County, Alabama

Calhoun County in northeast Alabama was created on December 18, 1832 and first named Benton County for Missouri senator Thomas Hart Benton [1]. In the 1850s it was renamed for John C. Calhoun. The seat is Anniston, and the 2020 estimate was 116,441 residents across 611 square miles. Seven incorporated communities each have a mayor and city council.

History

Anniston was founded in 1872 as an industrial community and became a major producer of cast-iron pipe by the 1920s. Henry Grady called it the model city of the New South. Camp McClellan was established in 1917 for World War I training and renamed Fort McClellan in 1929, and the Anniston Army Depot was added in 1940. The Alabama Shakespeare Festival was founded in Anniston in 1972 and moved to Montgomery in 1985 [1].

Economy and education

Education and health care employed 22.7 percent of workers in 2020, manufacturing 18.1 percent and retail 13.2 percent. The county school system oversees 39 public schools, and Jacksonville State University, founded in 1883 as the State Normal School, is in Jacksonville. Other communities include Oxford, Piedmont and Weaver [1].

Attractions

Anniston Museum and Gardens combines the Berman Museum of World History and the Anniston Museum of Natural History. Outdoor sites include Talladega National Forest, Choccolocco State Forest (4,406 acres), the 100-mile Pinhoti Trail beginning in Piedmont and H. Neely Henry Lake [1]. See National Forests of Alabama.

Formation and name

Calhoun County was created on December 18, 1832, as Benton County, named for Missouri senator Thomas Hart Benton, and was renamed in the 1850s for South Carolina politician John C. Calhoun. It covers 611 square miles and had 116,441 residents in 2020. Anniston, the seat and largest city, had an estimated 21,518.[2]

Anniston and industry

Daniel Tyler and Samuel Noble founded Anniston in 1872 as an industrial town that Henry Grady called the model city of the New South. The county moved from agriculture to iron, cast-iron pipe and textile manufacturing. Camp McClellan was established in 1917 and became Fort McClellan in 1929, and the Anniston Army Depot was added in 1940. The Alabama Shakespeare Festival was founded in Anniston in 1972. A 1813 Creek War attack took place at Tallasseehatchee.[2]

Education and geography

The county has 39 public and 15 private schools, and Jacksonville State University, founded in 1883 as the State Normal School, is in Jacksonville. The county lies in the Valley and Ridge section of northeast Alabama; the Coosa River forms its western edge and H. Neely Henry Lake was created by a dam in 1969. Routes include U.S. 431, Interstate 20 and U.S. 78, and part of the Talladega National Forest lies within the county.[2]

FAQs

What was it first called? Benton County.

What is the seat? Anniston.

Sources

1. Encyclopedia of Alabama: Calhoun County
2. Encyclopedia of Alabama: Calhoun County

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 10, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue