Anniston [key], city, seat of Calhoun co., NE Ala., in a mining region of the Appalachian foothills; inc. 1873. Its manufactures include soil pipes, textiles, lumber, bricks, cabinets, and vaccines. Founded (1872) as an ironmaking “company town,” it was opened to the public in 1883. The Anniston Army Depot is the site of a chemical weapons disposal facilty. Nearby Fort McClellan, headquarters of the Women's Army Corps (WAC) until 1978, was central to Anniston's economy until its closing in 1999 and is undergoing redevelopment.
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