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The Beginning | |
![]() Major General George B. McClellan While Anniston's candidacy for a military installation predates 1917, the events of that year compelled the construction of a National Guard Camp. Charles L. Dulin was the Constructing Quartermaster placed in charge of Camp McClellan. Dulin arrived in June of 1917 under orders to build a machine gun camp to accommodate six machine gun companies. In July, his orders changed. A telegram from the Officer in Charge of Cantonment Construction informed Dulin that Anniston had been selected as a National Guard Camp. Dulin immediately informed the Anniston Chamber of Commerce that the government wanted immediate ownership of a large portion of land, changing the original purchase agreement which had allowed the many farmers to cultivate their land throughout the year. Lost crops were valued at $136,000. This debt would not be cleared until 1934 through diligent efforts by the community. After survey, Dulin chose the site for the new camp. Three major roads traversed the camp site. Leaving Anniston, Rocky Hollow Road crossed Blue Mountain and intersected with Bain Gap Road in the center of the camp. Bain Gap ran eastward over the Choccolocco Mountains. An unidentified road leading to Jacksonville, later to become State Highway 21, crossed the northwestern sector of the site. Cane Creek and its tributaries, Cave and Carrot Creeks, coursed through the site, flowing in a south, east and southeasterly direction. Land use was mostly agricultural, and no small villages or towns were displaced by the new camp. |
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