Anniston in Calhoun County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)

Southern Railway Station Attack

January 2, 1961

—Anniston Civil Rights Trail —

Southern Railway Station Attack Marker image. Click for full size.

By Mark Hilton, August 5, 2017

1. Southern Railway Station Attack Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

Local "Jim Crow" laws in the first half of the 20th century enforced racial segregation in public transportation facilities throughout the South. The U.S. Supreme Court decision in Boynton v. Virginia (1960) upheld that segregation in these facilities was illegal, yet African American Talladega College student Art Bacon encountered hostility when he arrived by train at this station. As he left the station, he was beaten by five white men for sitting in the formerly "whites-only" waiting room.

Four days later, Talladega College students and faculty marched peacefully along Gurnee Avenue, at one point circling the police station, in protest of the assault.

Erected 2016 by City of Anniston Historic Trails Program. (Marker Number 1.)

Marker series. This marker is included in the Anniston Civil Rights Trail, Alabama marker series.

Location. 33° 38.951′ N, 85° 49.927′ W. Marker is in Anniston, Alabama, in Calhoun County. Marker is on West 4th Street east of Spruce Avenue, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Located in front of the Anniston Amtrak Station. Marker is at or near this postal address: 126 West 4th Street, Anniston AL 36201, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Trailways Attack (approx. half a mile away); Trailways Bus Station Attack (approx. half a mile away); Anniston Public Library Desegregation

Southern Railway Station image. Click for full size.

By Mark Hilton, August 5, 2017

2. Southern Railway Station

The station was originally designed by Milo R. Hanker and built in 1925 for the Southern Railway, and was one of the last railroad-operated active passenger stations in the country.

(was approx. 0.6 miles away but has been reported missing. ); Greyhound Bus Station Protest, May 14, 1961 (approx. 0.6 miles away); Calhoun County World War I Memorial (approx. 0.6 miles away); Tyrus Raymond Cobb (approx. 0.6 miles away); The Murder of Willie Brewster, July 15, 1965 (approx. 0.6 miles away); Grace Episcopal Church (approx. 0.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Anniston.

Also see . . .
1. Wikipedia article on the Boynton v. Virginia Supreme Court case. (Submitted on August 5, 2017, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
2. Wikipedia article on Jim Crow Laws. (Submitted on August 5, 2017, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
3. Anniston Civil Rights Trail Map (.pdf). (Submitted on August 5, 2017, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)

Categories. • African Americans • Civil Rights • Railroads & Streetcars •

The view south along the tracks and station. image. Click for full size.

By Mark Hilton, August 5, 2017

3. The view south along the tracks and station.

More. Search the internet for Southern Railway Station Attack.

Credits. This page was last revised on August 5, 2017. This page originally submitted on August 5, 2017, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 537 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 5, 2017, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.