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History · Anderson

Anderson dates to 1825, and 14% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1916 on and the census since 1970.

1825founded
0on the National Register
14%homes built before 1940
1famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0
Quick answers

How Anderson began

When was Anderson founded?

1825

Anderson dates its founding to 1825 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1970.

First census: 373 in 19702020 census: 254201 years
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1861.The full story ↓

What stands out about Anderson’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Anderson are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 19164 editions of the USGS map, 1916 to 1972. Watch Anderson change.Deep rootsEstablished in 1825: 201 years of Anderson.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Anderson’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Anderson’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Anderson on the map, 1916 to 1972

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Anderson. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Anderson on the 1916 USGS mapAnderson on the 1936 USGS mapAnderson on the 1952 USGS mapAnderson on the 1972 USGS map1916Rogersville sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Anderson.

Timeline

Anderson, 1825 to 1916

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1825
    FoundingAnderson is established
  3. 1861Post officeThe Anderson's Creek post office opens
  4. 1896Post officeThe Anderson's Creek post office closes
  5. 1896Post officeThe Anderson post office opens
  6. 20th century
  7. 1909Born hereHugh P. Harris is born here
  8. 1916On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
The story

How Anderson came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Anderson.

Read it all →

The town is situated along Anderson Creek, which empties into the Elk River near the Lauderdale-Limestone county border. Both the town and creek were named for Samuel Anderson, who built a gristmill along the creek in the early 19th century. The town was first settled around 1825 and was named Andersons Creek for the afore mentioned creek. The name was shortened to Anderson, and a post office was established in 1860. Anderson incorporated as a town in 1973.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Anderson, decade by decade

Today7 recent
Bizzie-Bee-Beauty-Shop-al12016Bizzie-Bee-Beauty-Shop-al1Anderson-town-hall-fd-al12016Anderson-town-hall-fd-al1Anderson-skyline-al12016Anderson-skyline-al1Anderson-post-office-al12016Anderson-post-office-al1Anderson-The-Cafe-al12016Anderson-The-Cafe-al1Anderson-Junior-High-al12016Anderson-Junior-High-al1Anderson-Hwy207-al12016Anderson-Hwy207-al1
People over time

Anderson, census by census

0100200300400198020002020Peak: 405

Between 254 and 405 people in every census since 1970.

6 censuses, 1970–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Anderson’s Wikipedia page.

Places that used to be

Lost post offices

Anderson’s post office has been open since 1896. Another post office, Anderson's Creek, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Anderson's Creek
1861–1896
Anderson
1896–today
18601940today

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Questions about Anderson’s history

What year was Anderson founded?

In 1825, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Anderson’s post office opened in 1861, and the census of 1970 counted 373 people here.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (7), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.