Look Back ... to a new home for Western Auto, 1998

Feb. 23—Feb. 23, 1948, in The Star: The president of Anniston Manufacturing Company, Fred O. Tyler, died suddenly this morning at his home at 721 Oak Street. Tyler 64, had been a resident of Anniston for the last 33 years. The grandson of Gen. Daniel Tyler (who with his brother, Alfred Tyler, and Samuel Noble founded Anniston), Fred Tyler was well known in the textile field throughout the country and was especially noted in the South. The funeral service will be held tomorrow afternoon at Grace Episcopal Church. Mr. Tyler is survived by his wife, Mrs. Christine McCaa Tyler; one daughter, Mrs. Frank C. Bennett Jr.; and two sisters who live up north. Mr. Tyler was born in Norwich, Conn., in November 1883, as the son of Augustus Cleveland and Nellie Osgood Tyler. He holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Yale and came to Anniston in 1915.

Feb. 23, 1998, in The Star: The prominent address of 1000 Noble Street — the northwest corner of 10th and Noble, in previous decades a Sears, then a Haverty's — is soon to be home to Gene Robinson's Western Auto variety store. Robinson has been busy the past few days moving his inventory from its about-to-be vacated location of 11 East 12th Street. Literally in other business, namely across the street, James Lloyd is now the sole owner of the Caldwell Building, and word is that the ground floor will contain two different businesses: a men's and boys' clothing store to be operated by Jonathan Meadows, and an unspecified restaurant on the other side. On the top floor of the Caldwell Mr. Lloyd wants to create a civic club meeting space that would help fill the needs previously met by the Ramada Inn restaurant.