James W. Anders, 1887-1962

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Title

James W. Anders, 1887-1962

Subject

Mayors

Description

James W. Anders served as mayor of Northport from 1938 to 1956. He was serving as a councilman when Mayor Shepherd passed away and Anders was elected as his replacement. Anders was the owner of Anders Hardware Co. in Northport.

Anders was born at Four Mile Creek just outside Northport, the son of Jake and Josephine Anders. When his father sold their farm, Anders went to Washington, D.C. where he was on the Capitol Police Department for 10 years.

Returning to Northport, he was elected mayor in 1936 and for four successive terms was re-elected, always against opposition.

While Anders was Northport mayor, the town got its first garbage truck and first sewer lines. Arrangements were made with Tuscaloosa for the first water mains and for fire protection. An agreement was made with Tuscaloosa whereby Northport purchased a fire truck and paid the salaries of four firemen, an agreement that still stood when Anders died in 1962 at the age of 74.

Source

City of Northport

Contributor

Jan Hutchison (Description)
Betty Slowe (Description)

Type

Photograph

Identifier

835

Coverage

Northport (AL)

Original Format

Photograph