1950’s Memories of Alderson – the perfect place to grow up
Barbara Knight Miner (1960) February 5, 2010

My favorite Memories of Alderson: Mrs. Shawver's first grade, walking to school alone, sliding down the FIRE ESCAPE each year! Walking across the bridge to the movie theater to see Roy Rogers and Gene Autry, walking back mid-movie because my younger brother cried and wouldn’t stay (contemplated dropping him in the Greenbrier and going back to the movie, but never did), piano lessons with Mrs. Keadle, recitals, visiting the prison on major holidays where my mother worked. Girl Scout meetings at the fire station, cherries, raspberries, and grapes with absolutely no blemishes year after year from my grandmother’s yard, shopping at Red’s store, walking to MYF and walking back in the dark, Junior Music Club, walking under the Christmas lights on the bridge, May-pole dances, long lazy summers with nothing much to do except climb to the water tower, going to the FAIR, rock ‘n roll music, drinking Cokes & playing Elvis songs on the juke-box at the Snack-Shack, learning to drive, getting my license in Union so I wouldn’t have to parallel park in Lewisburg but having to park “between orange cones anyway”, swimming at the prison pool & Rock Bar, hitchhiking with friends to Ronceverte and getting caught, eating at Spud’s Drive-In. Driving my mother’s car to the post office with my sister and then taking frequent detours to Clifton Forge to buy mint chocolate chip ice cream, replacing mother’s gasoline at 28 cents a gallon at Keadle’s service station. Buying a 14 K. gold ring with faux diamond for $5.00 in Hinton, football games, maroon and gray-school colors, playing the clarinet in the band, being told by my dad that if I ever got in trouble I'd better ask the police to keep me ..., climbing over the fence at the Ronceverte pool at night to swim in our clothes, while planning to stay with the police if caught, then hanging wet clothes in my closet to dry. Co-writing articles for The Alderson Times during my Senior year, getting JFK’s autograph, seeing a very handsome Teddy Kennedy leaning against a corner beside the door of the high school, and finally –the beginning of a new decade – 1960 & Graduation!