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As recorded elsewhere, the C & O
began serving Alderson in 1873, and the population rapidly began to
increase. In 1880 the population was 478 according to the U. S.
Census. The first bridge spanned the river in 1881 and the little
town was ready to assume civic responsibility. It became an
incorporated town in 1881. The corporation of Alderson was on the
south side of the river only as most of the north side was farming land
belonging to members of the Alderson family.
It was twenty-three years later
before North Alderson proposed a municipal marriage with the corporation.
On December 29, 1904, a committee from the north side met with
Council do discuss the annexation. The matter was debated and no
action taken. Four days later, on January 2, 1905, a petition to the
Town Council signed by J. M. Alderson, G. K. Gwinn, William H. Hamlett, G.
E. Bare and M. Levy was presented to Town Council asking that north
Alderson be annexed to the town. An Election was held January 27,
1905 on the question The results were:
South Alderson: For incorporation -
50; Against - 20.
North Alderson: For incorporation - 55; Against - 35.
On March 23, 1905, the vote was
canvassed by the Town Council and
North Alderson was officially married to
South Alderson, subject to approval of the Circuit Court of Monroe County
- which was granted later.
The last time the Town of Alderson
attempted to add to the corporation's area was in an election held
June 3, 1941. There were nearly 1000 registered voters in the town
in 1940; 356 in South Alderson and 618 in North Alderson and but 289 of
them voted in the election to take into the corporation the area bounded
by Chase Street on the west, Route 54 South and East, and Hemlock Street
on the north.
The voters inside the corporation
voted to take in the section, 240 for annexation, 49 opposed.
Evidently the voters residing outside the corporation in the area to be
annexed did not like the idea. They voted 30 to 10 against it. The
election lost.
Next:
City Services
The contents contained in this series is copyrighted
and the sole property of
The Greenbrier
Historical Society - Lewisburg, WV
Used by permission - November 18, 2008 |
