1928 - Alderson High School - 1968

Annexation of North Alderson From The History Of Alderson

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   to   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.

North   Alderson   was   brought   into   the   corporate   limits   of   the   town,   about the   time   this   photo   was   taken   looking   northwest   from   Reservoir   Hill. Visible   towards   the   center   of   the   picture   are   the   Old   Greenbrier   Baptist Church,   the   Alderson   Academy,   and   the   Public   School   building   (with small   belfry).Several   folks   are   out   practicing   on   the   baseball   diamond   in the   right   foreground   and   just   about   everyone   has   a   cornfield   in   his   back yard Photo by J. W. McClung. (Click on photo for larger view) This   1917   photo   shows   a   grown-up   town,   North   and   South   of   the   river. Prominent   on   the   south   side   are   the   passenger   and   freight   stations,   the Alderson   House   Hotel,   and   the   main   business   district.   The   old   livery stable   in   the   lower   left   has   already   become   the   Alderson   Garage,   and according   to   the   poster,   the   circus   is   due   soon.   North   of   the   "new bridge"   the   Alderson   National   Bank   and   the   new   brick   Public   School building   dominates.   It   must   have   been   Sunday   when   Mr.   McClung   took this   photo   as   no   pedestrian   or   vehicular   traffic   is   seen   except   at   the depot. (Click on photo for larger view)

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 East, 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. I   remember   my   mother   in   the   60s,   talking   about   an   annexation   that   did   happen   and   included   the   Alderson people   from   east   of   Chase   street.   I   can’t   find   any   details   on   this,   but   if   I   do,   the   information   will   be   added   to this page._Barry Worrell The Most Recent Plan For Annexation