(Photo by Calvin Shepherd - Use By Permission)
Alderson West Virginia - A History
City Services
The
Municipal
building
which
houses
all
town
offices,
the
fire
department,
jail
and
a
recreation
room,
was
built
in
1939.
It
is
a
brick
building
on
South
Monroe Street.
The
Masonic
Lodge
originally
owned
the
lot
and
a
small
building
on
it.
This
was
sold
to
the
town
and
the
building
removed.
Then
the
town
obtained
help
from
the
old
Public
Works
Administration
and
the
new
building
was
erected.
The
second
floor
is
occupied
by
the
Masonic
Lodge
which
helped
in
the financing of the building.
The
first
mention
of
a
fire
department
in
Alderson
is
in
the
Council
minutes
of
May
7,
1906.
The
water
department
was authorized to buy ladders and suits. Later, in 1906, hose and hose carts were purchased.
A
volunteer
fire
department
was
established
which
continues
to
the
present.
By
1909
the
town
was
paying
firemen
fifty
cents
minimum
and
a
maximum
of
$1.00
to
fight
each
fire.
Firemen
are
still
on
a
fee
basis
of
$1.50
per call.
The
old
hose
truck
system
continued
for
many
years.
The
town
is
a
class
8
town,
a
low
class,
as
there
is
not
a
paid
fire
department
on
full
time
duty,
almost
impossible
in
small
towns.
In
1931,
the
first
truck,
a
chemical-hose
combination,
was
purchased.
It
was
a
Model
A
Ford.
The
second
truck
was
bought
in
1951.
In
1963,
with
the
help
of
the
Federal
Reformatory
for
Women,
the
third
truck
was
acquired.
It
is
a
1942
hose,
ladder
and
pump
truck.
It
was
re-modeled
and
modernized.
Richard
Ford,
the
Chief
of
the
Fire
Department,
first
started
fighting
fires
when
he
was
seventeen
years
old.
He
has
been
Chief
since
1935
and
has
held public office longer than anyone in Alderson’s history.
In
the
old
days
when
the
town
was
small
the
Town
Sergeant
had
a
combination
of
many
duties.
He
was
principally
a
police
officer.
Daily
he
had
several
other
duties.
He
collected
bills,
now
and
then
supervised
street
repairs
or
sidewalk
construction,
fought
fires,
bossed
water
service,
and
enforced all sorts of town ordinances.
There
were
a
number
of
these
officers
over
the
years
and
some
served
very
short
terms;
others
served
for
long
terms.
One
Town
Sergeant
had
a
quarrel
with
a
councilman.
The
Councilman
refused
to
attend
Council
until
the
Sergeant
was
fired.
He
was
fired.
The
next
year
the
councilman
was
out
of
office.
The
Sergeant
was
rehired.
One
night
another
Sergeant
resigned
at
a
Council
meeting
saying
he
could
not
work
the
hours
expected
and
perform the duties laid on him for the pay. He was given a nice raise on the spot.
The
present
police
officer
is
the
Chief
of
Police.
He
is
Richard
Weikel,
a
young
Korean
War
veteran,
from
Monroe
County.
When
necessary
he
is
assisted
in
his
work
by
special
officers,
Greenbrier
County
Deputy
Sheriff
Curtis
Shawver,
who
lives
in
Alderson,
and
members
of
the
West
Virginia
State Police from the Lewisburg detachment.
At
an
early
date
Alderson
citizens
began
to
think
of
a
publicly
owned
water
works
since
their
water
supply
was
pumped
from
private
wells
or
carried
from the river.
The
first
record
found
of
an
attempt
to
build
a
water
works
was
on
March
27,
1894.
The
town,
then
all
on
the
south
side
of
the
Greenbrier,
held
a
bond issue election to build a water works. It was defeater 66 to 28.
Eleven
years
later,
C.
L.
Stulting,
mayor,
(uncle
of
the
Nobel
prize-winning
writer,
Pearl
Sydenstricker
Buck,)
issued
a
proclamation
for
a
bond
issue
election
of
$12,500.00
to
provide:
$10,000
for
a
water
works,
$1,000
for
a
sewerage
system
and
$1,500
for
macadamizing
streets.
The
election
passed 114 for, to 9 against, on August 24, 1905.
On
November
8,
1905,
Town
Council
let
a
contract
for
installation
of
the
water
works
to
West
Virginia
Heating
and
Plumbing
Company,
Charleston,
W.
Va.
The
Town
bought
a
pump
which
was
in-
stalled
and
operated
by
Greenbrier
Milling
Company
which
agreed
to
pump
the
water
at
sixty
cents
per
hour,
providing
10,000
to
15,000
gallons
per
hour.
The
water
was
pumped
from
the
Greenbrier
River.
On
December
4,
1905
the
Town
purchased
the reservoir site and right-of-way from George Alderson for $500. A reservoir was built with C. M. Honaker as the first Water Works superintendent.
In
1930
the
water
works
needed
improvement
and
modernization.
A
steel
water
tower
was
constructed
of
200,000
gallon
capacity
220
feet
above
the
river.
A
pumping
station
with
a
16,000
gallon
per
hour
capacity
was
constructed
and
a
chlorinator
was
installed.
These
additions
were
financed
by
a
bond issue election which passed in April, 1930.
It has been stated that the water works has been a profitable source of revenue to the town. It does pay if depreciation is not considered.
Presently
the
Town
Council
is
attempting
to
obtain
help
from
the
Federal
Government
to
make
improvements.
A
new
water
tank
is
contemplated
in
the
North
section
of
town.
An
improved
treatment
plant
is
planned.
These
will
cost
$90,000
and
under
an
accelerated
works
program,
the
Government’s share would be $61,000, if the town can get the grant.
In 1964 there were 531 water outlets in Alderson.
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
Main Index
The History of Alderson, West Virginia
From The Journal Of The Greenbrier Historical Society On Alderson, West Virginia
Written by Kenneth D. Swope - Compiled and Transcribed by Barry Worrell
