(Photo by Calvin Shepherd - Use By Permission)
Alderson West Virginia - A History
Livestock Market
Years
ago
farmers
sold
their
livestock
to
dealers
who
traveled
from
farm
to
farm.
The
farmers
had
to
take
what
was
offered.
Now,
area
farmers
take
their
stock
to
a
livestock
market
where
it
is
auctioned
to
the
highest
bidder
and
the
stock
is
shipped
from
the
market.
Years
ago
farmers
drove
their
livestock to the railroad through the streets of town. Now it is hauled by truck to market.
Such
a
market
is
Alderson
Live
Stock
Market,
Incorporated.
It
is
located
west
of
town
on
the
South
side
of
the
river,
on
the
road
to
the
Reformatory.
The
company
was
incorporated
April
15,
1936.
Its
first
president
was
M.
W.
Price;
C.
L.
Lowe
was
vice
president
and
manager.
Martin
Rodgers
was
secretary-treasurer. The first auction was on June 18, 1936.
Later, Clarence Holman was manager. A. O. Moss and S. M. Ellison have been auctioneers. The present auctioneer is Kermit Morgan.
Lewis
Fleshman,
Blue
Sulphur
Springs,
has
had
an
interest
in
the
market
for
many
years,
and
his
son
Lewis
(Bud)
Fleshman,
Jr.,
has
been
a
long
time
employee.
The
market’s
chief
sales
are
in
cattle.
However,
it
sells
anything
on
foot
which
a
farmer
raises:
cattle,
hogs,
sheep,
horses,
ponies
and chickens.
On
March
1,
1963,
Gene
Knight,
Lewisburg,
leased
the
business
from
the
corporation.
which
owns
the
pens
and
buildings.
From
March
1,
1963,
to
the end of the year, $866,000.00 worth of livestock was sold. In 1964, sales are expected to top one million dollars.
Every
Thursday
at
1:30
p.m.
the
auctioneer
on
his
rostrum
with
the
clerk,
starts
his
chant,
and
batches
of
livestock
enter
the
ring,
all
locally
raised.
It
is
fast,
fair
and
interesting.
Around
the
ring
are
seated
farmers,
buyers
and
spectators.
The
buyers
are
well—known
men.
Among
them
are:
M.
E.
Coleman
for
a
packing
plant
in
Oak
Hill;
Mr.
Fotus
of
Fotus
Packers,
Beckley;
L.
M.
McCown
and
Son,
Charleston;
"Babe"
Lewis,
who
buys
for
several packing plants, and Food Fair, a huge grocery chain. Joe Furr is another buyer.
The
market
gets
a
fee
set
by
law,
and
operates
under
a
Federal
statute
governing
packers
and
stockyards,
as
it
deals
in
food
sold
in
interstate
commerce.
In
the
fall
the
market
has
special
sales
at
night,
of
stock
cows
for
breeding
purposes,
and
young
stock
for
the
Western
feed
lots.
There
will
be
four
or
five
of
these
sales
in
1964.
Most
will
be
shipped
out
of
state
to
such
states
as
Texas,
Nebraska
and
Pennsylvania.
All
of
this
stock
is
graded
by
the
State of West Virginia, Department of Agriculture.
Alderson is an important market and this is the way local farmers sell the ine cattle and sheep grown on the bluegrass hills.
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
