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(Photo by Calvin Shepherd - Use By Permission)
Alderson West Virginia - A History
© Property of Min7th Productions 2012 
Post Offices
Main Index
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
The   actual Alderson   community   began   in   the   vicinity   of    Palestine.     All   of   the   community   was   served      by   a   post   office   there   established April   3,   1839. (How   postal   service   was   provided   prior   to   that   time   is   not   know.)      The   First   postmaster   of   Palestine   was   Thomas   C.   M.   Alderson,   and   seventeen postmasters   served   until   the   office   was   discontinued   October   12,   1886.      The   last   Palestine   postmaster   was   Abram   O.   Baker.      Years   later   an application   was   made   to   the   Post   Office   Department   to   reactivate   the   Palestine   post   office,   but   Palestine   in   Wirt   County   West   Virginia   had   been established.     Advance   was   chosen   as   the   name   in   place   of   Palestine   and   on   March   1,   1909   the Advance,   West   Virginia,   post   office   was   established with   A.   J.   Jones   as   postmaster.      On   January   31,   1913   Advance   was   discontinued.      It   had   but   one   postmaster.      On   February   6,   1872,   Alderson, Monroe   County,   West   Virginia,   post   office   was   established   with Abraham   E.   T.   Scruggs   as   postmaster.      The   office   has   been   in   two   or   three   locations on   the   Monroe   side.     The   present   attractive   building   was   finished   in   1936   at   a   cost   of   about   $50,000.00   including   land.      On   July   1,   1918,   the Alderson post   office   became   second-class,   its   present   class,   when   Joseph   N. Alderson   was   postmaster.     The   present   postmaster   is   Duncan   M.   Johnston.     The Alderson   post   office   serves   about   5000   people   including   the   Federal   Reformatory,   in   three   counties.      There   are   five   star   routes   and   two   RFD   routes. Cash   receipts   in   1963   were   $22,392.65   and   the   office   is   credited   with   about   $8,700.00   additional   for   the   free   Government   mailing   for   the Reformatory, which is about 30% of all mail handled.  The post office has ten Civil Service employees plus star route contractors.
These   views   show   Postmaster   George   E.   Bare   and   the   Alderson   Post Office   in   1901   (left)   and   about   1910   (right).   Mr.   Bare's   customers   in   the right   picture   are   unidentified,   but   he   is   recognized   as   standing   with   C. M.   Nelson   and   Charlie   Stanton   in   the   left   one.   The Alderson   Post   Office was   established   February   6,   1872.   Mr.   Bare   was   Postmaster   1901- 1914    and    1923-1935.    (Notice    the    manikin    in    the    store    to    the    left, wearing ladies apparel).- Photo from Mrs. D. M. Johnson .
Working on the foundation of the current Post Office. Roof of current Post office during construction
Construction of the Alderson Post Office finished in 1936
Alderson Post Office as it is today.
(Click on photos for larger view)
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