If you’re not familiar with what Alderson Main Street has done, Click on the link below. Visit Alderson Main Street’s Website

ALDERSON’S LION LEGEND RECOGNIZED

Thanks   to   a   grant   from   the   William   G.   Pomeroy   Foundation®   in   partnership   with   the   West   Virginia Humanities   Council’s   Folklife   Program   and   installation   by   the   Town   of   Alderson,   a   new   roadside   marker commemorating   the   legend   of   “French”,   the Alderson   Lion   will   be   dedicated   on Thursday,   September   12   at 11:00 a.m. across from the Alderson Visitors Center.  Local   citizens   will   remember   the   story   of   the   circus   lion   cub   which   was   raised   by   a   local   lady   and   roamed free   in   1890s   Alderson   until   he   frightened   a   salesman   who   jumped   into   the   Greenbrier   River   to   escape.     The Town Council then passed a law requiring all lions to be on a leash. Alderson   Main   Street   applied   for   a   grant   from   the   Pomeroy   Foundation   via   the   West   Virginia   Humanities Council’s   Folklife   Program   several   months   ago.      The   Pomeroy   Foundation   is   a   grant-making   foundation based   in   Syracuse,   N.Y.   One   of   its   initiatives   is   helping   communities   celebrate   their   history.   Since   2006, the   Foundation   has   funded   nearly   900   roadside   markers   and   plaques   in   multiple   states.   Grants   cover   the cost   of   a   marker,   pole,   and   shipping.   Visit:   www.wgpfoundation.org   for   more   information. The   West   Virginia Folklife   Program   at   the   West   Virginia   Humanities   Council   is   supported   in   part   by   the   National   Endowment for   the   Arts   (NEA),   and   is   dedicated   to   the   documentation,   preservation,   and   support   of   West   Virginia’s vibrant cultural heritage and living traditions. The   Pomeroy   Foundation   worked   in   close   partnership   with   the   Humanities   Council   to   make   these   grants available   through   the   foundation’s   Legends   &   Lore®   Marker   Grant   Program.   The   Alderson   Lion   marker   is the first from the Legends & Lore program to be installed in West Virginia. The   Town   of   Alderson   and   Alderson   Main   Street   have   worked   hard   to   create   a   “brand”   for   Alderson centered around the lion.  “Leo” the Lion is a fixture at events and walks PHOTO   CAPTION:      Metal   lion   sculpture   created   and   installed   in   2017   by   Michael   Loop.      It   was   funded   by the Hamilton Family Foundation.

(Click on photo for larger view)