Bob Saunders lived behind Oretha and Curtis Shawver on Maple Ave. Bob had just gotten a new 57 ford and he always parked it in the alley between their houses. One day Bob was visiting at Barry Worrell's house, which was next door to the Shawver's. When Bob returned home he noticed his car was gone. He went back to Barry's and they went looking for his car. They couldn't find it in the immediate vicinity, so they stood there for a while trying to decide what to do. At that moment Oretha pulled up driving Bob's car. Bob was totally perplexed, he couldn't speak straight. Oretha needed to go to the grocery store so she came over to ask Bob to take her. Not finding him, she saw the keys were in the car, got in and went to the store. Just like it was an every day occurrence. No charges were pressed. - Barry Worrell

The Virginian Hotel was built in 1871 on the site of the Woodson-Mohler building. It was built to take care of the influx of Railroad workers. It had a big saloon and held dances each Saturday. Not enough women attended and so men danced with men. It was razed in 1903 to make room for the Merchants Grocery Co. Later known as the Woodson-Mohler Building. - John McCurdy

In the late 1800s Mrs. Rebecca Reed conducted a school in the abandoned barroom of the Virginia Hotel which was where the Warehouse Barkley, formally Woodson-Mohler building, is now located.  History of Alderson - Kenneth Swope

All was not harmonious between the railroad and the town. Shortly after the town was incorporated an engineer was arrested and taken from his engine for either blowing his whistle too long or blocking the crossing. The three chief sources of friction have remained the same to the present: blocking the crossing, blowing of whistles and the speed of trains through town. (I doubt if any of these ordinances have had to be enforced today)

On November 16, 1893, Town Council passed an ordinance forbidding trains from going through town faster that four miles per hour. On July 3, 1893, the speed was increased to eight miles per hour, and it was then forbidden for a train to blow a whistle in the corporate limits. On March 3, 1899, an ordinance was passed forbidding any train to stand on the crossing longer than five minutes. On April 1, 1901, Council repealed that ordinance and made another forbidding any train from block a crossing for any length of time. As recounted elsewhere, the town had defeated a public water works bond issue. The Town Council asked C & O to allow the town to use the water for public supply. On December 3, 1894, the railroad refused. In 1900 C & O built a new water tank, and J. C. Bright complained that the tank obstructed the road to his mill. Council immediately passed an ordinance forbidding anyone from building a water tank without permission of Council, punishable by a $10.00 a day fine. C & O got out of that threat in three days. The railroad wrote Council on November 5, 1900 that a double width road would be built around one side and a single width one around the other side of the tank. (Ah, the good old days.)

Did You Know Mr. Pezzanite's shoe shop was not always just north of Copeland's garage. It was originally beside Homer Ayres Restaurant and near the new city building. The town of Alderson told Mr. Pezzanite if he would move it, he could have the old building. So he had it jacked up and it was rolled up to the new location. _Geraldine Pezzanite

More to come, I hope:

If you haven't had enough see Memories Of Alderson  by Bobby Black