Business

On November 18, 1919, the Alderson Chamber of Commerce was organized. This organization of the town's business and professional men served the community well for fourteen years.

It helped in getting the Reformatory in Alderson and there is substantial doubt whether the Reformatory would be in Alderson now if the Chamber of Commerce had not worked so hard to get it here. In fact, the Chamber raised the money to buy the land.

In every civic problem imaginable the Chamber of Commerce had a hand. Alderson profited from the work of the public-spirited men who worked so long and hard for the town.

The first president of the Alderson Chamber of Commerce was L. E. Johnson and the first secretary was J. Albert Rigg. During the years, these two men and J. N. Alderson., T. J. Woodson, O. D. Massey, H. B. Rowe, E. Chase Bare, J. W. Johnson, M. F. Forbell, Dr. C. P. Nash, J. M. Alderson, Carl B. Eades, George Werkheiser, W. L. McCoy, O. C. Carter, Max W. Miller, W. W. Stevens, R. F. Henry, E. H. Warren, F. G. Lobban, J. Frank Nash, C. E. Staton, J. W. Raine and others all worked for the good of Alderson. In 1933 the organization languished and died. While it lived, the Chamber published advertising of Alderson, and in 1932 put out an attractive brochure of Alderson.

Realizing the need for an active civic organization to voice the town’s advantages and further its well-being, the Alderson Business Development Corporation was organized April 29, 1960. Since then it has published a beautiful, illustrated booklet called Alderson, West Virginia, A Study of Industrial Potential. There were fourteen industrial sites mapped and photographed, all near Alderson. It has a well written description of Alderson.

Presently, the Alderson Business Development Corporation is sponsoring an increase in berry culture, particularly strawberries, for which there seems to be an almost inexhaustible market. The organization is eager to help in business or civic advancement. Presently it is working hard to get a large garment factory to come to Pence Springs.

The two oldest Alderson businesses are the J. M. Alderson Store and Johnson and Gwinn Hardware Store.

The J. M. Alderson Store, a clothing store for women, was established  by J. M. Alderson. He was a community leader for nearly fifty years. The store was first a general merchandise store. His son, J. M. Alderson, III, now operates the business which was started in 1884.

Johnson and Gwinn Hardware Store was started about the same time as the Alderson Store. L. E. Johnson and George Gwinn were the original partners. It was sold to the Housby Brothers in 1948 and still operates as Johnson and Gwinn Hardware Store. The Lobban Furniture Store and Lobban Funeral Home were started in 1901 and still operate.

Next: Banks

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