City Services

The Municipal building which houses all town offices, the fire department, jail and a recreation room, was built in 1939. It is a brick building on South Monroe Street.

The Masonic Lodge originally owned the lot and a small building on it. This was sold to the town and the building removed. Then the town obtained help from the old Public Works Administration and the new building was erected. The second floor is occupied by the Masonic Lodge which helped in the financing of the building.

The first mention of a fire department in Alderson is in the Council minutes of May 7, 1906. The water department was authorized to buy ladders and suits. Later, in 1906, hose and hose carts were purchased.

A volunteer fire department was established which continues to the present. By 1909 the town was paying firemen fifty cents minimum and a maximum of $1.00 to fight each fire. Firemen are still on a fee basis of $1.50 per call.

The old hose truck system continued for many years. The town is a class 8 town, a low class, as there is not a paid fire department on full time duty, almost impossible in small towns. In 1931, the first truck, a chemical-hose combination, was purchased. It was a Model A Ford. The second truck was bought in 1951. In 1963, with the help of the Federal Reformatory for Women, the third truck was acquired. It is a 1942 hose, ladder and pump truck. It was re-modeled and modernized.

Richard Ford, the Chief of the Fire Department, first started fighting fires when he was seventeen years old. He has been Chief since 1935 and has held public office longer than anyone in Alderson’s history.

In the old days when the town was small the Town Sergeant had a combination of many duties. He was principally a police officer. Daily he had several other duties. He collected bills, now and then supervised street repairs or sidewalk construction, fought fires, bossed water service, and enforced all sorts of town ordinances.

There were a number of these officers over the years and some served very short terms; others served for long terms. One Town Sergeant had a quarrel with a councilman. The Councilman refused to attend Council until the Sergeant was fired. He was fired. The next year the councilman was out of office. The Sergeant was rehired. One night another Sergeant resigned at a Council meeting saying he could not work the hours expected and perform the duties laid on him for the pay. He was given a nice raise on the spot.

The present police officer is the Chief of Police. He is Richard Weikel, a young Korean War veteran, from Monroe County. When necessary he is assisted in his work by special officers, Greenbrier County Deputy Sheriff Curtis Shawver, who lives in Alderson, and members of the West Virginia State Police from the Lewisburg detachment.

At an early date Alderson citizens began to think of a publicly owned water works since their water supply was pumped from private wells or carried from the river.

The first record found of an attempt to build a water works was on March 27, 1894. The town, then all on the south side of the Greenbrier, held a bond issue election to build a water works. It was defeater  66 to 28.

Eleven years later, C. L. Stulting, mayor, (uncle of the Nobel prize-winning writer, Pearl Sydenstricker Buck,) issued a proclamation for a bond issue election of $12,500.00 to provide: $10,000 for a water works, $1,000 for a sewerage system and $1,500 for macadamizing streets.

The election passed 114 for, to 9 against, on August 24, 1905.

On November 8, 1905, Town Council let a contract for installation of the water works to West Virginia Heating and Plumbing Company, Charleston, W. Va. The Town bought a pump which was in- stalled and operated by Greenbrier Milling Company which agreed to pump the water at sixty cents per hour, providing 10,000 to 15,000 gallons per hour. The water was pumped from the Greenbrier River. On December 4, 1905 the Town purchased the reservoir site and right-of-way from George Alderson for $500. A reservoir was built with C. M. Honaker as the first Water Works superintendent.

In 1930 the water works needed improvement and modernization. A steel water tower was constructed of 200,000 gallon capacity 220 feet above the river. A pumping station with a 16,000 gallon per hour capacity was constructed and a chlorinator was installed. These additions were financed by a bond issue election which passed in April, 1930.

It has been stated that the water works has been a profitable source of revenue to the town. It does pay if depreciation is not considered.

Presently the Town Council is attempting to obtain help from the Federal Government to make improvements. A new water tank is contemplated in the North section of town. An improved treatment plant is planned. These will cost $90,000 and under an accelerated works program, the Government’s share would be $61,000, if the town can get the grant.

In 1964 there were 531 water outlets in Alderson.

NEXT: Utilities

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