Newspapers

The first newspaper in Alderson was The Alderson Enterprise in 1878. John M. Ferguson was editor.  It is not known how long this paper was published.

In 1883 The Alderson Statesman was started.  It was owned by Rufus D. Alderson.  The last issue was in May, 1886.

About 1894 The Alderson Man appeared.  It was a Populist newspaper and strongly supported that political party whose aim was to champion rights of the people against the great business monopolies and combines of the time.  Its editors were Houston Warren and Hubert Houston.  After the Populist party lost, and probably due to the Panic of 1896, this paper folded.

J. Alfred Taylor acquired The Alderson Man and changed the name to The Alderson Advertiser.  Taylor took a partner, Alonzo C. Nelson, an expert printer, in 1909.  In 1911, A Selders bought the paper and published it until 1913.  Then George Werkheiser bought the paper.  Werkheiser was a Pennsylvania Dutchman and an intelligent man who printed a good paper.  Although George Werkheiser was not a prohibitionist he called his paper a Prohibition paper.  He was a Democrat, but in order to get county advertising, and as the law required public advertising in papers of opposing political faith, he could no call his paper a Democratic paper.  There was already a Democratic paper in Monroe County.  He was certainly not a Republican.  That left the Prohibition party.  Werkheiser published his paper until 1928 when he sold to Malcolm Johnston of Union, editor of The Monroe Watchman.

Alderson had no paper until march 9, 1951 when The Alderson Times appeared.  Charles J. Eib was the publisher, John R. Kenney was editor, and Agnes Cooke, news editor.  It was a republican paper.  there were several editors in rapid succession.  Eib sold to Don Hubbard Montgomery, who got some used printing equipment and published until about 1956.  He sold to the White Sulphur Sentinel.  Samuel D. Mason became the editor.  The Alderson Times published its last issue Thursday, December 8, 1960.  Mrs. Agnes Cooke was news editor, or associate editor, during the nine years and nine months the paper was published, with eight editors and five publishers.  She wrote a clever farewell obituary for the little paper.

All the five papers were weeklies and some were of good quality.  Between the time the Advertiser and the Times started Alderson had no paper for thirteen years.  It has had no paper for nearly four years.

Next: Business

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