1928 - Alderson High School - 1968

Alderson’s Newspapers From The Journal Of The Greenbrier Historical Society On Alderson, West Virginia Written by Kenneth D. Swope - Compiled and Transcribed by Barry Worrell Alderson has published eight newspapers since 1878. Here is a brief history of all eight. 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. The second was The Alderson Statesman . It was owned and started by Rufus D. Alderson in 1883. The last issue was in May, 1886. The third appeared about 1894, called The Alderson Man . 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.

Mrs. Agnes Cooke was news editor of The Alderson Times, 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. Agnes Cooke. (Click on photo for larger view)

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. (Click on photo for larger view)

The Aldersonian was first published by the Alderson Baptist Academy from 1922 until approximately 1928 when the school closed and Alderson High School took over the paper. For the succeeding years it was the senior class that was responsible for getting it to press. Although not a town newspaper, it did include some news of the community and of course, ads from the businesses. In 1968 Alderson High School closed and the paper lie dormant for thirty years. In 1998, Barry Worrell, a 1957 graduate of Alderson High School and staff member of the 1957 editions, revived The Aldersonian on the internet. With this new media format, it is interactive and boasts hundreds of pages (and still counting) of articles, history, news, photos, and writings and comments from the alumni. It also includes updates from Alderson Main Street, The Alderson Depot, Alderson Community Center, The Greenbrier Historical Society, Town Of Alderson and other city’s stores and events. You might say it is the town’s newspaper. Visit The Aldersonian . (Click on photo for larger view)

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 1936 when he sold to Malcolm Johnston of Union, editor of The Monroe Watchman. (Click on photo for larger view)

The Greenbrier Baptist is a recently discovered paper edited by George Alderson, Jr. So far, there is no record of when it started, how long it lasted, and when it closed down. Photo evidence of it’s existence is dated April, 1905, and places it number 4 in the list. (Click on photo for larger view) More photos here.