Volume VII of “History Highlights and Tantalizing Tidbits” about Alderson, WV has been released by Alderson Main Street. With a sub-title of “Did You Hear the One about the Lion and the Traveling Salesman?” this volume promises to continue to interest and inspire. After all, it contains a story about the Barkley Family who came to live and work in a 100+ year old warehouse; a multi-talented cabaret singer who could serve as her own bouncer and not miss a note; an educational institution which failed to teach the mice not to play with matches; and a council member who has served in every political office in town plus much more. [caption id="attachment_52540" align="alignleft" width="452"]<img class=" wp-image-52540" src="https://mountainmessenger.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2020/11/img432-2.jpg" alt="" width="452" height="717" /> Cover of Volume VII: “Did You Hear the One about the Lion and the Traveling Salesman?”[/caption] Author Belinda Anderson has, once again, outdone herself in finding little known facts and researching the history of buildings and people. Alderson Main Street President Judy Lohmeyer said, “Each year we look forward to what Belinda will find! She is wonderful at telling these stories.” Volume VII is available on-line through the Alderson Artisans Gallery at https://www.aldersongallery.com/shop.html or by ordering through Alderson Main Street. The order form is on the AMS facebook page. Watch that page for announcements of “pop-up markets” during the Christmas season where the booklet will be sold. All seven volumes are also available individually or as a set that may be extra welcome this holiday season. What a great Christmas gift for family and friends who may not be able to follow the country roads home to West Virginia this year. Anderson recaps the volumes as follows: Volume I--Read about the railroad wreck that littered so much tobacco, flour, and bacon that local storekeepers sold none of those commodities for a month. Volume II--An Alderson inventor who was awarded a patent for a still in 1897--but it’s not the kind you are probably imagining. Volume III--Read about the stories of heroism that saved lives during Alderson’s thousand-year flood. Volume I--Alderson was founded because of forbidden love. Volume V--America’s first female ambassador and her husband, a captain of the Danish King’s Guard, lived in Alderson in a home that is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Volume VI--Learn about the hardware store that sold everything from turkeys to sheetrock. Read the memo with the store’s request to “ship us…7 Widows.” Whether you live in Alderson or far away, these volumes of history, meticulously researched and prepared by Anderson, are a trip down memory lane that may be very much needed this holiday season.
