ALDERSON Roots & Branches

ALDERSON Roots & Branches On the Trail of the Rev. Lewis Allen Alderson n the Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving, I Atchison's local newspaper. With a good idea of finalized business plans to visit a com- the subjects date of death, I started my search Opany in Kansas City, Missouri the follow- for his obituary. In a short period of time, I lo- ing week. Once off the phone with the travel cated the obituary in the Friday, May 20, 1881 is- agent, I immediately opened my road atlas to sue of "The Globe". The contents of the obituary see what genealogical opportunities were near are duplicated below: by. Atchison, Kansas struck my attention. I re- membered that the Reverend Lewis Allen Alder- son had moved there at about the time of the Civil War. A chance to locate the religious books passed down to him from Elder John Alderson Rev. L. A. Alderson, one of the oldest set- also leapt to mind. On Monday in Kansas City, I tlers of Atchison, and one of its most uni- called the Atchison Public Library for its hours, versally respected and esteemed citizen, directions, and the size of its local history sec- died last night at 11:30, in the sixty-ninth tion. The librarian was extremely helpful and year of his age, of congestion of the lungs, seemed more excited about my visit on Tuesday after an illness of almost a year. Mr. Alder- evening than I was. son was born in Greenbriar, West Virginia, The drive north along the Missouri River on May 5th, 1812, and was educated at was pleasant. For the first week of December, I Athens, Ohio, where he graduated in 1832. was thankful for the 50 to 60 degree tempera- He has been a member of the Baptist tures. The Atchison library contained a large church for almost half a century, and room devoted to local history. This included a preached the first sermon of that faith ever complete microfilm collection of "The Globe", heard in Atchison, in 1858, in the law office of ex-Senator Pomeroy. In April of that year he arrived in Atchison with his In this issue... family on the steamer "Hesparian," of which A. B. Symns, the wholesale grocery- man, was head clerk. For three years fol- On the Trail of Rev. L.A. Alderson. lowing that date he gave his time and Descendants of Richard Alderson . money to the building and organizing of a AFHS Annual Meeting . Baptist church in Atchison, and both are yet in prosperous existence, fitting monu- Aldersons on the World Wide Web ments to a good man's memory. He was Early Foreign-Born California Alderson the pastor without salary for three years, Out of the Past . .. 10 and is very properly regarded and vener- ated as the father of the Baptist church so- Tazewell Co., VA Alderson Obits 10 ciety in Atchison. But two of his original Query .... congregation remain - Mrs. Dr. Challiss, New Members and his bereaved and stricken wife. He has been a teacher in the Sabbath school of the Editor's Comer . 12 church constantly until his failing health of last fall, and his kindly face and good counsel have been a part of the church's was to be buried in Atchison. There was no men- history for twenty-three years. tion of the religious books handed down to him During the war he engaged in banking from the 1700's. The reference that Lewis oper- with Wm. Hetherington, and later oper- ated a bookstore later ran by his son was not ated a bookstore. Since retiring from that pleasing to me. Valuable books and a bookstore business he has owned an insurance combine to make the possibility that the books agency, and directed its operation until a have left the family. I continued looking through the newspaper prior to searching for clues else- few days before his death. where. The Saturday, May 21, 1881 issue of The The date of the funeral cannot yet be an- Globe had an entry in the social column copied nounced/ as it is not known when his chil- below: dren living in Virginia will arrive. The "Rev. L. A. Alderson will be buried from probable date, however, is Sunday after- the Baptist church to-morrow morning at noon. 11 0/ clock. His son Coleman cannot arrive The writer has known Mr. Alderson inti- until next week, as he is somewhere in the mately and well during the three years of mountains of Virginia on a business trip, his residence in Atchison, and deeply de- and has not yet heard of his father's plores his death. For more than two years death." he was his nearest neighbor, meeting him I continued to scan the newspaper for the every day, and learned to venerate him as next two weeks and only found the following a good man. If we have never benefitted advertisement. I had hoped to find something re- by his advice it was not the fault of him garding the fate of the Reverend' s estate. The ad now lying dead, and if we have not bene- was offered by a son of Lewis: fitted by his blameless life, it was not because we did not respect and admire it. There are a few men who teach good les- sons with so much charity and kindness Carey Alderson will continue the General that the most erring respect and love them; Insurance Agency founded by his father, Mr. Alderson was one of these, and we be- and will continue his office at Johnson's lieve that the master who sent him will bookstore. Only safe, prompt companies make his crown brighter because he was represented. always patient, forgiving and charitable. His religion was intelligent and earnest, My next thought was to examine a book list- ing the wills that the Atchison Courthouse had but blessed with forgiveness, mercy and on file. No entry was present for Lewis Allen hope; it was a religion of redemption for Alderson. I did copy the address for the Register the weary children of the earth, and rejoic- of Deeds and later mailed a query for the will of ing at the return of the one lost sheep. He Lewis. One week later, I received a response that talked more of the gold-paved streets of no such will was on file. The city directories the eternal city, and of the music and were located in the same room. For 1860-61, beauty of the angel inhabitants, than of the there are two Alderson entries: J. K. Alderson, abode of the wicked dead, if he did not be- student, and Rev. L. E. Alderson. Middle initials lieve in universal salvation, he believed must not have been the city directory's strong that God's mercy is much greater than any point. The initial for Lewis is obviously wrong. I of us imagine. He preached and wrote this believe J. K. Alderson to be Joseph Coleman doctrine, and now that he has gone to his Alderson, the son of Lewis that later served as a reward, we cannot doubt that it will be Major in the Confederate States Army during magnificent. For fifty years he has been a the war. Joseph would have been 21 in 1860 and faithful soldier of the cross, and by deeds would have likely traveled with his father to of valorous goodness earned the victory Kansas in 1858. More on Joseph later. The next we hope he is enjoying to-day in Paradise. city directory entry I could locate was for "Louie This obituary is more complete than others I Alderson" in the 1878-79 city directory. The 1880 have come across. It indicated to me the condi- directory was more specific for the Alderson's tions of the Reverend's death and hinted that he with the following entries: maintained a vertical file on each congregation in Atchison. The Baptist file contained numerous church his- tories praising the ar- rival of Lewis and his family. The best history was a first hand account of Mrs. Chal- liss, mentioned in the obituary. She was present for the first sermon by Lewis and described the scene as "Mr. L. A Alder- son ...preached his first sermon on Sun. April 24th, 1858. Af- ter that services were Tombstone of the Rev. Lewis Allen Alderson, in Oak Hill Cemetery, Atchison, Atchison Co., held in a room pre- Kansas. Photo by Jeff Alderson. viously occupied as a large beer saloon. The seats were dry goods boxes, and rough Alderson, Carey F., clerk, Johnson & Bere- planks from the lumber yard." Also in the man's, res. E. S. 5th, N. of Division Se church file was a copy of a script from a church Alderson, Henry, driver, Moulton & pageant that recreated the history of the Yates, teds, S. S. Utah Ave. W. of 4th St? Atchison Baptist Church. Three speaking lines were given to the character Rev. A Alderson, L. A, fire insurance agt. 325 Commercial St. Res. E. S. 5th, N. of Divi- Next, I glanced through the index of graves sion St. for the several cemeteries in Atchison. I very soon discovered that Lewis had been buried in Alderson, Louie A, operator Telephonic the Oak Hill Cemetery. I then spent twice as Exchange, res. E. S. 5th, N. of Division Se much time looking in the library for a city map Alderson, Walter, res. N. S. Mound, W. of to show me where the cemetery was located.

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