I was sitting in my room trying to think of something to write this week’s piece on, looked up and saw this antique China. It is a five-piece place setting from Alderson High School. I purchased it at an auction for the Alderson community center when I was a young teenager.
It isn’t about Summers County directly. But being the largest town in a neighboring county, many Summers Countians either had family in Alderson, attended ball games there, or frequented one of the many businesses that was there at one point or another.
My late cousin Lota Skaggs who was 83 when she passed away this June said she remembers this china being in an oak cupboard in the Home Economics Classroom when she attended there in the 1960’s. I believe this china is from the 1930’s
As with much of my collection, I purchased this set of china at one of Randy Burdettes, Riverbend Auction Company’s sales. At this same auction I also bought an early oak cupboard, a large oak and glass gas chamber from the science lab, and a unique wooden stool made by a student in 1936 in the shop class.
As I said earlier, there are connections to Alderson in Summers County. My grandmother Bea Thompson graduated from there in 1952. My Great Grandmother Nellie Utterback attended there. The Knapp side of my family all went to school there as well as many other members from nearly each side of my family.
