When I was growing up, there were few things more exciting than listening to WCOK (our local radio station) for the birthday reports. It was so exciting to hear your name on the radio when it was YOUR birthday.
We also looked forward to getting a copy of the Alleghany News every Wednesday so that we could learn what was happening in the County. Speaking of the Alleghany News, it has undergone several changes in its history.
Established in 1889 by A.S. Carson, the newspaper was first known as the Alleghany Star. For the 150th celebration of the county’s founding in 2009, copies of Carson’s first edition were made available to the public.
Later the newspaper changed its name to the Alleghany Times News, and finally the Alleghany News. It has undergone shifts in management, photographers, reporters, but one thing remains constant, it is always published on Wednesdays.
The newspaper has also shifted locations over its 129-year-old history. Today it is located across from Farmer’s Hardware, which was established in 1929 by Amos Wagoner, making it one of the oldest hardware stores in the county.
For a time, the newspaper was located beside the Court House. At one point the newspaper was even located upstairs in the Court House.
I, for one, am grateful to live a small community where stories are preserved, and the Alleghany News does just that with archives of newspapers dating back to the early 1920s. These editions of early Alleghany history have also been cataloged for anyone else who may be interested.
Sources:
Alleghany County Historical-Genealogical Society. Alleghany County Heritage North Carolina. Winston Salem, NC: Hunter Publishing Company, 1983. 32.