ALDERSON W.Va. (WVDN) – On Thursday, Nov. 13, at the Alderson Town Council meeting, author and history professor Richard Hartman will present a framed plaque featuring an actual photo of French, the Alderson lion, and a quote that was published in the Washington Post on April 3, 1893.
The quote is from William Blackburn, who was the Head Zoo Keeper at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., when French was there. He described French as “a magnificent specimen in fine coat and splendidly muscled. One particularity of his marking is a spot like a three-leaf clover in the hair on his forehead.”
In the photo, French, who was known for being kind and gentle, was three years old and did not yet have a full mane. It isn’t until a lion is five or six years old that their mane is fully developed.
Richard Hartman is a native-born West Virginian. He holds a Master’s in Political Science/Public Administration and a Master’s in History. After retiring from 40 years of government service, he became an Adjunct History Professor at Marshall University, West Virginia State, the University of Charleston, and WVU Tech. He has taught American History, World History, and West Virginia History, as well as classes on the Civil War and the Great Depression. A published author of books, magazine articles, and online journals, he is currently working on his next book, which will be all about French!
Hartman plans to give a framed plaque to the Greenbrier Historic Office, as well.
The Alderson Town Council meeting will start at 7:30 p.m. and take place in the Council Room at Alderson City Hall, 311 Monroe Street South, Alderson. The meeting is open to the public.
