Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State: The Alderson Lion

Tuesday, April 22, 2025

The Alderson Lion

Summer 2023
Lion statue and Historical Sign

Straddling Monroe and Greenbrier Counties is the little town of Alderson, WV. Perhaps more well-known for being the site of the first federal prison for women (where Martha Stewart did her stint for insider trading), students of the strange and unusual know Alderson has another claim to fame: The Alderson Lion.

In 1890, French and Company's Great Railroad Show, a small circus and menagerie, made a stop in the area. During their stay, the lioness gave birth to a litter of cubs. According to sources, there were anywhere from 3 to 5 cubs born during this time. Unfortunately, the circus wasn't prepared to allow one of their star attractions time off to care for her new family...and there certainly wasn't enough extra staff to offer the care needed to raise the cubs by hand. So, the order was given for an employee to take the cubs down to the river to drown them. Some sources say that two of the cubs had already died by this point, leaving three to face a watery grave.

Luckily, the wife of the local blacksmith happened to see what was going on. Mrs. Susan Beabout (there's about 50 different spellings given for her last name and I'm not sure which is correct) couldn't stand to see the cubs drowned and offered to take them herself. Despite her best efforts, only one cub would survive, a male which went by the name of 'French,' or in some cases, 'Leo.'

French was a tame and docile animal. He was raised with Tabby the cat and would often gently carry his little friend around in his mouth. The young lion was largely allowed to roam the town by himself, and often followed his owner wherever she went. French was a curious creature, and loved interacting with the townsfolk, who at first were okay with the idea of their local lion. But, French was growing up...

The Bridge the Traveling Salesman
Jumped Off to Avoid French

The townsfolk began to express concerns when French started transitioning from a cute, little cub into a full-sized male lion. To further complicate things, one evening a traveling salesman was crossing the bridge from the southside to the northside. He heard something walking behind him, and as he turned to investigate, found himself face to face with a LION. Terrified by seeing the King of the Jungle in little Alderson, WV, the salesman took off running, and leapt off the bridge into the Greenbrier River, where he swam for shore. He made it to the northside, and to the home of a local doctor, where he promptly fainted dead away.

In another tale, another traveler who had made a stop while riding the train from Richmond to Cincinnati, had a run-in with French. Perhaps having imbibed a little too much, this gentleman was also pretty freaked out about running head-first into a LION downtown.

Due to incidents such as these, and growing concerns from citizens, the town passed a law stating that all lions must be leashed. That law is still technically on the books to this day. At first, Mrs. Beabout fenced in her yard and kept French leashed when out, but again, there were concerns as the gentle giant began to outgrow the small property.

In the fall of 1891, the 11-month old lion was donated to the Rock Creek Park Zoo in Washington, D.C. Zoo superintendent, W.H. Blackburn, remarked that French was one of the finest specimens he'd ever seen, and the lion soon became a star attraction. According to some sources, French would not stay at the zoo, however. He was possibly later sold to Barnum and Bailey circus in 1894, or perhaps died in 1894. Whatever French's fate, he left a lasting impression on a small town. In addition to the strange leash law still on the books, the town boasts subtle nods to French in the form of statues, artworks, and even a festival called Lion Days.

Further Reading and Sources:

William G. Pomeroy Foundation Historical Marker Article

WV Encyclopedia: Alderson Lion