Alden  Township

ALDEN TOWNSHIP HISTORY, 1877

ALDEN, TOWNSHIP 46, RANGE 6

In the fall of 1836, Nathan and Darius Disbrow made a claim where the village of Alden now stands, on Section 15. In 1838, their father, Asahel Disbrow, followed, and, at about the same time, came Joel Brandon, H. Bashford, Ransom Parish, T. B. Wakeman and D. Rider, all of whom came from Greene County, New York.
A log school house was put up in 1841, a few rods from where the depot now stands, and school opened by Miss Clarissa Nelson, whose charge consisted of nine pupils. This shows that, in common with the early settlers of the other towns, they had not forgotten their training. It was the school first, then the church.
The first religious society organized in the township, and the only one now possessing a place of worship, was that of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in 1838, at which time it could boast of a total of nine members--just equal, in point of numbers, to Miss Nelson's school. The Pastor's name was Rev. L. S. Walker. In 1861, this society, at a cost of abour $1,600, built themselves a church, which still stands, but has recently been repaired and frescoed, so that it is comfortable and pleasing to worshipers.
While the men, under direction of the society, were at work at the building--for they thought they could do it cheaper themselves than to let out the job--they neglected to prepare for wind, and a thunder storm leveled the uncovered frame to the ground. This second framing and raising added so much to the cost that, upon completing the structure, the society found itself near $800 in debt, to clear which, an excursion, by railroad, to Rockford was undertaken, and, as the Ninety-fifth regiment was encamped there at the time and this was the pioneer excursion, the society came out ahead.
The Presbyterians, in 1861, formed themselves into a society, but were too few to build a church, nor did they keep up the organization more than ten years.
A steam mill for grinding feed, the only one in the township, was built by one Thompson, in 1873.
The Rockford & Kenosha Railroad crosses the township in an irregular curve from the southwest corner of the northwest quarter of Section 31, to the northeast corner of Section 13, making about eight miles of road, with one depot at Alden, which was built in 1861,  W. W. Wedgewood being the first Station Agent.
Alden has one cheese factory, which was built in 1870, and disposes of the milk of 300 to 500 cows, according to the season and time of year.
The early settler, being from York State, could not forget the fruit so familiar to their boyhood, and we find that, in 1848, a Mr. Easton planted a nursery to supply the demand for apple trees. The only nursery now in the township is owned by Mr. Wedgewood; it consists chiefly of apple trees and has been in operation about four years. The first apple seeds were planted by Sidney Disbrow, in 1838, and the trees thus produced are still living and flourishing.
Alden has no public library and no village, except the one above mentioned.
Of course these settlers had wants which they could not supply from the products of their farms, and P. W. Lake, in 1848, opened a general store in the building now occupied by Mr. Geo. B. Andrews, and where a store has been continued from that date.
The first post office was opened in 1844, with Frank Wedgewood for Postmaster. It ws called Wedgewood, but finally changed to Alden.
Two years before the advent of the mail carrier, James Wedgewood saw the need of a blacksmith shop and erected his forge. At the present time two anvils are kept busy in the village.
At the time of the establishment of the post office, T. B. Wakeman was the only as he was the first Justice of Peace, and belonged to Chemung Precinct.
Had it not been for the prairie wolves, which at that time were plentiful, Alden might have gone without mutton some years longer than they did, and it is believed to be the only instance in the history of Illinois, at least, where wolves have had any hand in the importation or the exportation of sheep, but in 1839 Mr. Asahel Disbrow saved seven sheep from the wolves. Where they came from was unknown, but the wolves were certainly driving them. A few days afterward a Mr. Stafford, from Bigfoot, in the northeast corner of the county, called at Disbrow's and claimed the sheep, which the latter bought of him, and thenceforth wool and mutton figured among the staple productions of Alden.
At present, Sidney Disbrow is the only Notary Public in the township.
The source of the Nippersink is found in this township, in Mud Lake, a small sheet of water on the line between Sections 14 and 15, the lake itself having three inlets, the longest being from the southwest. The Kishwaukee also has its origin here on Sections 23 and 26, and the Piskasaw on the west side by three of its branches.


ALDEN BUSINESS DIRECTORY

GEO. B. ANDREWS, General Merchant, Alden

JOSEPH MUNCH, Boot & Shoemaker, Alden

JAMES WOOD, General Blacksmith, Alden

Alden Townhip Directory A-E