Biography of Alva N. Aldrich

History of South Dakota vol 1 title page

Alva N. Aldrich, born August 29, 1866, in Ionia, Michigan, became the mayor of Aberdeen, South Dakota, and the proprietor of the Wisconsin House hotel. After relocating to South Dakota in 1887 and facing hardships with his homestead in Brown County, Aldrich moved to Aberdeen, where he transitioned into the hotel business in 1896. His leadership in the city was marked by reforms, including stricter enforcement of alcohol and gambling laws. Elected mayor in 1904, he previously served on the city council. In 1895, Aldrich married Louise Wylie, and they had one son, Louis Wylie Aldrich.

South Dakota Biographies

The Picturesque Story of South Dakota

Biographies from the History of South DakotaThese 361 biographies are transcribed from the History of South Dakota by Doane Robinson. This is a work in progress. Volume 1 is complete. Biographies from the Memorial and Biographical Record These biographies are from “Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography, including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and representative citizens of South Dakota…”