Alfred Alder, born August 29, 1846, in Buffalo, New York, became a prominent businessman in Volin, Yankton County, South Dakota. Son of John and Mary A. (Rosenbach) Alder, he learned the millwright trade from his father and operated a flour mill in Eastman, Wisconsin, before relocating to Nebraska and South Dakota. After establishing a successful mercantile business, he built the Volin flouring mill in 1892, significantly benefiting the community. A Union Army veteran, Alder enlisted in 1864 and served in the First Illinois Light Artillery. He married Mary A. Finney in 1873, and they had ten children.
Alfred Alder, one of the leading citizens and most progressive and highly esteemed business men of Volin, Yankton County, claims the Empire State of the Union as the place of his nativity, having been born in the city of Buffalo, New York, on the 29th of August, 1846, a son of John and Mary A. (Rosenbach) Alder, of whose seven children five are living at the present time, namely: John, who is chief clerk in the Indian school at Lawrence, Kansas; Eugene, who resides in Eastman, Minnesota; Louisa, who is the wife of James A. Dickson, of Oklahoma, who was for many years superintendent of schools of Yankton County; Jennie, who is the wife of Charles Campbell, of Eastman, Minnesota; and Alfred, who is the immediate subject of this sketch.
The father of the subject was born in the city of Berwick-on-Tweed, in England, in 1817, and was there reared to maturity, having learned the trade of millwright and becoming an expert in the line, while he also served seven years in the English army. In 1843 he came to the United States and immediately enlisted in the army, in which he served one year. He then returned to Buffalo, where he was engaged in the work of his trade until 1857, when he came to the West, locating in Crawford County, Wisconsin, where he continued to be actively engaged in the work of his trade until his death, which occurred in 1880, while in 1871 he became the owner of a grist mill at Eastman, that state, continuing to operate the same successfully until he was called from the scene of life’s endeavors, in the fullness of years and well-earned honors. His wife was born in Germany in the year 1811 and is now also deceased.
Alfred Alder, whose name introduces this sketch, secured his early educational discipline in the public schools of Buffalo, New York, being about ten years of age at the time when his parents removed thence to Wisconsin, where he was reared to manhood, learning the trade of millwright under the effective direction of his father and devoting his attention to that vocation until 1871, when he assumed a position in the mill owned by his father in Eastman. He continued to reside in Wisconsin until 1880, when he removed to Middle Branch, Nebraska, where he erected a flouring mill, successfully operating the same until 1886, when he disposed of the property and came to the city of Yankton, South Dakota, where he established himself in the mercantile business, carrying a general stock of goods. About two years later, he came to Volin, and here he continued in the same line of enterprise until May, 1892, building up a large and prosperous business and being known as one of the most enterprising and reliable merchants in the county. In the month mentioned, he sold out his mercantile interests and, in the autumn of the same year, he instituted the erection of the Volin flouring mill, which was completed the following summer, the same having proved of inestimable benefit to the people of this section, affording facilities for which there had been a recognized demand.
In politics, Mr. Alder is a stalwart Republican, and it was his privilege to cast his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln while serving in the Union army and before he had attained his legal majority, since he was but eighteen years of age at the time. In March 1864, he enlisted as a private in Company K, First Illinois Light Artillery, with which he served until August of the following year, when he received his honorable discharge, victory having crowned the Union arms and the rebellion been suppressed. His father also served with gallantry as a Union soldier, having enlisted, at the age of forty-seven years, in Company I, Fifth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, with which he served three years and four months, while son John W. served for three years as a member of Company I, Third Wisconsin Volunteer Cavalry. The subject is at the time of this writing incumbent of the office of treasurer of the village of Volin, but he has never been ambitious for public office, though ever ready to do his part in forwarding the civic and general interests of his home town and county, to which he is signally loyal. Fraternally, he is identified with St. John’s Lodge, No. 1, Free and Accepted Masons, of Yankton.
On the 27th of November, 1873, Mr. Alder was united in marriage to Miss Mary A. Finney, of Eastman, Wisconsin, and of their ten children nine are still living, namely: John, who is employed in his father’s mill, being an able young businessman; Eunice, who remains at the parental home; Bertha, who is a teacher in the public schools at Estherville, Iowa; Ephraim, who is engaged in farming in Yankton County; Winifred, who is a teacher in the district schools of the county; and Alfred Jr., Herbert, Bessie, and Charles, who remain beneath the home roof.
Source: Robinson, Doane, History of South Dakota: together with mention of Citizens of South Dakota, [Logansport? IN] : B. F. Bowen, 1904.