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History · Alden

Alden dates to 1868, and 21% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: 1 old photo or paper and maps from 1957 on.

1868founded
0on the National Register
21%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Alden’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Alden began

When was Alden founded?

1868

Alden dates its founding to 1868 (Wikipedia’s history). Its post office opened in 1869.

2020 census: 123158 years
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1869.The full story ↓

What stands out about Alden’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Old housesHalf of Alden’s homes were built before 1952.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Alden’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Alden’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo1 archive item has no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewAlden, MI location: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story

How Alden came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Alden.

Read it all →

Alden was first settled as early a 1868 by storekeeper F. J. Lewis in Helena Township, and he chose the name Noble as the name for the new settlement. The growing community was located along the mouth of Spencer Creek along Torch Lake, which was named after John Spencer. The community itself also became known as Spencer Creek and was given a post office under that name on June 15, 1869. In 1891, the Pere Marquette Railway expanded into the area, and Spencer Creek was renamed Alden after railroad official William Alden Smith, who would later become a state politician. The post office was renamed Alden on July 18, 1892.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Alden, decade by decade

Date unknown1 to date
Alden, MI locationDate?Alden, MI location
Today3 recent
Old2026OldDowntown2020DowntownAlden station building, July 20172017Alden station building, July 2017
On the map

Alden on the map, 1957 to 1983

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Alden. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Alden on the 1957 USGS mapAlden on the 1983 USGS map1957Elk Rapids sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Alden.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Alden, MI location
Retake this viewAlden, MI location

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Alden’s page.

Retake this view · +15
Famous people

Famous people close to Alden

Nobody well known was born in Alden itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Earl YoungMichigan architect, realtor, and insurance sale… · b. 1889
Roger MasonAmerican baseball player · b. 1958
S
Starke R. HathawayAmerican psychologist · b. 1903

Questions about Alden’s history

What year was Alden founded?

In 1868, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Alden’s post office opened in 1869.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
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Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (4), Wikipedia and U.S. Geological Survey historical maps. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.