Theodore Elihu Alderman (1825-1906)

ALDERMAN, REYNOLDS, MILLS

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 1/16/2012 at 22:15:03

From Story County Watchman January 26, 1906

Front page: Three Nevada Pioneers are Called to Rest (Headline)

THEODORE ELIHU ALDERMAN

T. E. Alderman died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. J. A. Mills, at the corner of Locust street and First avenue north Sunday evening at 5:30 o'clock, of infirmities incident to old age. Mr. Alderman was over 80 years of age at the time of his death and had been confined to his bed almost continuously since suffering a stroke of paralysis while in California on November 2, 1903.

Mr. Alderman well deserves the title, "Father of Nevada." Early in June, 1853 with a party of surveyors who came up the southern part of the state to locate and lay out the town of Nevada, he first saw the site of the town where he was destined to spend the balance of his days. The town was surveyed and a town lot sale announced to take place on September 8, the same year. Mr. Alderman at once decided where he would make his purchase and with the help of a man named Robinson who lived down on Indian Creek, he got out the timbers for the first house that was ever erected in Nevada.

This was the only house in Nevada for about a year. The next spring Mr. Alderman erected another building of the same dimensions by the side of his first house, and his stock of general merchandise and the postoffice, (which had previously shared the first building with Mr. Alderman, his good wife and one son, Oscar) was transferred to the new building. During the first year the Alderman house was not only the only residence in the town but it was also postoffice, store, tavern and seat of justice.

For several years Mr. Alderman continued in the general mercantile business but gradually drifted into the exclusive hardware business and it was in this line of trade that he was known to practically every man, woman and child who has lived the county for a quarter of a century and had occasion to read the county papers or make an occasional visit to Nevada. In various locations he continued in this line of business until 1892, when he sold out the business to his youngest son, U. S. Alderman. Previous to that time business for number of years and for some time subsequent to the securing of the entire business by U. S. , the style of the firm was T. E. Alderman & Sons. The words, "Established in 1853" were also used connection with the firm's advertising and stationery and there was probably no better known firm in the state engaged in the retail hardware business. As a business man Mr. Alderman was a success and he accumulated considerable wealth. He was strictly honest and upright in his dealings and enjoyed a full measure of confidence of his fellow men.

He was ever devoted to the interests of the town and his money and time went gladly to any move for the upbuilding of the community which he had perfect right to claim a personal interest in.

He was a strong Union man and was active a home during the stirring times of the rebellion, although he was prevented from enlisting owing to the condition of his eyesight.

Theodore Elihu Alderman was born of old English parentage, in Rushville, Fairfield county, Ohio on September 8, 1825. He began shifting for himself when about 14 years of age and came to Norvoo, Ill. where he continued his former occupation that of farming, brick making and laying. On June 6, 1850, he and Miss Hannah Reynolds, maiden of an adjoining county in Missouri, were united in marriage. Their first child, Oscar B., was born while they were ressidents of Lee county. Shortly after the marriage, Mr. Alderman went totally blind from over work by working on the farm days and burning brick by night and the young wife was a year or so nursing back his eyesight and she was eventually rewarded by its partial return. The physicians, however told them it would be necessary for Mr. Alderman to give up his out-of-door life and get into some work which would keep him more out of the strong sunlight, if he desired to retain what little sight had been to him and it was this admonition that prompted him to give up the life he had chosen and to seek a new country that he might invest his small savings and enter into business. This is what brought him to Nevada.

Of the six children born to Mr. and Mrs. Alderman, four survive them. The eldest, Oscar B., for many years a prominent business man of Nevada is now at Santa Ana, California, where he is retired. The second child, Mary Nevada Alderman, died in infancy. She was first child born and first person buried in Nevada. The third child was a daughter, Ida, who died who about 14 years of age. The fourth child is Mrs. Minnie A. Mills, a well known resident of this city. Ed. T. was the fifth and has been in Nevada for the past couple of years caring or the invalid. The youngest of the Aldermans is Ulysses S., a prominent attorney and well known citizen of this city. The wife departed from this life at Santa Ana, on October 12, 1899. She was brought back to Nevada and interred in the cemetery by the side of deceased daughters.

After retiring from business Mr. Alderman began spending his winters in California and it was there that his wife died. Only a few days subsequent to his last return from there, on November 2, 1903, Mr. Alderman suffered a severe stroke of paralysis from which he never recovered.

Funeral services were held from the Mills home Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 by Miss Stafford, of the Unitarian church church of Des Moines, assisted by Rev. W. P. Payne of this city. Interment was at the Nevada cemetery.