Alden, Hiram
legislator, philanthropist, was born in October, 1792, in Ashfield, Mass. He was a representative from Branch county in 1835 in the Michigan state legislature, and was of the seventh generation from John Alden, of Mayflower fame. In 1838 he was appointed commissioner of internal improvements of Michigan, and was acting railroad commissioner at the time of the construction of the railroad from Detroit to Pontiac. He died Nov. 26, 1838, in Detroit, Mich., and was followed to his grave by six hundred officials and laborers, who insisted on paying the expenses as their tribute to a friend and an honest man.