Alden Pratt was born at Fabius, N.
Y., Jan. 20, 1825. He was married to
Miss Laura A. Sniffen Nov. 28, 1847,
at Ithaca, N. Y. One son was born
to them, Henry N. Pratt, who resides
in Newell. Mr. Pratt and wife
removed to Lafayette Co., Wis., in
1852, where they resided twenty-eight
years. Part of that time they lived
on a farm and part of the time Mr.
Pratt was one of the prominent business
men of Darlington. He was in
the lumber business in Darlington a
number of years, after which he
bought a grist mill in which he put
six years of hard work and lost a
large sum of money, which necessitated
beginning all over again on a farm.
He came with his wife and son to this
county in January, 1880, and bought a
farm on the river west of town. By
hard work and good management
he again accumulated a competence.
After living on the farm a number of
years and sharing many of the privations
of those early years he bought
the hardware business in Newell from
which he retired March 1, 1902, by
selling out to N. H. Peterson. He
was upright and conscientious in business
and was very successful in the
hardware business. Mr. Pratt and
wife joined the Baptist church in
Darlington. Dec. 13, 1896, they both
united with the Congregational
church at this place. Mrs. Pratt died
Dec. 17, 1897. On Sept. 19, 1900, Mr.
Pratt was united in marriage to Mrs.
Sarah E. Mason, who with the son already
referred to survive the decedent.
Mr. Pratt's boyhood and early manhood
was passed in the vicinity of
Tully and Syracuse, N. Y. He admired
good horses and was an adept
in handling them. For a number of
years he drove a stage coach in New
York. He was always a very active
man and a very hard worker. He had
an iron constitution which honored
all the drafts he made upon it. He
seemed never to realize, for many
years, the limitation of fatigue. He
was earnest, untiring, honest, and
was successful where many with less
determination would fail.
In the death of Alden Pratt Newell
loses a citizen who will be deeply and
sincerely mourned. He was a good
man. He had many sterling traits of
character. He was kind hearted and
honest, and conscientious and courteous
to all. Many of our citizens will
gratefully remember many times in
which they were indebted to Mr.
Pratt for his kindly helpfulness. He
accommodating
neighbor, a fact which
the writer can gladly testify. As a
husband and father, as a friend and
neighbor Mr. Pratt was exceptionally
worthy of praise. He was an influential
member of the Odd Fellows lodge
and had been a Mason over forty
years. He joined the Eastern Star
lodge in Darlington and was a charter
member of Royal Lodge No. 428
when it was instituted over twenty
years ago. He attended the last
meeting of the Masonic lodge in
which work was clone, Thursday evening
of last week, and took an active
part in the work of the third degree.
In the work of the church he was always
interested and discharged with
ability the duties devolving upon him.
With charity for any failings he may
have had our citizens will unite in
mourning the loss of a valued citizen,
whose many excellent traits of character
endeared him to them.
(Newell Mirror, 7-10-1903)