Alden Giddings was born 24 April 1820 in Stafford Connecticut, a native son of New England. He continued his education and in early life began work in a sash and blind factory in Hartford. Later he would continue in the same line of business for him self. In 1849 while still living in the east he married Eliza Seymour in Hartford in 1849.
In 1857 Alden and Eliza Giddings moved to Michigan where his two brothers had previously located, becoming prominent business men in Romeo. Alden opened a dry goods store and went on to secure a good trade with the people of Romeo, and he found a good annual income from his investment. His store was well stocked with a modern line of goods and his reasonable prices and fair dealing secured him a good trade. For the next twenty years he continued in this mercantile life in the Romeo community, then retired to a quite life.
He served as a member of the building committee for the Congregational church in Romeo. He was a director and stockholder in the Citizens Bank and had become recognized as a financier and capitalist of ability. Alden passed away on 24 October 1886, with burial in the Romeo Cemetery.
There were four children born to Alden and Eliza, and their son George Wight Giddings, was a financier and enterprising business man, and he would succeed his father in the management of his affairs and conduct the business with success until his death in 1904.
In 1872, Alden and Eliza’s “French Cottage with a full mansard roof” was completed by Romeo builder, R. F. Odion. The Romeo Observer proclaimed it “a house of the finest architectural beauty”. A large variety of woods were used in the interior; “alternate strips of maple and black walnut” in the hall floor, “pine and black walnut” woodwork in the dining room, “butternut, ash, and black walnut” doors, with “pine, ash, black walnut and maple” in the first floor bathroom. In the 1940’s the home was completely rebuilt in the Colonial style.
Eliza and her daughter-in-law Sarah and her family would reside at the old home built by the husband and father for some years after their 1886 and 1904 deaths.
On that ‘wee note’, till next week.
Articles and information courtesy of ‘Past and Present of Macomb County’, ‘A Tour of Historic Romeo’ by Richard M Daugherty, and the Community Archives at the Kezar Library.
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