From the Mazomanie Historical Society

Alden Sanborn, Early Mazomanie Lawyer   Alden Sprague Sanborn was an early Mazomanie lawyer and businessman. He practiced there from May 1855 to May 1864, when he moved to Madison. Alden served in many civic capacities, both local and state wide, was mayor of Madison in 1867 and ended up a Dane County Judge from 1877 to 1885. The Wisconsin State Directory 1857-8 listed him as a Mazomanie lawyer. Alden was also associated with John Martin in Sanborn & Martin, a general store in early Mazomanie, selling almost everything.  He built a home at 54 East Hudson Street in 1857. Alden Sanborn was born on October 21, 1821 in Corinth, VT. Corinth is a small village in Orange County of east central Vermont. He was the son of Amos Sanborn (1791-1858) and his second wife Sophia Frost (1795-1849), both hailing from Massachusetts. His three sisters and their families also moved to Mazomanie in the first years. They were Julia Ann, wife of blacksmith Harvey Cheney; Sally wife of lumber dealer Dana Sawyer and Amelia, who married Theodore Campbell, son of merchant Barney Campbell. Alden also had ten step siblings.  Alden grew up in Vermont, attending school there until 16 years old when he pursued a classical course, but did not graduate from a university. Still he was admitted to practice law in Orange County in January 1846 and came to Milwaukee, WI in 1847. While teaching school in Milwaukee he married Huldah M. Eastman on February 10, 1847. She was the daughter of Searl Eastman and Sally Moulton of Haverhill, NH. Huldah was born in Bath, NH during 1825. The couple moved through Wisconsin from Appleton to Brown County, Outagamie County and to Dane County in the fall of 1854. The 1850 US Census finds the young couple in Grand Chute, Brown County, WI, where he an attorney at law. He is 29, she is 25 and their baby Emma J. just five months old.  The couple moved to Mazomanie and is counted there at the 1860 US Census. He is a lawyer with $1,500 of real estate and $400 of personal estate. Further listing is S. Sandborn 37, HM 35, Emma 10, Ply R. 7, Adda B. 3 and Alden’s married sister Emilie S. Campbell 22. The two older children attend school.  Alden was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1862 to 1864. The family stayed in Madison after the 1864 session, where he continued his civic offices as Mayor, City Attorney, several State Assembly terms and finally became county judge.  They are found by the 1870 US Census in Madison, where he is a lawyer with $3,500 of real estate and $1,000 of personal property. The listing is AS Sanborn 49, Hulda M. 45, Pesley R. 17, Adda B. 13, Prentiss 9 and Gertrude six years old. Domestic servant Fannie Bauman 17 lives with them. The family continued to live in Madison where the 1880 US Census finds them. Alden S is 59, Huldah 55, Addie 22 and Gertrude 16, with servant Fanny Strang 20.  Huldah passed away in Madison on May 14, 1883. Judge Sanborn died there November 17, 1885. Alden and Huldah had five children.