In December 1843, in Summit, he married Caroline Fairservice, a native of Oneida County, New York; they would go on to have four children.
In 1844, he bought sixty acres of land straddling the Bark River from Milton Cushing (father of Alonzo, Howard, and William B. Cushing), and built a dam to create a millpond between Nagawicka Lake and Upper Nemahbin Lake to power a sawmill; the dam's removal (long after the mill was shut down) would become controversial in the early 21st century.
[3][4] Alden became the first postmaster in Delafield; in 1846, he was elected as the first sheriff of the newly established Waukesha County.
He left Wisconsin for California during the Gold Rush, and was succeeded in 1850 by another Democrat, Pitts Ellis.
[6] He returned to his old seat for a final time for the 13th Wisconsin Legislature of 1860, and was succeeded by Daniel Cottrell (yet again a Republican).