The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗Alden was laid out in 1855. It was named for its founder, Henry Alden, a native of Massachusetts. The town was incorporated February 11, 1879.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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Start Alden’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Alden’s history is told.
0 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people from Alden
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By decade
Alden, decade by decade
Before
2000
2000
No old photos in the archives yetWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
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National Register of Historic Places
2 historic places in Alden
2 places in Alden are on the National Register of Historic Places, the country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.
#135
In Iowaby listings · most towns there have none
2places listed1 building · 1 other
0National Historic LandmarksNone here yet
1historic building protectedcounting each building in a district
1981first listedAlden Public Library · newest: Alden Bridge, 1998
Where they are
Tap a dot for a photo and link. Districts show at their center.
BuildingsStructures
When they were listed
The Register began in 1966.
60s
70s
180s
190s
00s
10s
20s
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places (05/22/2026) · styles from the National Archives catalog · photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place
Then & now
When neighbors add old photos, retakes from the same spot appear here side by side.
Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (4) and the National Register (2). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.