By Jessica Gorman
A couple weeks ago, Yocom Law Firm held its annual 318 Day Treasure Hunt. Clue #7 read, “The Angels cried “red rover red rover let Joshua come over!” Then right near the horseshoe, down went the flue.” I knew when I gave the information for the clue, it would be a tough one. I only knew of one other person who was familiar with the story. It’s not a story that, to my knowledge, has been published other than genealogical and primary sources.
Joshua Alden was the nephew of Isaac Alden, the first permanent settler of Webster Parish. Isaac is believed to have settled in the area as early as 1811. He is said to have first lived east of Minden and as navigation opened on Lake Bistineau and Bayou Dorcheat, he moved nearer to the lake. Several members of the Alden family joined Isaac in Louisiana including his brother Enoch.
Enoch and his wife, Mary, came to Louisiana from New York sometime after their marriage in 1819. Here, their lives were cut short. The deaths of Enoch and Mary are recorded in the family bible as having occurred only days apart in June 1833. Their children were left in the care of Isaac.
Joshua Alden is said to have been born about 1822. Whether his birth occurred in New York or Louisiana is uncertain. He grew up near Lake Bistineau and married Laurella Stevenson. The couple had two known sons, Enoch, born about 1844, and Richard, born 20 March 1848.
Not much is known about Joshua’s life. Records of the Alden family mention his death as caused by a steamboat accident. Newspaper reports from June 1848 confirm this and provide only the most basic details.
On 7 June 1848, Joshua Alden was working aboard the steamboat Rover as the engineer. As engineer, he was responsible for keeping the boat running. He kept the machinery in good condition and oversaw operation of the engine and boiler. While on Bayou Dorcheat, near Howard’s Landing, a flue collapsed. A collapsed flue would cause the boiler to explode and release high-pressure steam and scalding water. Three crew members were known to have been onboard and received scalding injuries. They were G. B. Sligh, owner, a Mr. Borin, fireman, and Joshua Alden, engineer.
G. B. Sligh survived his injuries. He was a resident of Bossier Parish and is identified by census records as a master mechanic. While I feel certain I have seen the name Borin/Boren before, Mr. Borin’s fate is undetermined at the time of publication. Joshua Alden’s injuries resulted in his death. He was only around 26 years old. He left behind a wife and two small children. His youngest son, Richard, was only about two and a half months old. His wife, Laurella, remarried. First to William Fuller and, after his death, to Jeremiah Culverhouse.
The burial places of so many early residents of our area are unknown, lost to time, as is the case with the Aldens. It is suspected and likely that they were buried on the Alden property, but no markers are known to exist.
(Jessica Gorman is Executive Director of the Dorcheat Historical Association Museum, Webster Parish Historian, President of the Minden Cemetery Association, and an avid genealogist.)