James Lyon Aldridge, who stood for many years as a leading representative of the business interests of Little Falls, New York, was born in that village on November 6, 1852, and died there. He was the son of James Smedley and Lydia Mosley (Lyon) Aldridge. James S. Aldridge was born in Herkimer, New York, and died there, at the age of eighty-seven years. He came to Little Falls in young manhood and opened a general merchandise store, which he conducted successfully for over sixty years, but in later years, after the business became more classified, he confined his merchandise to dry goods. He was first in business with H. W. Burch, the firm name being Burch & Aldridge, but after the death of Mr. Burch the business was conducted by himself and his son, James Lyon Aldridge, under the name of Aldridge & Company, and continued until the death of James S. Aldridge, when the business was closed out. Very religious and unassuming, Mr. J. S. Aldridge gave generously to charity and was always ready to give a helping hand for the good of Little Falls. His wife was born in Canandaigua, New York, and died in Little Falls.
James Lyon Aldridge was educated at the Little Falls high school, where he was graduated in 1868, and at Dr. Holbroke's Military Academy at Ossining-on-Hudson. He then came to Little Falls and joined his father in business. He was a member of Royal Arcanum Council, No. 337, and of the Country Club and the First Presbyterian church. In politics Mr. Aldridge was a republican.
On July 6, 1881, in Utica, New York, Mr. Aldridge was united in marriage to Miss Harriet Stewart, daughter of Victor B. and Martha (Stewart) Stewart. Victor B. Stewart, the son of William Holmes Stewart, was born in Oriskany, New York, on February 26, 1832, and died in Utica, in February, 1916, having nearly completed eighty-four years of life, most of the years being spent in Utica, where he was a prominent and potential figure in the business of the city. He was one of the Uticans who went to the St. Lawrence river and organized the Westminster Park Association, and was probably the last survivor of these organizers. His wife, Martha (Stewart) Stewart, was born in Oneida, New York, on April 8, 1835, and died in Utica, in July, 1909. Mrs. Aldridge is a member of the First Presbyterian church of Little Falls and of the Fortnightly Club.
To Mr. and Mrs. Aldridge were born two children: James Stewart Aldridge was born in Little Falls, graduated from the Little Falls high school, and died in Orono, Maine, on Thanksgiving Day of 1908, while attending the university. He died during his freshman year, while trying to rescue a college mate from drowning. He was president of the track team and very fond of athletics. Miss Harriet Agnes Aldridge was born in Little Falls, and graduated from the high school, attended Rye Seminary at Rye, New York, and afterward entered Smith College at Northampton, Massachusetts, graduating in the class of 1912, with the degree of B. A. She is very fond of travel and has taken several trips abroad. In 1922-23 she and her mother took a trip around the world and happened to be in Japan at the time of the earthquake.