Alexander McSwain Sheridan Riddler was born March 1, 1837, in New York City, the second child of 13 born to John Jamieson Riddler and Elizabeth Sanderson. His parents immigrated to America from Scotland shortly before his birth. They then made their way to the settlement at Naperville in 1844.
He attended the public schools in Naperville, worked in his father’s store and in 1855 worked as a clerk in a store in Omaha, Nebraska.
He returned to Naperville in 1859 and was employed as an assistant to his father who was then the Naperville Post-Master. On May 6, 1861, he was elected as Naperville Village Clerk and on September 10, 1861, answered his country’s call and enlisted in Company E of the 8th Illinois Cavalry as a Private.
Alex was a Corporal with Sergeant Levi S. Shafer and Lieutenant Marcellus E. Jones when the first shot was fired by Jones using Shafer’s carbine rifle that is credited with the official start of the Battle at Gettysburg. He also took part in the battles of Beverly Ford, Hazel Run, South Mountain and Antietam. He mustered out July 17, 1865, as a 1st Lieutenant and became an active member of the Walter Blanchard Grand Army of the Republic Post #386.
He served as Naperville Village Treasurer in 1866 and from 1867 to 1872 worked in Dr. Hamilton C. Daniels’ drugstore as a clerk. He was then employed by Willard Scott & Co. Bank as the Cashier and later at the First Naperville National Bank of Naperville.
Alex served as the Naperville Village Clerk again from 1870 to 1874 and again in 1877. He also worked as a real estate agent in his later years.
He served as Naperville Village Trustee in 1878, Naperville Township Supervisor in 1879 and 1880 and as Naperville Village President in 1879. His last elective office was that of DuPage County Treasurer in which he served from 1887 to 1890. This was a testament to the esteem he was held in because he was a Democrat and DuPage County was heavily Republican at this time.
The Naperville Fire Department was organized in 1874 and Alex served as Assistant Fire Marshall, Foreman and Secretary. He served as the Treasurer of his church, St. John’s Episcopal in Naperville, for more than 30 years.
He married Mary “May” Daphne Collins (daughter of John Collins and Mary Emeline Barber) August 6, 1874, in Naperville. They had no children.
Alex Riddler was a member of Euclid Lodge No. 65, A.F. & A.M. and served as Master of the Lodge in 1873 and 1874 and Treasurer from 1890 thru 1907. He was also a member of Euclid Chapter No. 13, Royal Arch Masons. He died November 9, 1907, in Naperville and was buried in the Naperville Cemetery.
