Alpheus Alexander, b. 10 Nov 1820

SCOTT, COLEMAN, BARNEY, ZEDIKER, AUSTIN

Posted By: Donna Moldt Walker (email)
Date: 2/21/2004 at 12:27:10

Spragueville has no more valued citiazen than the subject of this notice. He possesses a history of more than ordinary interest, and is one of those men who may be properly termed "ahead of their time," being remarkable progressive in his ideas, enterprising, wide-awake, loving knowledge and availing himself of every opportunity for mental improvement. Although well advanced in years he is remarkably well-preserved, the result of a temperate life and correct habits, and takes a genuine interest in everything pertaining to the progress and development of the Hawkeye State, of which he has been a permanent resident since its pioneer days.

Soon after coming to this county Mr. Alexander, in 1856 erected the flouring-mill on Deep Creek, which he still owns and operates. In this he was assisted by his partner, Mr. Tompkins. After its erection Mr. Alexander soon had his mill in operation, and in due time made application to have a post office established at this point. His correspondence with the Department at Washington resulted in the discontinuance of the office at Summer Hill, and the Department named the new post office in honor of John Sprague, who was the first settler on Deep Creek, although he had died in Stockton, Cal., some six years previous.

The subject of this sketch was born at New Lisbon, Columbiana Co., Ohio, Nov. 10, 1820, his early home overlooking the Ohio River. His father, John Alexander, was a native of Frederick, Md., and his paternal grandfather, Andrew Alexander first opened his eyes to the light in the Scottish Highlands. The maiden name of the mother of our subject was Lena Scott. She was a niece of Alexander Scott, the pioneer steamboat man of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, and her ancestors flourished during Colonial and Revolutionary times. Mrs. Lena (Scott) Alexander was born in Ohio Territory in 1800, two years prior to its admission into the Union as a State. Her parents were natives of Maryland and early pioneers of the Northwest Territory. Grandfather David Scott served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War, witnessed the defeat of St. Clair in 1791, and later, upon going to Ohio, was made the first Sheriff of Columbiana County. John Alexander, the father of our subject, served during the War of 1812 with the Maryland Militia. Prior to the war he learned the saddler's trade in Baltimore. About 1815 or 1816 he moved to Onio and carried on his trade at New Lisbon, Ohio, until 1835, but finally became interested in live stock, and in pursuance of this business traveled as far west as Indiana, purchasing and sending to the Eastern market. He died at Hanoverton, Columbiana County in 1837. To him and his excellent wife there were born six children - three sons and three daughters - of whom there is surviving only our subject. One son, John Jr., died in the army during the late Civil War; Erasmus went to California, engaged in mining and died from the effects of a gunshot through the shoulder, fired by an assassin.

Our subject is thus the only one left to perpetuate this branch of the Alexander family. He received a limited education in the schools of his native place, and when a lad of thirteen years began learning the saddler trade of his father. The latter died in 1837, and our subject subsequently went to Canton, Ohio, and completed his appreticeship. John Alexander was a very energetic business man and dealt largely in stock-iron, operating a smelting furnace and doing a general teaming business from Wheeling and Cumberland to Pittsburg and Massillon, on the Ohio Canal.

As soon as young Alexander was able to handle a horse he also assisted his father in teaming, and enjoyed his migrations over the country very much. He likewise assisted in buying and driving cattle and horses, and traveled largely over the States of Virginia and Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana when a mere boy. Prior to the panic of 1837 John Alexander has been considered a wealthy man but the general depreciation of values at that period resulted in the absorption of nearly all his property to pay what were really comparatively small debts. Thus the family were left in somewhat straightened circumstances, and our subject was thrown upon his own resources. Not only this but he made provision for his younger brothers and sisters, who lived with him and who were educated through his means.

When twenty years of age our subject was married, Dec. 18, 1840, in Lexington, Richland Co., Ohio, to Miss Ellen Coleman, who was not quite fifteen. The young people began their wedded life together at Lexington, and finally removed to Chesterville, where they resided several months, and where the young wife died in the fall of 1853. In the meantime, in 1850, our subject, in company with five other young men, had made a trip to California. They first proceeded to St. Louis, Mo., where they gathered together their outfit of wagons, mules and provisions, and started overland on their long journey. The country at the time was overrun by Indians, and they had considerable trouble with the Pawnees, who wounded two of their men in a skirmish and stole two of their mules.

The little caravan pursued its course westward and suffered no further loss worthy of mention, although they were obliged to guard their property very closely from the depredations of the savages, who attempted to take more of their animals from them. Two of the party only, landed at Placerville, Cal., Oct. 28, 1850, they having at Salt Lake City disbanded as a company, and Mr. Alexander employed himself in the mines until the fall of 1851 with very good results. Then in company with his brother Erasmus he established a general store of miners' supplies. In 1851 and 1852 vegetables sold for $1.50 per pound; four and meat the same price. A regular meal at a boarding house at the camp would cost from $4 to $6, but most of the miners boarded themselves and did their own cooking. Eggs were worth $1 a piece. Australian onions sold for $4 apiece. Most of the vegetables came from Australia. These high prices lasted about one year. He also had a transportation train of pack mules consisting of from fifty to sixty animals, for the purpose of conveying supplies from Sacramento up to Rector Bar, on the north branch of the middle fork of the American River. He saw some hard times, and in October, 1852, was very glad to return to his wife in Ohio, landing about New Year's, 1853, in New York City, making the journey home by the Isthmus.

Soon after his return from California Mr. Alexander purchased a home in Chesterville, Morrow Co., Ohio, where he intended to establish his family comfortably and once more seek the Pacific Coast. He secured a most desirable piece of property, a good residence and 200 acres of land adjoining Chesterville, and leaving his family amply provided for, started with his brother John for California by the ocean route. They remained in New York City about three weeks before the boat was ready to go out, and the day prior to that on which they expected to start, our subject received a letter from home stating that a contagious disease had broken out and they wished him to return home at once. He did so, and soon afterward his wife and youngest child, a boy, George, were stricken down by the fell destroyer. As soon as possible Mr. Alexander, with his two children started westward in order to save them, and never stopped until he reached Van Buren Township, this county, whither had previously moved Mr. George O. Coleman, the father of his wife. He arrived there in October, 1853, and after a week's sojourn making arrangements for the care of the little ones, returned to Ohio, abandoned his California project, and began buying horses and cattle to take to Iowa and other places in the West. He made his first trip to the Hawkeye State in 1842, taking with him a quantity of saddles, blankets, etc., which he traded to the Indians on the Des Moines river, near the present city of that name. The children born of his first marriage, were: Austin, who resides in Jewell Junction, Hamilton Co., Iowa; the daughter, Caroline, is the wife of Richard Alexander, and resides in Tekamah, Burt Co., Nev., and George, deceased.

Mr. Alexander contracted a second marriage in Ohio, in May, 1856, with Miss Phoebe Ann Barney; she was a native of Knox County, that State. The marriage took place at Lexinton, Richland Co., Ohio, where she was principal of the schools. Later, during the Civil War, he entered the army; where there he received intelligence that his wife was dangerously sick. He resigned and returned home, arriving there a few days before her death, in April, 1862. They had become the parents of two children - Harlo B. and Lucretia, who is the wife of T.J. Zediker, and resides at Mapleton, Morrow Co., Iowa.

Mr. Alexander, during the first year of the war, and in response to the call of President Lincoln for three years' men, assisted in the organization of a company at Van Buren Center, Company A, of the 9th Iowa Infantry, of which he was elected Second Lieutenant. They drilled for a time at Camp Union near Dubuque and were then assigned to the Army of the Missouri, and first encountered the rebels under Gen. Price at Springfield, Mo. In 1862 Lieut. Alexander was detailed to escort some contraband property to the rear to be turned over to the quartermaster's department, and when upon the point of entering upon the duties of that position he received intelligence of the critical condition of his wife. At this time Gen. Halleck, commanding, gave no furloughs, and the only way for Lieut. Alexander to reach the bedside of his dying wife was to resign his position, which he did, and which the General accepted, saying, "Lieutenant, if your domestic affairs are of such a character that you can return to the service, come to my headquarters and I will make you as good as when you left."

Mr. Alexander reached his wife at Spragueville a few days before her death, and after her burial his son Austin and two brothers-in-law enlisted in the Union service, and served until the close of the war.

On the 6th of February, 1867, our subject was married, the third time, to Miss Anna Austin, of Andrew, this county. The Austin family came to this region about 1835, during the early settlement of Perry Township, and long before the Indian War. Of this last marriage there were born seven children, namely: Jesse, Franklin, Frederick William, Lena, Levi H., Robert J. and James B. He has a beautiful home in Spragueville, enjoys the friendship of a large circle of acquaintances, and is apparently surrounded by everything calculated to make life pleasant and desirable. Honest and upright in his transactions, he held the office of Postmaster from 1857 until 1883 a period of over twenty-five years. He was in early life a member of the old Whig party. In 1844 he voted for James G. Bierney. He was a strong Abolitionist during slavery times, and allied himself with the Republican party upon its organization in 1856, voting for its Presidential candidate, John C. Fremont. He was a warm supporter of Lincoln, and finally became a Greenbacker, voted for Horace Greeley, supported James G. Blaine in 1884 and Benjamin Harrison in 1888.

During his sojourn on the Pacific Slope Mr. Alexander took a trip to South America in the interest of a firm in Sacramento to purchase large quantities of flour at Conception, Chili, for said firm. He is liberal in his religious views, and socially belongs to the Masonic fraternity, with which he identified himself at Chesterville, Ohio, in 1853, being now a member of Chesterville Lodge No. 238.

("Portrait and Biographical Album of Jackson County, Iowa", originally published in 1889, by the Chapman Brothers, of Chicago, Illinois)