Husband William Jones Alexander 1 2 3 4
Born: 16 Apr 1820 - Rostraver Twp, Westmoreland Co, PA 1 3
Christened:
Died: 8 Jun 1894 4
Buried:
Father: Joseph Alexander (1795-1871) 1 3 4 5 6
Mother: Mary Jones (1793-1856) 3 7
Marriage: 14 Nov 1844 8
Wife Eliza Morrison 1 8
Born: 11 Jan 1821 9
Christened:
Died: Aft 1893
Buried:
Father: John Morrison (1789-1837) 9
Mother: Margaret Porter (1798-1882) 9
Children
• They had no children.
General Notes: Husband - William Jones Alexander
The education of William J. Alexander was such as was usually obtained at the common subscription schools of that day, and early in life (in 1836) he began his business career in Pittsburgh, under the employ of Andrew Pierce. However, his term of service in Pittsburgh was of short duration, for his father requiring his assistance in the business in Monongahela, he came home and entered his father's store, where the advantage of his energy and capacity were soon manifest. In the spring of 1843 he became the junior partner of J. Alexander & Son, which copartnership continued until the firm of Alexander & Co. was organized in 1850, the style remaining unchanged since that date. In the early days of his business career his father, quick to recognize and acknowledge the son's practical business ability, and having firm faith in his sagacity and persevering industry, yielded to him the responsible management of the business from the time he was admitted into partnership. Beginning at that date he was actively engaged in business, and was the recognized head of the firm of Alexander & Co., which under his lead achieved success and enviable reputation.
Prior to the year 1864, the firm of Alexander & Co. conducted the dry-goods business in connection with banking. During that year the dry-goods interests were disposed of, and the business thereafter was exclusively banking.
While Mr. Alexander gave his earnest and active attention to his varied business interests, from his earliest manhood he was more or less engaged in the promotion of every practical project for improving the material, moral and educational welfare of the community in which he lived. He was an active participant in the management of municipal and educational matters, and enjoyed to a rare degree the esteem and confidence of his fellow-townsmen, testified to in numerous elections. In 1888, the unusual compliment was paid to him of the nomination as controller by both parties. He was president of the Monongahela Gas Company; was identified with the management of the Monongahela cemetery beginning at the inception of the enterprise; was a member and officer in the First Presbyterian Church for nearly fifty years.
Throughout the great Rebellion he was prompt and earnest in all his duties as a loyal citizen. He served as captain of Company G, Eighteenth Regiment, Pennsylvania Militia of 1862 (an organization called out by Gov. Curtin to meet an exigency of the war), and served with his regiment on the borders of Pennsylvania and Maryland during the last days of the memorable campaign which closed by the repulse and defeat of the rebel forces under Lee at South Mountain and Antietam.
While he traveled much, and was familiar with most points of interest in the country, his life and habits were essentially domestic. He and his wife had no children, but their family circle was enlarged and enlivened by the presence of the three brothers of Mrs. Alexander: Joseph, Andrew and Dr. M. P. Morrison. While the two former were practicing lawyers in Pittsburgh, yet most of their leisure was spent at their Monongahela City home, which being almost contiguous to the Alexander residence, during the life of the Morrison brothers their intimate relations and almost daily society made a family circle of congenial, cultivated and delightful intercourse.
In the pursuit of Mr. Alexander's musical and literary tastes, he accumulated a valuable library, to which was added the collections of Joseph, Andrew and M. P. Morrison, all of whom were collectors of books, of cultivated intelligence and tastes. The collection contained many rare and valuable old editions, and editions de luxe, besides old manuscripts of interest and value. From this collection it was the pleasure of Mr. and Mrs. Alexander to donate to the Carnegie Library of Allegheny the rare and valuable edition of "Audubon's Birds of America."