The following biography of Richard Johnson (Col. Dick) Alexander was contributed
by Carole Alexander Brady.  The biography was most likely written by a
descendant of Richard's brother, James Alexander Jr., who had settled in Polk
Co., Oregon. There is no date on the biography, but from the context, it would
have been written prior to Richard's death in 1912.

The biography is type-written on stationary belonging to Goile D. Alexander and
DelRoy R. Alexander, with the following header:

"THE HILL TOP DAIRY RANCH

ALEXANDER BROS, Prop.

REGISTERED CHESTER WHITE HOGS, TANCARD WHITE LEGHORNS AND BOURBON RED TURKEYS.

INDEPENDENCE, OREGON .............. 192...."

"MAN OF HISTORY - Uncle Richard Alexander is a resident of McBrayer and is a
gentleman of the old school.  He remembers dates as well as most people remember
yesterday and he never gets mixed up.  He is the only living great grand son of
Robert McAfee, the noted pioneer settler of Kentucky, who came to this state
shortly after Daneil Boone and located near McAfee, Mercer County.  By
inheritance, Uncle Dick has in his possession a diary kept by McAfee during his
lifetime.  From this book it is learned that he settled in Mercer County on the
seventh of June 1771.  Samuel Adams, grandfather of Uncle Dick, James McCoun,
Samuel Lawrence walked from Virginia and located where the beautiful city of
Lawrenceburg now stands; that was in 1705 and the place was a rough thicket.
The three men cleared a space at the rear of Hagerman's Hardware store and
erected a log cabin.  The place grew slowly, and finally, when it was large
enough to be denominated a village, the settlers called it Lawrenceburg in honor
of Samuel Lawrence.  Uncle Dick lives on the same spot where his grandfather
William Alexander located when he came to the state with the early settlers.
His memory runs back for years.  The coldest day ever experienced in the United
States was in January 1798.  Uncle Dick said his father went out into the yard
on that day and threw up boiling water and it came down ice.  In other words it
took a quarter of a second to freeze boiling water.  Horses, deer and other
beasts of the fields were found standing stiff in the fields having frozen to
death in their tracks while in the act of walking.  THis cold day was called
Blue Friday.  In June, 1804, the woods were burnt.  By this is meant that there
was a heavy freeze in the month of June, which completely killed all kinds of
vegetation.  Shortly after the freeze it looked like a big fire had swept over
the country.  In the same year the stars fell and rolled over mother earth like
marbles.  Men, women and children were frightened senseless when the heavenly
luminaries began falling like rain from a clear sky.  Uncle Dick prides himself
especially on his corn.  The first corn was planted in Kentucky in 1774 by Jacob
Sadenske near McAfee.  Uncle Dick's ancestors secured seed from Sadenske and the
same has been handed down from generation to generation during his long life
Uncle Dick has used no other corn.  He does not beleive that there is such a
thing as seed running out.  He shows his corn at the fairs and has never failed
to take a premium and in his younger days he carried his premium corn to every
state in the union and now has an exhibition, blue ribbons to tell the tale."

(page 2)

(The following appears to be a transcription of an article published in the
"Harrodsburg Democrat".  There is no date, but was most likely written in August
1903.)

"CENTENARIAN WHISKEY"

"Col. Dick Alexander to Open a Jug of One-Hundred-Year-Old Liquor September
20th."

	"It would seem almost incredible that a man in Kentucky could keep a jug of
one-hundred-year-old whiskey corked up sitting around his house, but such is
true of Col. Dick Alexander who lives near Bell's ford, on Salt river.  He has a
three-gallon jug of liquor that was distilled by his grandfather on September
20, 1803, the same day on which his only daughter was married.  On the day that
the whiskey was distilled it was placed in the jug, sealed and dated, and has
been handed down from generation to generation with the understanding that it
was not to be opened for one hundred years.  Those who have handled the jug say
that it appears from the shaking as if about half the liquor had evaporated and
the remainder is about as thick as sugar-tree molasses.  Col. Alexander also has
two jars of peach preserves that were put up fifty-three years ago.  Mr.
Alexander has decided to celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of the whiskey
on the 20th dy of next month the seal of the jug will be broken and the two jars
of peach preserves opened.  He has invited a number of friends to be present on
that day.  Among the distinguished guests who have been extended invitations to
be present at the jug-opening are Gov. J. C. W. Beckham, William Kennings Bryan,
Henry Watterson, W. C. P. Breckinridge and W. P. Walton, and it is quite likely
they will come. --Harrodsburg's Mulhattan in Harrodsburg Democrat."

(at the bottom of page 2 is the following handwritten note:)

"Our great grandfather Wm. Alexander was wounded at the battle of Brandy wine
and my father has in his possession a pair of bullet molds that he molded
bullets at Vally Forge in.  The great-grandfather McAfee was a general during
the war.  There is a beautiful old stone house that still stands in Kentucky
built by him about 1792."