The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and
Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 760 

JOHN W. ALEXANDER.

John W. Alexander owns and occupies a ranch of one hundred and sixty acres a
mile southeast of Sunnyside, which came into his possession through purchase in
1902. Mr. Alexander is a native son of Iowa, his birth having occurred in
Dubuque county on the 25th of November, 1853. He is a son of Philip and Adeline
(Higgins) Alexander. The father was born in Vermont and the mother in
Connecticut and they became pioneer residents of Iowa, where Mr. Alexander
carried on farming to the time of his death. His wife also passed away in that
state.

John W. Alexander supplemented a public school education by study in the
Hopkinton University of Iowa and when his textbooks were put aside devoted his
attention to farming in his native state for a time and later for sixteen years
in South Dakota. In 1902 he arrived in Yakima county and made investment in one
hundred and sixty acres of land near Sunnyside. The greater part of the tract
was wild and undeveloped, but he now has one hundred acres under cultivation and
has made his place one of the excellent ranch properties of the district. He
annually produces large crops of hay, corn, potatoes and sugar beets and he is
conducting an extensive dairy business, keeping fine graded Holstein cattle for
this purpose. In business affairs his judgment is sound, his sagacity keen and
his enterprise unfaltering. He displays the most progressive spirit in
connection with his dairy interests. He milks from thirty to forty-five cows,
utilizing a modern electric-driven milking machine and a cream separator. His
house and his barns are supplied with electric light and all modern improvements
and accessories are found upon his farm.

On the 6th of March, 1878, Mr. Alexander was united in marriage to Miss
Margaret McElwain, who was born in Dubuque county, Iowa, a daughter of Moses
McElwain, one of the pioneers of that state. They have become the parents of a
large family of six daughters and eight sons, and with the exception of two sons
all are yet living. Mrs. Addie Smith, residing one hundred miles northwest of
Seattle, has two daughters. Frank, who is engaged in ranching near his father's
place, is married and has two sons. Sarah is the wife of Cordon Vance, a rancher
near Sunnyside, and they have five daughters. Mrs. Mary Cry is a resident of
California. Judd, Oscar and Benjamin are at home. Laura is engaged in teaching
school. Elizabeth and Grace are likewise still under the parental roof. Philip
is deceased. Henry is also yet at home. Millard and Ernest were twins but the
latter has departed this life. The children were all given good educational
opportunities.

Mrs. Alexander is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Alexander is
a democrat in his political views and keeps well informed on the questions and
issues of the day but has never been an office seeker. His has been an active
and useful life along agricultural lines and his persistent effort and energy
have constituted the foundation of his growing success.

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Submitted to the Washington Bios Project in January 2008 by Jeffrey L. Elmer.
Submitter has no additional information about the subject of this article.