An Illustrated History of the State of Washington, by Rev. H.K. Hines, D.D., 
The Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, IL., 1893, page 407

	HON. ALEXANDER CAMERON, one of the most respected among the pioneers of
Walla Walla county, Washington, is the subject of the present sketch. He was
born in Rossshire, Scotland. May 15, 1837, and lived with his parents until he
was eighteen years of age, receiving a common-school education. His father, John
Cameron, was a shepherd in his native country, there married Bessie McClennan,
and died in 1839. His wife lived until 1882, when she died in Illinois, where
she had been abiding with her children, having reached the age of about 100
years. Ten children were born to these parents and our subject was the youngest
of the family.
	In 1854 Mr. Cameron crossed the sea with his family, stopping first in
Canada, but that country did not suit him; therefore he went to Chicago, where
he remained about six months. He went from there to Henry county, Illinois, and
commenced to farm, remaining in that and in Bureau counties for four years. In
1862 he went to Iowa and worked one year in the coal mines, and then made up his
mind to go to the coast country. In 1863 he crossed the plains with ox teams. A
company of Scotchmen was organized with thirteen wagons, and it was named the
Scotch train. Mr. Cameron had no team of his own, but came with his
father-in-law and assisted in driving his teams. They came to Walla Walla county
and took up a homestead three miles south of town where he now lives, but has
added to his farm until he has 270 acres of valuable land, which would command a
high price, being so near the city. He is farming his land and raises on an
average 3,000 bushels of grain a year.
	Our subject was married in 1863, before leaving Iowa, in Council Bluffs, to
Miss Janette McRae, a young Scotch lady of education and refinement. She was the
daughter of Alexander and Jane (Bain) McRae, all of them natives of Scotland.
Both of the parents of Mrs. Cameron died in this State, -- the mother in 1852,
at the age of seventy-seven, and the father in 1889, at the age of eighty-four.
	Mr. and Mrs. Cameron have had nine children, as follows: John A., now
Assistant Warden of the Washington Penitentiary; Jane died in 1879, at the age
of thirteen years; Donald; Bessie, the wife of Grant Copeland; Bell, the wife of
Mordo McDonald, of Union county, Oregon; Maggie; Jessie; George; and Hattie.
When Mr. Cameron arrived in Washington he had twenty-five cents in money, and
from that he had to build up his fortune. He now has a good farm and comfortable
situation. He has never sought any political favors, but in August, 1892, the
Republicans of the district decided that he was a suitable man to send to the
Legislature and he was elected, even in a Democratic district. Our subject is
prominently connected with the I.O.O.F. and the A.O.U.W.

Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in October 2003 by Jeffrey L. Elmer

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Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies
Project. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the
individual featured in the biographies.