John Alexander

        John Alexander, deceased, was born in Logan County, Ohio, April 22, 1825, being a grandson of James and Margery (Oliver) Alexander, who were natives of Ireland, where they were married at the ages of twenty-one and sixteen, two weeks after which they started for America, and after a long and tedious voyage and much suffering from sea-sickness and ship-wreck landed in America October, 1784.

    They settled in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, an finally in Champaign County, Ohio, then known as the "Far West". Here they died, James in 1819, and Margery in 1823, at the ages of fifty-six and fifty-four. They left a family of twelve children, viz. -Betsy, John, Robert, Nancy, Mattie, Salley, Peggy, Rachel, James and Margery (twins). Edward and Peter. The father was a weaver by trade, at which he supported his large family. He belonged to the old line Whig party, and both he his wife were members of the old Presbyterian Church. Always poor in things of this life, they left no legacy to their children but honest, upright and Christian examples.

    Robert Alexander, the third child of James and Margery and father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, February 16, 1793. He was reared on a farm in his native State, and while a young man moved with his father to Champaign County, Ohio. February 26, 1822, he married Mary Wilkinson, who was born in Harrison County, Virginia, October 11, 1793, having moved to Champaign County, Ohio, when about sixteen years of age. Her father, Asahel Wilkinson, was a native of England, a rough backwoodsman, who delighted in hunting wild game of which the country then abounded. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, and had many narrow escapes for his life. He loved in his old days to tell his fights with the bear, panther and other wild and savage animals, as well as with the Indians. He was one of Virginia's tall, slender sons -a man of great endurance and courage, and with an iron will, he was well fitted for the frontier life of his day. Wilkinson's wife (whose maiden name was Rogan) was a native of Scotland. She was a small quiet, Christian woman, and a member of the New Light Church. They were married in Harrison County, Virginia, in the year 1791 or 1792, and in 1811 moved West, and settled on Mad River in the State of Ohio. They reared ten children, viz: Mary, Jacob, Thomas, Asahel, Joseph, Salley, Nancy, Eliza, Harrison and Betsey. The mother died April 23, 1820 and Wilkinson married again in less than a year. His second wife's name was Tipton. She was a good Christian woman, to whom he had two children. The first, Ashael, died early. Wilkinson died at the age of ninety-three years. Robert and Mary (Wilkinson) Alexander moved from Logan County, Ohio, to Elkhart County, Indiana in May, 1837, and finally settled in the wild woods of Wells County, Indiana in February, 1838. The journey from Ohio to Indiana was made with wagons, through a new and wild country. The party consisted of Robert and family (six children) and is two youngest brothers, Edward's family (two children) and Peter (single), also two hired men to help drive the stock. The journey was long, tedious and full of hardships. The country was heavily timbered and destitute of well defined roads. In the woods of Indiana were found many wild animals, as well as the native Indians.

    Robert and Edward had each entered a tract (120 acres) of land the fall before, situated in Wells County, Jackson Township. Not a tree had been cut, and while they built their cabins on their own lands, the families lived in a rude log cabin, one and a half miles distant, which was already occupied by two other families, making in all twenty-six persons together, for two or three weeks, in a cabin which had but one door, it being made high from the ground, so that the hogs cold not get inside. When they moved on their own lands, they used clapboards for a floor, t o keep their feet out of the mud, while the fire melted two or three inches of snow. The frontiersmen were good marksmen, and from the abundance of deer and other wild animals they procured their meat. At the time of this settlement there were but three other families in the township.

    Robert Alexander and wife had joined the Methodist Episcopal Church, and in this early day, the first church organization was formed at their house, where they first sermon in the township was preached by Rev. George W. Bowers, on Christmas Eve, 1838. Robert was an old-line Whig, and a Republican, and for several years served as one of the trustees of his township, and filled other positions of trust. He was licensed to preach in 1840,and held meetings all over the country as long as he lived. In stature he was about five feet ten inches high, broad shouldered and strong, with average weight of about 180 pounds. He died on his old place in Jackson Township, April 4, 1872, his wife having preceded him October 31, 1868. They reared six children, viz.: Rachel, John, James, Nancy, Robert F. and Betty, all of whom became members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and lived to become parents. Rachel, James and Betty still live.

    John Alexander, being the second child, and the subject of this sketch, moved with his parents when twelve years of age to Elkhart County, and in February, 1838, to Wells County, Indiana, where he was thoroughly trained in the work of clearing and farming the new land. Being resolute, courageous and strong, he had no dread of hard work, but with persistent industry went alone with is ax into the thickest of the wilderness of Jackson and surrounding townships, where he cut off and cleared many acres before settling upon land to make a home for himself, but worked with his father until about the age of twenty-one years. At about this age he became a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, to which he lived very closely all the balance of his life. This early day afforded but little opportunity for schooling. He had attended the common district school a few weeks in each year, and at about the age of twenty-one attended one graded school at Warren, Indiana, with the view of preparing for a profession, but his being unpopular in that day the idea was abandoned rather than have it said he was afraid of work. May 17, 1849, he married, Melissa Sparr, of Delaware County, Indiana. The great-grandfather of Melissa (Sparr) Alexander, was a native of Prussia, born on the River Rhine, in the year 1720, and was a Tory in Washington's time. John Sparr, his son, was born near Philadelphia about the year 1750. He was a Revolutionary soldier and fought in the battles of Monmouth Court-house, Princeton and others, being also at the taking of Cornwallis. He was a farmer, a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and a strong, resolute man. He was a Virginian, and died in La Fayette County, that State, in his eighty-sixth year. His wife's maiden name was Mary Mariah Neah-Hawk, of a wealthy family in Pennsylvania. She was a thoughtful woman and above average in size. She died also at the age of eighty-six, though ten years younger than her husband. They had ten children and reared nine, four of whom were boys -John, Samuel, Isaac and George, Isaac was six feet six inches in height, and was believed to be the strongest man in his (Monroe) County. He was shot (assassinated) at the age of twenty-eight. Samuel and Elizabeth each lived to be ninety-six. George W., the youngest is the only one living, now eighty-five.

    John the oldest son and father of Melissa (Sparr) Alexander, was born at St. Troy, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, October 22, 1784. He was a farmer, a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and a man of considerable influence in his neighborhood, was called into the war of 1812, but on account of his family hired a substitute. January 18, 1810, he married Mary Ann Guthrie, of Virginia, who was of English and Scotch descent. Her father, William Guthrie, was a prominent Methodist minister of Scotch descent, and served as a Revolutionary soldier. He was the father of seven children (all girls). He died in Virginia. In the year 1825, John and Mary Ann (Guthrie) Sparr moved to Rush County, and in 1836 to Delaware County, Indiana, when John died March 21, 1843, at the age of fifty-eight, being a strong man at his death. His widow lived with her oldest child, Eveline, in Delaware County. She was also a Christian woman, a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. John and Mary Ann Sparr possessed but moderate means, but reared nine children out of eleven born, viz.: Eveline, Silas, John, James, William, Samuel, Mariah, Milton, Melissa, Jackson and Ripley. Eveline, James, Melissa, Jackson and Ripley, are still living, all of whom are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

    Melissa, widow of John Alexander, was born in Rush County, Indiana, July 15, 1827, and lived with her parents until her marriage. After marriage John Alexander and wife moved at once to Jackson Township, Wells County, Indiana, where he had purchased (for $150) eighty acres of raw land joining his father's farm. Here in the midst of the wilderness they began clearing out a home, with very little to start with; but with willing hands they toiled early and late, and lived plain. For fourteen years a hewed log cabin plastered inside and out with mud, made a very comfortable dwelling winter and summer. Both were very closely united to the Methodist Episcopal Church, to the support of which they always contributed a portion of their small earnings. They were of the small number who organized and built up the little church known as Asbury Chapel. Mr. Alexander served as a leading officer in this church as long as he lived in the county. He organized the first Sunday-school at this place, and was for a number of years superintendent as well as class-leader. Having already purchased property and built a comfortable dwelling in Hartford City, Indiana, they rented  the farm, with then near a hundred acres well improved, and March 12, 1875, moved to Harford and immediately began establishing the "Hartford City Nursery," which has within these few years grown into a well known and prosperous business. In this Mr. Alexander displayed his usual alacrity, industry and careful attention, thus building up a useful and profitable enterprise, patronized far and near. He established a good trade in not only all kinds of fruit trees, but also the choicest varieties of vines, ornamental trees and small fruits, which is still kept up and carried on since his death. During his life in Hartford City he was a faithful student of the Bible, and a regular and devout attendant and worshiper at the Sunday-school and all religious meetings. His contributions to both were prompt and cheerful, being one of the heaviest donors to the building of the new Methodist Episcopal Church. He never missed an opportunity to use his influence in favor of temperance and Christianity, firmly believing the establishment of these principles to be most essential in molding the true lives of others, and especially young men. During his life in that city he was a member of the church official board, class-leader and Sunday-school teacher. He was also licensed to exhort. In politics  he was always a Republican and Prohibitionist, and while in Wells County filled numerous township offices. In stature Mr. Alexander was six feet in height, and weighed about 190 pounds. Broad-shouldered and erect, he was uncommonly strong and muscular. Altogether he was a firm, emphatic man, with marked characteristics, broad judgment and safe counsel. The chief aim of his whole life was to provide honorably a comfortable living for his family, and above all to make sure preparation for the life to come, and to persuade others so to do. After a very brief and unexpected attack of paralysis of mind and body, without any apparent suffering he died April 4, 1886, lacking nineteen days of sixty-one years of age. His tomb is marked by a spot in the little grave-yard at Asbury Chapel, which he helped organize in his early day. His widow still lives at Hartford City. They reared seven children - Rachel M., a school teacher, and who has also learned the art of hand-painting, sketching from nature; William G., who graduated at the law school at Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1883, and has since served one term as district attorney of Campbell County, Dakota Territory; Robert O.V., who died of typhoid fever in early manhood, December 12, 1874; John B., who is now manager of the Hartford City Nursery, and who is also engaged in bee culture; Ashael C., a merchant at New Cumberland, Indiana, and who married Anna Barrett, they have had two children (girls), one still living; James M., who has for a number of years been in the employ of the well known firm of Kushbam & Weiler, and L.O. Morton, an editor, now editing the Dakota Siftings, in Benton County, Dakota Territory.

Source: Biographical and Historical Record of Jay and Blackford County, Indiana. The Lewis Publishing Co., 1887. Pages 780, 781, 782, 783.