Oliver ALEXANDER, an old resident and farmer of the Second District, was born May 26, 1816, in Blount County, Tenn., near Knoxville, on the south side of the Holston River. His father, Benjamin G. Alexander, was of Scotch descent, born in Virginia in 1779, came to Tennessee in 1796, and married in 1799 Ruth Wallace, who was born in North Carolina in 1776, and died in 1851. She was also of Scotch parentage. Mr. Alexander died in 1843.
Oliver Alexander was raised on a farm, and remained with his parents until twenty-one. Then being without money and dependent upon his own exertions, he commenced clearing Government land and farming. In 1855 he moved to Dancyville, and engaged in merchandising until the war, and up to that time had accumulated about $60,000. He was colonel of the militia, and was solicited to take his regiment into the service, and started, but received orders to furnish thirty-two men and disband the others. Mr. Alexander was a magistrate in his district for nearly three terms, and in 1877 was elected to fill an unexpired term in the legislature.
May 5, 1836, he married Elizabeth Lucas GEE. They had eight children: Sarah V. (Wife of William J. Lyle); George Lucas, Elizabeth Mary (wife of Joseph H. THOMAS; Felix M. and Olivia L. (Wife of Simon N. TUNLY): and three others that died in infancy.
Mr. Alexander has now about $6,000, besides over $25,000 he has given to his children. He is a man of influence and fine social standing, and is a member of the Missionary Baptist Church. Politically he is a Henry Clay Democrat, and was elected to the Legislature on the Greenback platform. His wife died February 11, 1873, a devout Christian. In November of the same year he married Mrs. Sarah G. ALLEY, but lived with her only a short time when the separated by mutual consent without any unkind feeling on either side. She being from Arkansas, and her children being there, she was not contented away from them, and he could not leave his business in this State. Mr. Alexander has prepared a history of Haywood County, which has been published. He is widely known and respected.
Goodspeed Pub. Co. History of Tennessee from the Earliest Time to the Present; Together with an Historical and a Biographical Sketch of Lauderdale, Tipton, Haywood and Crockett Counties, Besides a Valuable Fund of Notes, Original Observations, Reminiscences, Etc., Etc. Nashville: Goodspeed Pub. Co, 1887.