The Valley of Heart's Delight
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WILLIAM G. ALEXANDER

REALTOR- LOS GATOS-1884

 Bio- Pen Pictures

SURNAMES:  WRIGHT, COLLISTER,

WILLIAM G. ALEXANDER , son of Calvin and Anna (Wright) Alexander, was born in Madison County, New York, December 12, 1829.  His father was a native of Canada and his mother of New York State.  William remained with his parents until he became of age, when he began work a the carpenter trade and followed it in Monroe County till the spring of 1854, when he came to California and located at Sacramento, where he worked at his trade for one year.  The following year he went to the mines of Scott River, and in the spring of 1858 returned to Monroe County, New York, and September 30, 1858, was married to Julia A. Collister, a native of that county.  After his marriage he bought a farm in Monroe County, where he remained two years.  In the spring of 1860 he went to St. Joseph, Michigan, where he remained till 1875.  During this time he was engaged in different kinds of business.  The first year he was a contractor, then for three years he was engaged in buying and shipping fruit to Chicago.  After that for two years he was interested in the manufacturing and shipping of lumber.  He then went into the business of manufacturing brick and shipping the same to Chicago, after the great Chicago fire. In May , 1875, he came to Oakland, California, where he remained one years in  the business of contractor and house builder.   In the spring of the next year he removed to Santa Cruz, where he continued his business as contractor till February, 1884, when he came to Los Gatos and located.  Since he came here his principal business has been contracting and building.  In August, 1887, he became associated with W. Peck & Co. in the real-estate and insurance business. He started the Los Gatos Land Agency, consisting of W. Peck,  W. G. Alexander, and Z. H. Vohde.  He has a son, Monroe Hamilton Alexander, born July 21, 1855, who graduated at the University of the Pacific in 1881, and is now a Professor of English Literature in the same college.  He has a daughter, Jennie Lulu  born in St. Joseph, Michigan, December 21, 1868, also a graduate of the University of the Pacific In June, 1887.

SOURCE: Pen Pictures From The Garden of the World or Santa Clara County, California, Illustrated. - Edited by H.S. Foote.- Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1888. page 307-308 Transcribed by Carolyn Feroben

Santa Clara County Biographies

SANTA CLARA COUNTY -The Valley of Heart's Delight

Aug 3, 2005