W. V. Alexander - Alex, OK - Citizen Memorials on Waymarking.com

The town of Alex is located ten miles southeast of Chickasha on Highway 19. Its current population is about 650. This granite memorial stands in front of the Alex Community Center at 120 S. Main.

[The following is an abbreviated excerpt from an article published on June 2, 1993 in a special Chickasha Daily Express edition headlined as "Life In Alex . . .History".]

"'Uncle Red' Alexander was born in Gordon Springs, AL in 1833. He came to Indian Territory when he was 18.

"In 1881, Alexander established a store south of his home. This was the only trading post for miles on the old Military Road. In 1885, he was able to get a post office established at the store. Settlers from miles around came to "Alex" to get their mail. In 1906 a tornado severely damaged his store, drugstore and house.

"Alexander was a widely-known cattleman and was a strong believer in education. He knew the Younger and the James boys. It is said Jesse James spent a night at his home. Alexander died Jan. 23, 1920. A Masonic funeral was held at his home. He had been a 40-year member of the Masons and was a charter member of the Rush Springs Lodge. A special train carried his draped casket to be buried at Rose Hill Cemetery in Chickasha."

The marker at this location reads: "W. V. ALEXANDER / Alex, Oklahoma was named in honor of W.V. Uncle Red Alexander who came to the Alex area in 1878 after serving in the Civil War as Captain of the Second Cherokee Regiment under Confederate General Stand Watie / Through his first marriage to a Chickasaw Tribal member, Alexander controlled a large tract of Indian Territory's Washita Valley where Alex would be born / Alexander's original home was located a half-mile west of Alex on Soldier Creek in 1885 / The first Alex post office was established in Alexander's trading post near his home / The town was officially incorporated in 1910 / Alexander died in his home on January 23, 1920 / In this 100th year of Oklahoma's Statehood this marker stands as a permanent memorial to every pioneer cowboy or Indian man or woman or child who braved the wild and empty prairie to raise this small town / This is a tribute to generations of Alex families who raised the cattle crops and produce pumped Oklahoma sweet crude nurtured our bodies hearts and minds with the ideas of hope health and freedom built our railroads and bridges and ensured our commerce and prosperity / They are our history our present and our future."

(Because of the reference above to it being the 100th anniversary of Oklahoma Statehood, this would have been dedicated in 2007).

Website with more information on either the memorial or the person(s) it is dedicated to: [Web Link] Location: Downtown in front of Community Center

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