David W. Alexander

David Watt Alexander (June 22, 1812 – April 29, 1886) was an early California politician and pioneer in Los Angeles County, California. He was on the Board of Supervisors in 1853 and 1854, and in 1855 he was elected the third sheriff for the county.

Biography

Early life David W. Alexander was born on June 22, 1812, in Ireland. He moved to the United States with one of his brothers in 1832. He resided in Philadelphia for three or four years, and from there he went to Rocheport, Missouri.

Career

He operated a trading company to Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1837. In 1841 Alexander, he arrived in California, with the Rowland-Workman Party and lived for some time on Rancho El Rincon, in San Bernardino County, California. He then went to the port of San Pedro, where he and John Temple carried on a trading business and general-merchandise store from 1844 till 1849. They also handled the salting and trading of hides, which were "practically the only form of money in the county." He also became involved in Southern California real estate. In 1851, landowner Vicente de la Osa sold Rancho Providencia to Alexander and Mellus Company. In 1867, he sold Rancho Providencia to David Burbank. The Rancho Tujunga, Rancho Cahuenga and Rancho Providencia were patented to Alexander by the United States courts in 1872.

His brother, George C. Alexander, and Phineas Banning operated Alexander & Banning as a successful freight and stage line, and in 1851 they: brought in from Salt Lake ten heavy freight wagons, the first seen in this part of the country, and supplemented them later with the purchase of a whole train of 16 wagons and 168 mules from Chihuahua, at a cost of about $30,000. . . . [Later, in February 1855, he] was known to be an experienced frontiersman, and though they had a terrible time of it—they were three days going one mile in San Francisquito Canyon, building the road as they advanced—the train reached Fort Tejon with cargo intact. He traveled to Europe in 1852. As a supervisor he "led the movement to lay the first road over the San Fernando Mountains."

Personal life He married Adelaida Johnson Mellus of Guaymas, Mexico, widow of his former partner, Francis Mellus, on November 7, 1864. Their children were Martha, Elizabeth, Ynez, Joseph W. and Samuel.

Death He died in Wilmington on April 29, 1886.