This prominent stockman and progressive citizen of the New Fork Country of Unita County, Wyoming, was born in Onondaga County, New York, on February 5, 1844, where his parents, William and Maria (Ives) Alexander, were born and reared, and after long lives of usefulness were laid to rest amid the scenes they loved and the institutions they had improved by their labors and their influence for good. The father was a man of prominence in local affairs, serving two terms as sheriff of the county and being active and potential in all matters contributing to the welfare of the community. His wife died in 1861, aged sixty-four years, and he in 1862, aged sixty-five both being of old Colonial stock and English Ancestry. Their son, Eugene, was the eleventh of their twelve children, of whom eight are still living. He was educated in the schools of his native county, thereafter engaging in driving stage between Fort Kearney and Albiaville for the Holliday Overland Stage Lines for two years. In 1866 he went to Yankton, S. D., and was employed by the U. S. government in freighting, and in other capacities for about three years and during this time he built a government warehouse above Fort Sully on Ash Bend at the mouth of the Cheyenne River. At the end of his government service he settled on a ranch on the Missouri River, ten miles west of Yankton, remained there until the spring of 1880, then going to the Niobrara country where he ranched for four years. He then sold his ranch and removed to Bear Lake, Idaho, with his cattle, wintering there two years. In 1888 he came to Wyoming and located on the ranch which is now, and has since been his home and which consists of 240 acres. Here he and his family own land lying four miles in extent along the creek, a tract of about 720 acres, the most of which is fine meadow, furnishing excellent grazing for their cattle. They have all the land under fence and well improved making it show in every feature their enterprising and progressive spirit and tributary in all respects to the support of their herds of superior cattle and horses. Mr. Alexander was married at Yankton, S. D., on June 6, 1867, to Miss Nancy Butler, a native of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania and a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Replinger) Butler, also natives of that state, descendants of old New Jersey Colonial families of English ancestry. Mrs. Alexander was made postmistress of the office, which bears their name when it was established in 1900. They have five children, Charlotte, married to James Redmond of Montpelier, Idaho; Frank; Eugene E., living at Fort Washakie; Charles C.; William J. The sons are much sought for as guides for hunting parties, being well trained for the business and having a through and accurate knowledge of the country.
