Henry Washington Alexander (1854 - 1937)

Born 22 Feb 1854 in Monroe County, West Virginia, United States

Husband of Susan (Townsend) Alexander — married 16 Mar 1879 in Gallia County, Ohio, United States

Husband of Lavina (Neace) Alexander — married 8 Dec 1880 in Gallia, Ohio, United States

Descendants

Died 3 Jul 1937 at age 83 in Gallipolis, Gallia, Ohio, United States

Biography

Henry Alexander is a part of US Black heritage.

Henry was born on 22 Feb 1854 in Monroe County, West Virginia. He was the son of Michael Alexander and Dianna Haynes.^[1] He was born enslaved.^[2] His half-brother, James Bodkins Campbell, was interviewed by the Federal Writer's Project of the Works Progress Administration and discussed a lot of details of their childhood while they were enslaved.^[3]

Henry married Susan Townsend on 16 Mar 1879 in Gallia County, Ohio.^[4] Susan died on 15 Mar 1880 in Gallipolis, Gallia County, Ohio.^[5] In 1880, Henry was enumerated in the 1880 census as a widower living in Gallipolis, Gallia County, Ohio and working as a saloon keeper.^[6]

Henry Alexander and Lavina "Viney" Neace married on 8 Dec 1880 in Gallia County, Ohio.^[7] In 1900, they were living in Gallipolis, Gallia, Ohio, where Henry was working as a grocer.^[8] the household included:

• Henry Alexander Head Male 46 West Virginia
• Vina Alexander Wife Female 46 Ohio
• Claude R Alexander Son Male 18 Ohio
• Harry Alexander Son Male 12 Ohio
• Roy L Alexander Son Male 10 Ohio

They were still in Gallipolis, Gallia, Ohio in 1910.^[9]

By 1920, Henry was a widower and head of household living in Gallipolis, Gallia, Ohio.^[10] His son, Harry and his family were living with him. The household included:

• Henry Alexander Head Male 65 Virginia
• Harry Alexander Son Male 31 Ohio
• Rosana Alexander Daughter-in-law Female 32 Virginia
• Harry Alexander, Jr Grandson Male 4 Ohio

Harry's family was still living with Henry in 1930, but there were now 4 grandchildren.^[11] One of those grandchildren, Marian (Alexander) Spencer, became a civil rights leader in Cincinnati, Ohio, eventually even having a street and a residence hall at the University of Cincinnati named after her. Henry was a great influence on her activism - she recalled that "Every morning, he preached that we should never fail to vote, we should get our education and speak up when we saw wrong being done."^[12]

Henry passed away on 3 Jul 1937 in Gallipolis.^[1] Burial was in the Pine Street Cemetery, Gallipolis, Gallia County, Ohio.^[13][14]

Research Notes

• More research is needed to identify the father listed on his death certificate, Michael Alexander.^[1]
  • The slave owner at his birth, John E. Alexander,^[2] had both a father and a son named Michael Alexander who could have been Henry's father. The father Michael would have been 78 years old at the time, while the son Michael would have been about 17. It seems likely that one of these men, probably the son based on age, would be Henry's father, but more research is needed to confirm or disprove this.

Slave Owner

• John E. Alexander^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Ohio, Death Certificates, #44331, Henry Washington Alexander, 3 Jul 1937, Gallipolis, Gallia, Ohio; "Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XZXT-5JF : accessed 16 Jan 2022).
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} West Virginia, Monroe County, Birth Records, [volume not known], p. 13, #147, Henry, slave of John E Alexander, Feb 1854, near Union, Monroe County; image copy, "Vital Records Search," West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture, & History, index, image.
3. ↑ Brother James Campbell's WPA Interview:
   The Federal Writers' Project, Slave Narratives; A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves, Vol. 12, Ohio, p. 18-21, images 22-25 of 120, James Campbell interview, Washington, District of Columbia : The Library of Congress, 1941; image copy, Library of Congress (https://www.loc.gov/resource/mesn.120/?sp=22 : accessed 20 Feb 2022).
4. ↑ Ohio, Gallia County, Marriage Records, 1874-1878 Volume 4, page 491, Henry Alexander and Susan Townsel/Townsend, 16 Mar 1879; "Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2016", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XD46-1LN : accessed 18 Aug 2022).
5. ↑ Wife Susan's obituary index:
   "Ohio Obituary Index," Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, Susie Alexander, died 15 Mar 1880, obituary in Gallipolis Bulletin, (https://www.rbhayes.org/ohio-obituary-index/obituary-detail/?Obit_ID=2764227 : accessed 18 Aug 2022); citing Gallipolis [Ohio] Bulletin, 31 Mar 1880, page 3, column 3.
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," ED 25, Gallipolis, Gallia, Ohio, USA; p. 23, family 222, dwelling 151, line 42, Henry Alexander; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8MF-BQV
7. ↑ "Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2016," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XDWP-FFM : 26 August 2019), Henry Alexander and Viney Neace, 08 Dec 1880; citing Marriage, Gallia, Ohio, United States, p233 cn695, Franklin County Genealogical & Historical Society, Columbus; FHL microfilm.
8. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MM89-4P4 : accessed 18 February 2021), Henry Alexander, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 29, sheet 21B, family 505, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,271.
9. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:ML81-22J : accessed 18 February 2021), Henry Alexander, Gallipolis, Gallia, Ohio, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 32, sheet 1A, family 1, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1184; FHL microfilm 1,375,197.
10. ↑ "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDBJ-H3F : 3 February 2021), Henry Alexander, 1920.
11. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X47Z-BM9 : accessed 18 February 2021), Henry Alexander, Gallipolis, Gallia, Ohio, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 7, sheet 5B, line 96, family 157, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1803; FHL microfilm 2,341,537.
12. ↑ Mark Curnutte, "Civil Rights icon led battles to integrate schools, pools," Marian Spencer obituary, Cincinnati [Ohio] Enquirer, 11 Jul 2019, p. A1, A4, and A5; image copy at Newspapers.com].
13. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 18 February 2021), memorial page for Henry W. Alexander (1854–1937), Find A Grave: Memorial #68465557, citing Pine Street Cemetery, Gallipolis, Gallia County, Ohio, USA; Maintained by Neil Elvick (contributor 47206481).
14. ↑ Henry W. Alexander obituary, Gallipolis [Ohio] Daily Tribune, 6 Jul 1937, page 1, column 3; image copy, Gallia County Newspaper Digital Archives (http://bossardlibrary.advantage-preservation.com : accessed 27 Jan 2022).