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Below is a family biography included in The History of Lake County, Tennessee published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1887.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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Washington L. Alexander, a farmer of Lake County, Tenn., is the son of Samuel B. and Mary (Slone) Alexander. His parents were both born in Mecklenburg County, N. C., the father in 1794 and the mother in 1797. They married and lived in that State until 1896, when they moved to Missouri, from there to Middle Tennessee and then to Mississippi, but soon returned to Tennessee, locating near Trenton, Gibson County. They had ten children, and were members of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Alexander was a Whig before the war, and a Republican afterward, and for many years was a magistrate. Mrs. Alexander died in 1867, and he then married Mrs. Martha Hassell; they had no children and he died in 1876. Our subject, W. L. Alexander, was born December 6, 1832, on the field where the battle of Shiloh was fought. He received a good education and taught school for ten years. After having clerked in a store for a while he was then in the commission business for three years. In 1866 he married Jennie Wall, and they had five sons and three daughters. She died in 1884, and the same year he married Mrs. Virginia Mooney, who had three children by a former marriage. They have one child. His first wife was a Cumberland Presbyterian, his second a Missionary Baptist. Mr. Alexander has resided in Lake County for eight years and has been a magistrate during that time. In politics he is a Democrat. Since his marriage he has been farming very successfully, owning 400 acres of good land. He has thoroughly identified himself with the interests of Lake County, and has become one of her most useful citizens.

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This family biography is one of 40 biographies included in The History of Lake County, Tennessee published in 1887.  The History of Lake County was included within The History of Gibson, Obion, Dyer, Weakley & Lake Counties of Tennessee. For the complete description, click here: History of Gibson, Obion, Dyer, Weakley, and Lake Counties of Tennessee

To view additional Lake County, Tennessee family biographies, click here

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