Record of the descendants of John Alexander

James Alexander. 175
coin. Many persons saw this coin which he alleged
had been made from the discovered ore, and hundreds
of treasure seekers, " with silver on the brain," sought
diligently but vainly for the spot where the ore was
found.
When dividing his lands, James Alexander gave to
his four younger sons, Hugh, Reed, Joseph and William
B., the four tracts on Clearfield Creek. Three of them
sold their claims to Sir Henry Phillips, a gentleman
from England. But William B. not only refused to
sell what his father had left to him, but he even secreted
himself for two days, that he might not be solicited to
sign the papers needed to legalize his brothers' sales.
They finally induced him to do so by promising him
his choice of the four tracts of land.
In the year 1800, when 18 years of age, he visited
the lands and made choice of the tract which his father
had entered in his own name.
It is worth recording that on this journey to Clear-
field, he took with him a 'pint of apple seed from Kisha-
coquillas, which he gave for planting to an old man
who lived nine miles from his lands. Nine years after,
when he came to settle on his tract, he planted an or-
chard of trees grown from that seed, well known as "the
old Alexander orchard."
After making his choice and before settling, he made
a long journey westward, on horseback, visiting West
Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky. On his return he stated,
that two hundred acres of land, where Wheeling City
now stands, were offered him for the horse which he
rode.
So valuable was a horse — so cheap were city lots !
Soon after he married Miss Nancy Davis, daughter
of John Davis of Kishacoquillas, April 23d, 1806.
He then rented a farm and remained in that valley