| The picturesque Town of Alexander lies along the south border of Genesee County.
It features land variations from 250 feet summits in the south to rolling valleys in the north. The Tonawanda Creek flows through the center of the town. The population is about 2450. The Village of Alexander lies within the town at the crossroads of Routes 98 and 20. The population is about 480. The town was part of the original Holland Land Purchase. It was set off from Batavia and organized as a town on June 8, 1812. The Town was given the name Alexander after Alexander Rea who purchased the first piece of land in 1802. The village of Alexander was incorporated in April 1834 |
| The first school was organized in 1807. In 1811 we had a library called the
Alexandrian Library, which became the Alexander Classical School in 1836. The present Alexander Town Hall is a three story cobblestone structure constructed in 1837 as the Alexander Classical School. It is the largest cobblestone structure in North America constructed for educational purposes. It is the only known cobble stone building utilized as a town hall in North America, as well as one of the few cobblestone structures originally designed for public purposes. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. To this day, the Town Hall is widely recognized as the focal point of town identity and is the only remaining historical public building in the town. The structure was built by public subscription in 1837 at the cost of $7,000. Hezekiah Barnard was the master mason of the building. Some years after, the school received a grant from the Genesee Presbytery and was renamed the Genesee Wyoming Seminary. The loss of students from the South, presumed to be the cause of the financial difficulties which plagued the seminary during the Civil War years, forced the school to close. In 1886 a union free school system was organized in Alexander and the old Semin ary building was turned over to the town for a public school. Fires occurred in the building in 1908 and 1936. In 1937, eighteen nearby school districts voted to centralize under the name of the Alexander Central School and a new building was constructed on the south side of Buffalo Street, across the street from the cobblestone structure. The former school building was acquired by the Town of Alexander and converted into town offices in 1940. Also, the fire department located in the building at this time. An addition was made in 1949 for a fire engine garage. The fire department moved out in 1964 when they built their own building. A meeting and courtroom was made from the truck garage. A museum was started on the third floor. In 1995-97 the Town Hall was remodeled. The grounds were modified to look more original. The building itself was structurally stabilized and the interior of the entire building was remodeled. An elevator was added. The results of this remodeling are a building that we can be proud of and a building that is now being utilized by the museum, court, assessor, town clerk, town board and other boards, village, and community groups such as cub scouts. |
As early as 1871 meetings were called for the purpose of starting a cheese factory. It was not until February 1875 that an association was organized. It was a stock company. The first officers were: president C.W. VandeBogart, vice president E.G. Moulton and secretary/treasurer J.B. Lewis. The factory building would be located on Mr. Moulton’s land near the Erie depot. The Cheese factory started operations April 29, 1875 with Mr. Gartland running the factory. The cheese factory produced up to 23 cheeses a day, each weighing about 65lb.
The North Star Cheese Factory was located on Dodgson Rd. They operated from about 1870 – 1890. Mr. A.G. Puff was the cheese maker for several years They made 60 lb cheeses. |
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The original gristmill was built by William Adams in 1807. After his death in 1810, the mill was taken over by Benjamin Butterfield for a few years. Then in 1817 Timothy Mooers acquired the property. He rebuilt the mills and added wool carding and cloth manufacturing equipment. He was partners with Alfred Rann for a time. Timothy died in 1831. Timothy Mooers son Alonzo T. ran the milling and grain business for a number of years. A.T. partner was Judge Ira Rix, who later moved to Michigan. A. T. Mooers also ran a grocery and drug store. The mills were next owned by E.G. Moulton and sons. In 1869, they enlarged the building and made other improvements. The Moulton’s sold the mills to C. S. Thompson in 1876. Mr. Thompson hired Jeremiah D. Richards as the boss miller. J. D. Richard’s hand was badly crushed in an accident at the mills. Mr. Thompson added new equipment to the mills in 1883. In July of 1892 there was a flood that rose until there was several inches of water on the mill floor. This was the highest the water had ever been. Frank M. Richards, son of J.D. Richards, purchased the mills in 1911. He sold the mills to Mr. J. Ray Totten of Rochester shortly before the fire of November 1917.The mills were never rebuilt. |
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