This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: shamrockri1 Surnames: Lewis Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.lewis/11784.1.2/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Do you mind sending me a copy of the birth info that I sent you on Alexanders family, in Somerville? My hard drive crashed and I lost my info. Paula I think you'll be interested in these articles on Alexander and his death, in Blaine. It gives a lot of info on his last family and where he may have been after he left RI. Take some of this with a grain of salt. Cyrus did go to Washington, but wasn't Alexander's fathers name. Are we really Mayflower descendents, through Alexander (I haven't found anything to support that either, yet). As far as wonderful man, maybe he changed after leaving his children behind. It is interesting reading. He must have been quite a charmer. LEWIS, Alexander (d. 1898) SAD ACCIDENT A sad and deplorable accident occurred last Tuesday morning at the Great Northern railway crossing on the Haynie road as the south bound train was leaving this city, whereby Alexander Lewis and his eldest son, aged 7 years, lost their lives. Mr. Lewis had been in the city during the morning disposing of his produce, and had started for his ranch near Delta, driving a two-horse lumber wagon. When he arrived at this crossing, which is about one and one-half miles south of the depot, it is surmised that he had determined to take a chance on a collision with the outgoing train, and when seen by Mr. J. T. Gander, the engineer, was standing upright in the wagon evidently urging his horses on at a high rate of speed. It is thought by some that the team became unmanagable at the shriek of the whistle. At all events the engine struck midway between the horses and the wagon, throwing both occupants to the ground and causing their death instantly, as an examination showed that both skulls were fractured. The horses were killed and the wagon rendered a total wreck. The remains were taken in charge by the train crew and removed to the depot, where Judge Prunner, acting as coroner, viewed them, took the statement of the engineer, the only living witness to the sad affair, and allowed the train to proceed. Later in the day Acting Coroner Warriner of Whatcom arrived, and after looking over the facts in the case and taking some testimony decided that the circumstances hardly warranted the holding of an inquest, as it would develop nothing that was not already known. Mr. Lewis was nearly 70 years of age, and had been a resident of Delta precinct since 1885, coming from Vancouver, B. C. He was a soldier in the civil war and a member of the Blaine G. A. R. post. He leaves a widow and three small children, the youngest being a babe of six weeks. The circumstances of the family are not the best, and taking away of the father and husband is a sad blow to them, owing to their straightened circumstances. Mr. Lewis was well known throughout the county, having been quite prominent in politics. So far as known no blame attaches to the engineer or trainmen, as it is believed they took every precaution possible to avert the disaster. The remains were buried from the Union church on Wednesday afternoon at 3 o'clock, Rev. W. E. Dawson officiating, the place of interment being the Blaine cemetery. A large number of friends, including members of the Grand Army Post, were among the attendants. The sad affair has cast a gloom over the entire community, and the widow and orphans have the sympathy of a large number of friends in their sad bereavement. The unnamed son was Perely A. LEWIS. (From The Blaine Journal, August 5, 1898) Submitted by site coordinator. Lewis, Alex The demise of Alex Lewis, one of the sterling pioneers of Whatcom county, was greatly regretted by all who knew him, his tragic death, on August 2, 1898, removing from the community one of its foremost and best liked citizens. He possessed a splendid personality, was a man of kindly and generous nature, exercised sound business judgment in all of his affairs and took a public-spirited interest in everything relating to the welfare of the community in which he lived. Genial and friendly in his social relations, he won a host of warm and loyal friends, among whom his memory still remains as a blessed benediction. Mr. Lewis was a native of the state of Maine and a son of Cyrus Lewis, whose ancestors came to this country from England in the Mayflower and settled in New England. He was educated in the public schools of his native state, and at the outbreak of the Civil war he enlisted in *Company A, Thirty-sixth Regiment, Maine Volunteer Infantry, with which he served until the battle of Gettysburg, where he was captured. He was for some time a prisoner in the notorious Andersonville prison pen, suffering from hunger and other privations, and was exchanged and sent home at the close of the war. Afterward he became a ship carpenter, which vocation he followed until 1880, when he came to Washington, locating in Cowlitz county, where he bought a small ranch and also served as postmaster. In 1883 he came to Whatcom county and took up a homestead of eighty acres in Delta township, seven miles northwest of Lynden. He cleared off and ditched thirty acres of this land, onto which he moved after his marriage, in 1890, and remained there until his death. He was hard-working, energetic and persevering and created a good home, in which he took justifiable pride. On August 2, 1898, he and his eldest son, Perley A., were killed in a railroad accident at Blaine. Mr. Lewis was married, in 1890, at Bellingham, Whatcom county, to Miss Dora B. Osborn, who was born in Kansas, a daughter of William and Mary A. (Lower) Osborn, the former of whom was born in Pennsylvania and the latter in Missouri. Her father emigrated to Kansas in 1861 and took up a homestead, being a pioneer of his locality. He continued to operate his farm there until 1883, when he came to Bellingham, Washington, and took up a preemption claim in Ten Mile township. He later sold that place and moved into Bellingham, where his death occurred April 28, 1898, at the age of seventy-seven years. Mrs. Osborn passed away in 1875. They were the parents of six children, all of whom are living, namely: Mrs. Magdalena Hungerford, John H., Randolph, Oliver, Dora B., and Mrs. Cora C. Whittington, who lives in Oklahoma, all of the other children being residents of Washington. To Mr. and Mrs. Lewis were born five children, namely: Perley A., Columbus and George W., all deceased; Marietta, who was graduated from the Lynden high school and from the State Normal School at Bellingham, afterward taught school for five years and is now attending college at Corvallis, Oregon; and Mrs. Martha B. Gustavson, who is the mother of a son, George, born October 21, 1923. In June, 1901, Mrs. Lewis became the wife of Robert A. McLeod, who was a native of the isle of Lewis, Scotland, born in December, 1859, and whose death occurred April 18, 1923. To this union were born four children, namely: Hugh R., born June 30, 1902, who is at home; Jessie C., born August 5, 1904, who lives in Bellingham; James H., born November 17, 1907, also at home; and William D., born November 14, 1910, who is a student in high school. In 1895 Mrs. McLeod had purchased forty acres of land in Delta township, about ten acres of which were cleared, and about twenty-five acres of this land are now in cultivation. A good barn was built in 1895 and in 1913 a fine, modern home was erected. Mrs. McLeod has eight good grade Jersey cows and farms the land mainly to hay and grain, a part of the tract being reserved for pasture. She is a woman of tact and sound business judgment and manages her affairs in a manner that has gained for her the commendation of all who know her. She is a member of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association, the Whatcom County Poultry Association and the Farmers Mutual Telephone Company. She is friendly and hospitable and is a very popular member of the circles in which she moves. Lewis, Alex The demise of Alex Lewis, one of the sterling pioneers of Whatcom county, was greatly regretted by all who knew him, his tragic death, on August 2, 1898, removing from the community one of its foremost and best liked citizens. He possessed a splendid personality, was a man of kindly and generous nature, exercised sound business judgment in all of his affairs and took a public-spirited interest in everything relating to the welfare of the community in which he lived. Genial and friendly in his social relations, he won a host of warm and loyal friends, among whom his memory still remains as a blessed benediction. Mr. Lewis was a native of the state of Maine and a son of Cyrus Lewis, whose ancestors came to this country from England in the Mayflower and settled in New England. He was educated in the public schools of his native state, and at the outbreak of the Civil war he enlisted in *Company A, Thirty-sixth Regiment, Maine Volunteer Infantry, with which he served until t! he battle of Gettysburg, where he was captured. He was for some time a prisoner in the notorious Andersonville prison pen, suffering from hunger and other privations, and was exchanged and sent home at the close of the war. Afterward he became a ship carpenter, which vocation he followed until 1880, when he came to Washington, locating in Cowlitz county, where he bought a small ranch and also served as postmaster. In 1883 he came to Whatcom county and took up a homestead of eighty acres in Delta township, seven miles northwest of Lynden. He cleared off and ditched thirty acres of this land, onto which he moved after his marriage, in 1890, and remained there until his death. He was hard-working, energetic and persevering and created a good home, in which he took justifiable pride. On August 2, 1898, he and his eldest son, Perley A., were killed in a railroad accident at Blaine. Mr. Lewis was married, in 1890, at Bellingham, Whatcom county, to Miss Dora B. Osborn, who was born in Kansas, a daughter of William and Mary A. (Lower) Osborn, the former of whom was born in Pennsylvania and the latter in Missouri. Her father emigrated to Kansas in 1861 and took up a homestead, being a pioneer of his locality. He continued to operate his farm there until 1883, when he came to Bellingham, Washington, and took up a preemption claim in Ten Mile township. He later sold that place and moved into Bellingham, where his death occurred April 28, 1898, at the age of seventy-seven years. Mrs. Osborn passed away in 1875. They were the parents of six children, all of whom are living, namely: Mrs. Magdalena Hungerford, John H., Randolph, Oliver, Dora B., and Mrs. Cora C. Whittington, who lives in Oklahoma, all of the other children being residents of Washington. To Mr. and Mrs. Lewis were born five children, namely: Perley A., Columbus and George W., all deceased; Ma! rietta, who was graduated from the Lynden high school and from the State Normal School at Bellingham, afterward taught school for five years and is now attending college at Corvallis, Oregon; and Mrs. Martha B. Gustavson, who is the mother of a son, George, born October 21, 1923. In June, 1901, Mrs. Lewis became the wife of Robert A. McLeod, who was a native of the isle of Lewis, Scotland, born in December, 1859, and whose death occurred April 18, 1923. To this union were born four children, namely: Hugh R., born June 30, 1902, who is at home; Jessie C., born August 5, 1904, who lives in Bellingham; James H., born November 17, 1907, also at home; and William D., born November 14, 1910, who is a student in high school. In 1895 Mrs. McLeod had purchased forty acres of land in Delta township, about ten acres of which were cleared, and about twenty-five acres of this land are now in cultivation. A good barn was built in 1895 and in 1913 a fine, modern home was erected. Mrs. McLeod has eight good grade Jersey cows and farms the land mainly to hay and grain, a part of the tract being reserved for pasture. She is a woman of tact and sound business judgment and manages her affairs in a manner that has gained for her the commendation of all who know her. She is a member of the Whatcom County Dairymen's Association, the Whatcom County Poultry Association and the Farmers Mutual Telephone Company. She is friendly and hospitable and is a very popular member of the circles in which she moves. History of Whatcom County Volume 2, Lottie Roeder Roth, pub. 1926, pgs. 936-937 ------------------------------------------------------------I'd appreciate any information anyone else may have via family stories. I heard something about both Swedish and English ancestry via the Lewis line. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.