Alexandria, MO

ALEXANDRIA, a post town of Clark County, Vernon Township, situated on the Mississippi and Des Moines Rivers, 15 miles from Waterloo, the county seat, 200 miles from St. Louis, and 150 miles from Jefferson City. It was first laid out in 1838-39, by Dr. Mitchell, the post office being established in 1840 or 1841. There are three stage routes, viz. to Memphis 45 miles, Athens 30 miles, and Palmyra and Keokuk 50 miles.  There is a newspaper published here, the Alexandria Delta, a Masonic and an Odd Fellows lodge, four churches, viz., Protestant Methodist, Methodist Episcopal, Catholic, and Christian churches. The chief productions are cord and stock; timber, elm, walnut, cotton wood, and maple.  Land may be had for $40 per acre, and uncultivated $10. Every variety of mercantile business is required here. It is also a good manufacturing point.  The town contains six general stores, two lumber dealers, two hardware stores, two harness makers, three hotels, two steam saw mills, one distiller, one druggist, four carpenters, four attorneys, one book store, one cabinet maker, two boot and shoe dealers, three pork packers, one wagon maker, three physicians, one tobacco dealer, etc. Population about 1,400. (The Missouri State Gazetteer and Business Directory, 1860)