McNeil, Alexander

Alexander McNeil was born in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, on May 15, 1860, to James McNeil of New York and Louisa Daws of England. After moving to Minnesota as a child, his family arrived in Fresno, California, in February 1877, where his father purchased a section of the old Gould ranch north of Fresno to establish one of the area early fruit orchards. Alexander attended school on Tulare Street in Fresno and initially worked hauling supplies to Pine Ridge lumber camps before transitioning into dry farming across the West Park, Dry Creek, and San Joaquin River districts.

In West Park, Alexander partnered with his brother-in-law, H. E. Burleigh, to buy land and establish a dairy business that eventually grew under his sole ownership to 1,428 acres. On March 27, 1889, he married Sadie E. Burleigh in Fresno, and together they raised three children named Charles B., Harriett, and Mollie E. A co-founder and director of the San Joaquin Valley Milk Producers Association, he also held memberships in the Woodmen of the World, Odd Fellows, and Eagles, cementing his role as a prominent pioneer of Fresno County.