The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture

ALEX.

Located in Grady County, Oklahoma, Alex is situated south of the Washita River between Soldier and Roaring creeks, ten miles southeast of Chickasha on Highway 19. William Vinson Alexander, an intermarried Chickasaw, gave Alex its name. In 1881 he and his second wife, Martha Davies, established a store near the present townsite. A post office was added in December 1885 with Martha Davies as postmistress. In 1903 a community house was built for religious services, political meetings, socials, and a subscription school.

On July 7, 1906, the one hundred citizens of Alex watched as a tornado leveled their town. In 1907 Hamilton's Palace Drug, Hunter's Variety Store, and three general stores comprised the business district. William V. Alexander established the First State Bank on October 3, 1907. In 1912 the First State Bank and the First National Bank of Alex combined. Alex was incorporated in 1910. The Alex Tribune was published from 1907 until the 1940s.

In 2002 Alex was known for its wheat and alfalfa farming, cattle raising, fine schools, and Fall Craft Festival. The town's population rose from 478 in 1920 to a high of 769 in 1980. It was a community of 635 residents in 2000 but dropped to 550 in 2010. In April 2020 the census reported 486 residents.

Gwen Jackson