Esley Eugene (E.E. or Alex) pronounced Alec Alexander was born to Eugene and Nancy Alexander on February 2, 1873 in Syracuse, New York.  His parents were one of the first settlers on the upper Newfork River west of Pinedale, Wyoming, (this land still in the Alexander Family), settling there in 1889 when it was still occupied by the Indians. The father was born in New York State and moved to the Dakota Territory in 1864 near Yankton, then the capital of the territory. In 1865, he drove a freight outfit from Ft. Atkinson to Denver and soon after worked across the western region. That was the year following the "bloody year on the plains" when Indian warfare was at it's height. While working at this job, the father became acquainted with such people as Jim Bridger, General Patrick Conner, General Carrigan and Father DeSmet. 

After several years with the overland stage, the father spent his next 15 years on the ranch in Dakota and at a location near the Rosebud Agency in Nebraska, where he built up a herd of cattle. In 1886, the family moved to Bear Lake in Idaho where they spent two winters and then on to the Newfork area near Pinedale. Here, the father worked a year carrying mail to the Cora Post office for a wage of two-thirds of the receipts of the office. The highest pay received for any quarter of that year was $2.80. 

Esley Eugene was 13 years old when the family settled on the Newfork river where his father took up a homestead. As a young man, "Alex" worked for the railroad, on the Oregon Short Line and into Montpelier, Idaho. He was several years with the U.S. Geophysical Survey in the Wind River Mountains from South Pass to Jackson, and or the Forest service at the Dutch Joe Ranger Station on South pass. 

Esley "Alex" married Emily Clara Maiback (pronounced "Maybaw") who was born and raised in Dresden, Germany. Together they had two children, Nancy and Joe. While "Alex" was running sheep in the Casper area, Nancy, just a young girl, died of diphtheria and is buried there. 

The Alexander's moved back to the Wind River area in 1920 where "Alex" worked for the highway department and in 1927 built the Burris Store on Little Dry Creek. The Store building was moved from this location to it's present location in 1939 by "Alex", his son Joe, and Scot Peterson by two Model A trucks. "Alex" also panned gold on Dry Creek where the miner's cabin he built can still be seen today. 

Emily Alexander died in 1929 and is buried in the small cemetery at Burris. She had been the Postmistress at the Burris Store up to the time of her death. "Alex" was the Postmaster until 1946. He died November 16, 1955 at the age of 82 years and is buried in Riverton. 

"Alex's" son, Joe, was born at the Dutch Joe Ranger Station at South Pass on September 22, 1912. he attended school at Burris and was a self-taught trumpet player who played for many area dances. Joe married Dorothy (Bunnie) Henton in Lander on August 31, 1933. Joe worked as a tie hack and drove ties for Martin Olson at the Wyoming Tie and Timber Co. above Dubois. He worked at sheering sheep, on oil rigs and in the 1930's worked for the highway department. He then went to work for the R.V.E.A. and Dubois Electric. 

Joe and "Bunnie" had three children: Joseph Eugene "Joe", born July 12, 1936 and resides in Burris; Ronald Lee, born October 7, 1937 resided in Burris and passed away December 18, 2003 of a horse related accident; and Nancy Mae (Wojhan), born January 3, 1947 resides in Colorado. 

Joe passed away in Riverton on March 9, 1983. "Bunnie" resided in Burris, later moving to Colorado because of health reasons and passed away July 21, 2000.

- contributed by Lyle and Laurie Alexander (portions taken from Dubois Area History copyright Curtis Media Corp. 1991)