Friday, October 16, 2009 6:28 pm

The Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities (APTA) will mark the Alexander-Ready-Cates Farm, 1662 Northcutt Road, Milton, at 2 p.m. on Sunday, October 18. This is the second Cannon County site to be marked by this organization, the first being the Brevard House in Woodbury.

The marking is part of a new state program for markings in counties where there is currently no APTA Chapter. To nominate sites, go to their website, http://www.theapta.org and click on the "Historic Marker Program".

Bob Notestine, State APTA President, and other members of APTA will be present for the marking, as well as direct and collateral descendants of Abner O. Alexander, his first wife, Nancy Sauls, and his second wife, Jane Cooper. Neighbors, friends, and all interested in history are also invited.

David Cates, great-great-great grandson of Abner Alexander, and his wife, Ashley, and their son, Benjamin, current residents of the home built by Abner Alexander's daughter, Mary Annis Alexander Ready, and her husband, Christopher Columbus Ready, will open their home for refreshments after the ceremony. Dress is casual.

The home built by Abner Alexander, located across the hollow from this property and including the cemetery where he and his family are buried, is currently owned by Chuck and Adella Harter.

The 175 acres inherited and purchased by Mary and Chris Ready and their son, Irvin E. Ready, and his wife, Lizzie Bragg, is the greater portion of a tract of land coming into the hands of Abner Alexander in 1844. The original land grant for a portion of this land was issued in 1813 to Peter Moore, an assignee of Charles Dungeth, who in turn had entered it in 1810.

Abner Alexander was the son of Ezekiel Alexander, Jr. and Mary Cooper Alexander. These Alexanders were a part of the Mecklenburg County, NC group that signed the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, which preceded the signing of the Declaration in Philadelphia in 1776.

Mary (Polly) Cooper Alexander was the daughter of Christopher Cooper, a veteran of the American Revolution, and Permelia Hogg Cooper. She and her son, F. C. (Clint) Alexander are buried in a well-tended cemetery along Sanders Fork on what used to be called the Erskine Bryant place. Ezekiel Alexander, Jr. was the son of Ezekiel Alexander, Sr. and Jemima McCoy Alexander. Ezekiel Sr. was a veteran of the American Revolution as well.