Editing Alexandria, Minnesota (section)

==History==
First settled in 1858, it was named after brothers Alexander and William Kinkead from [[Maryland]]. The form of the name alludes to [[Alexandria|Alexandria, Egypt]], a center of learning and civilization.<ref>{{cite book|last=Upham|first=Warren|title=Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance|url=https://archive.org/details/minnesotageogra00uphagoog|year=1920|publisher=Minnesota Historical Society|page=[https://archive.org/details/minnesotageogra00uphagoog/page/n194 175]}}</ref>

The village of Alexandria was incorporated February 20, 1877. Its city charter was adopted in 1908, and it was incorporated as a city in 1909. W. E. Hicks was pivotal to the town's early development. He purchased the townsite in 1868 and established a mill, hotel, newspaper, and store. He donated property for a courthouse, jail, and two churches: Methodist and Congregational.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}