Résumé

Draftsman, Oakland, CA, c. 1880. His father worked as a building contractor at this time in the same city. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library, California History Section; Great Registers, 1866-1898; Collection Number: 4 - 2A; CSL Roll Number: 1; FHL Roll Number: 976447, accessed 03/22/2017.)

Principal, A.M. Milwain, Architect, Oakland, CA, c. 1903. In 1903, Milwain had an Oakland office located at 1568 Linden Street. (See Oakland, California, City Directory, 1903, p. 649.)

Partner, Milwain Brothers, Architects, Oakland, CA, c. 1913-1917. The Milwain Brothers dissolved their partnership by 1918. In that year, the Oakland City Directory indicated that the two had separate offices, Alexander at 473 14th Street, and William remaining at 1512 Broadway. (See Oakland, California, City Directory, 1918, p. 1207.)

The Oakland, California, City Directory, 1925, p. 1714, did not list Alexander Milwain as a practicing architect in the city, although his personal entry in the directory listed his profession as "archt." (p. 1152).

Relocation

Born in Oregon City, Oregon Terrritory, in 1860, Alexander May Milwain's family returned to CA by at least 1880. In that year, they resided in Oakland, CA, at 1315 Franklin Street.

It is likely that the Milwains returned to live in OR during the mid-1890s, as records indicated that their son, Floyd, had been born there. Their daughter, Margaret, had been born in CA, by 1899.

Alexander May Milwain lived with his family in a residence at 1568 Lincoln Street in Oakland in 1900. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: Oakland Ward 3, Alameda, California; Roll: 82; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 0356; FHL microfilm: 1240082, accessed 03/22/2017.) The family lived at 597 37th Street in Oakland by 1910. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1910; Census Place: Oakland Ward 1, Alameda, California; Roll: T624_69; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 0085; FHL microfilm: 1374082, accessed 03/22/2017.) Ten years later, the US Census listed their house to have been at 607 37th Street. They remained at this address until 1924.

Between 1925 and 1941, Alexander May Milwain lived at 731 Alma Avenue in Oakland, CA. In 1940, he inhabited his house with his wife and daughter. The residence had a value of approximately $5,000 at the time. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Oakland, Alameda, California; Roll: T627_441; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 61-133, accessed 03/22/2017.)

Parents

His father, Alexander Milwain (born c. 02/1833 in NY), married his mother, Mary M. May (born c. 11/1839 in NY) in Placer County, CA, on 11/23/1854. (See Daily Alta California, vol V, no. 328, 11/27/1854, p. 2) Alexander was listed in the 1860 US Census as a "carpenter/joiner." (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1860; Census Place: Oregon City, Clackamas, Oregon; Roll: M653_1055; Page: 68; Family History Library Film: 805055, accessed 03/22/2017.)

In 1900, the elder Alexander Milwain operated a contracting business in Oakland in 1900. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1900; Census Place: Oakland Ward 5, Alameda, California; Roll: 82; Page: 6B; Enumeration District: 0368; FHL microfilm: 1240082, accessed 03/22/2017.) He had retired by 1910, "on his own income."

In 1880, Mary MIlwain was raising three children in the household. They included, a son, Alexander (1860-1942), who also became an architect, and a daughter, Ruth, (1858-1947), who worked as a music teacher. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1880; Census Place: Oakland, Alameda, California; Roll: 62; Family History Film: 1254062; Page: 256D; Enumeration District: 014; Image: 0083, accessed 03/22/2017.)

Spouse

He married Florence Kidder Milwain (1862-1957) c. 1890. Her parents were William Wallace Kidder (born c. 1830 in MA) and Amanda Malvina Jewell (born c. 11/1835 in MA); they migrated to Portland, OR, from MA, by at least 1860. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1860; Census Place: Portland, Multnomah, Oregon; Roll: M653_1056; Page: 490; Family History Library Film: 805056, accessed 03/22/2017.)

Children

Alexander May Milwain and Florence had two children: a son, Floyd, (born in OR c. 1893) and a daughter, Margaret Milwain (born c. 1899 in CA).

In 1940, Margaret worked as a bookkeeper in a "family service bureau."

• Oregon City, OR (Architect's Birth)
  Oregon City, OR

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