Alexander was born in Tennessee, probably in Monroe County. He moved with his parents and extended family to Louisana sometime after 1840.

Living with Alexander in 1850 were Alexander's parents, Nicholas and Sara, as well as his nephew George Airhart and Elisa Airhart who was a step sister to George. George and William are thought to be the children of a sister of Alexander's and were orphaned, probably in the 1830s or 1840s. They were raised by their grandparents and their uncle Alexander. They evidently took the name Airhart at this time. Alexander deserves much credit for the manner in which he kept all his extended family together and also went on to raise his own family, He cared for his elderly parent, Nicholas and Sara, and helped to raise his nephews and niece after they lost their parent. He is the partiarch of the large number of Airharts in Louisana.

1850 US census in Natchitoches Parish, LA.
Alex Airhart, age 27, Farmer, 200 acres, b. TN
Nicholas Airhart, age 67, b. PA
Sara Airhart, age 70, b. NC
George Airhart, age 19, Farmer, b. TN
Elisa Airhart, age 18, b. TN


Alexander Airhart House, Leesville, LA at the Museum of West Louisiana. Photo by Marc Airhart, 2002.

Alexander married Narcissa Montgomery in 1854 and built his house, in what is called "dog trot" style in 1858 in the Kisatchie Hills near Kisatchie, Louisana. This old homestead was moved from the Kisatchie Hills to the Museum of Western Louisana adjacent to the old train station in Leesville, now part of Kisatchie National Forest, in the 1980s and was carefully reconstructed as an example of an early "dog trot" cabin. It is displayed with a sign indicating that it is the "Alexander Airhart home, originally built in 1858". Alexander's sons continued to live in the home until the 1970s.

The listing for this household in the 1880 census, 6th Ward, Natchitoches, LA, FHL microfilm 1254457, page 642 A is the following:

Alexander Aireghart, age 59, b TN, Farmer, Fa TN, Mo NC
Narcissia Aireghart, wife, age 46, b LA
Abraham Aireghart, son, age 8, b LA