On May 18, 1838, Alexander Miles was born to Michael Miles and Mary Pompy. He grew up in Ohio but later moved to Waukesha, Wisconsin where he worked a barber. Later, he moved to Winona, Minnesota where he worked at another barber shop and met his wife Candace J. Dunlap. She was a widow with two children to her previous husband. On April 9, 1876, she gave birth to Grace their other daughter with Alexander. 

  Alexander Miles is best known for inventing and patenting the opening and closing elevator door. It was officially patented on October 11, 1887. The point of this invention was to prevent the doors from having to be closed or opened manually. His design is still seen in many elevators today. 

  While being a successful businessman, Miles was also very active in the community. Miles was the president of the Colored Republican Club of Duluth and a part of Zenith City Lodge No.14 of the colored Knights of Pythias. He was also the only African- American member of the Duluth Chamber of Commerce at that time. Miles later owned a barber shop, in 1899, at 424 West Superior Street.

  Around the December of 1900, Miles began to face financial trouble. By 1902, Candace and Alexander decided to move to Seattle, Washington, where began to work as barber once again.

  Miles became sick in the spring of 1918 and was brought to the county hospital. Where he died on May 7, 1918. In 2007, he was put in the National Inventers Hall of Fame.