The Alexander Iron Works operated from 1833 to 1916, and likely for longer. The Works were operated by

• Alexander Jr. & Co. (1844)
• Wm. H. Alexander (1850-51)
• Pope, Alexander & Co. (1859-1868)
• Alexander, Bradley & Dunning (1872-1888)
• W. D. Dunning (1900-1916)

This maker was a general jobbing foundry and machine shop but an 1888 directory lists them as a maker of woodworking machinery. We have no information on what woodworking machinery, exactly, they made; some type of sawmill machinery would be a good guess.

Information Sources

• The Syracuse Evening Chronicle of 1855-04-20 carries a letter to the editor announcing a public meeting about the evils of alcohol and preventing the "unlawful sale of intoxicating liquors after the expiration of the present licenses". The letter is signed by over 200 people, including Wm. H. Alexander.
• From History of Brasher, NY, edited by Gates Curtis, 1894, in a history of the Brasher Iron Works: "...in the latter part of 1837, the property was sold to Isaac W. Skinner of Buffalo, and R. W. Bush of Ogdensburg (Skinner & Bush), who continued the work about three years, when William H. Alexander of Syracuse took the place of Mr. Bush in the firm. The business was continued to 1855, when Mr. Skinner assumed entire control..."
• From the 1860-11-15 issue of the Syracuse Daily Standard:

  IF YOU WOULD GET YOUR STOVES CHEAP,
  BUY OF THE MANUFACTURER.

  The subscribers offer stoves for sale singly—or at retail—for cash down at wholesale prices! Persons purchasing for their own use will save from 20 to 40 per cent! in the price, besides the great advantage of having a stove which can be repaired at any time, with trifling cost.

  Having recently added several new patterns to our assortment, our stock is complete, and our stoves are warranted to be as good, in all respects, as any "made east," or elsewhere.

  Pipe and Trimmings!
  also sold very low
  POPE, ALEXANDER & CO.
  "Alexander Iron Works", 96 West Water St.
  Syracuse, NY

  The 1861-09-03 issue carried the same ad, also from Pope, Alexander & Co.
• The 1861 Central New York Business Directory, published by Thomas Hutchinson, lists "Pope, Alexander & Co., 96 W. Water, Syracuse" under Iron Founders
• The 1865-03-17 issue of Oswego Commercial Times , in an article about spring flooding in Syracuse, mentions that "The foundries of Pope, Alexander & Co., and A. O. Powell, are flooded".
• The 1867 New York State Business Directory, published by Sampson, Davenport & Co., lists "Pope, Alexander & Co., 96 West Water, Syracuse", under Bolt Manufacturers.
• The 1868-69 Gazetteer and business directory of Onondaga County, N. Y., lists "Pope Alexander & Co., (Charles C. Pope, William H. Alexander and Schuyler Bradley), iron founders and machinists, 96 W. Water.
• At the 1872 New York State Agricultural Fair, Alexander, Bradley & Dunning won a bronze medal for their "No. 2 cider press for pressing pomace".
• Seen on eBay: a cheque from Alexander Iron Works dated 1872-06-15 and signed, "Alexander Bradley & Dunning".
• From The Railroad, Telegraph, and Steamship Builders' Directory, 1888: a listing under wood-working machinery for "Alexander, Bradley & Dunning, Syracuse, N. Y."
• Memorial History of Syracuse, N. Y., edited by Dwight H. Bruce, 1891 has this information: The Alexander iron Works, William D. Dunning, Proprietor, located at No. 329 West Water street, is an old established concern, dating back to 1833, when a part of the present plant was a mill pond. Its business is general jobbing, machine, and foundry work with several specialties, one of which is the Boomer & Boschert press, elsewhere described. About 100 hands are employed.
• The 1894 book, Early Landmarks of Syracuse, by Gurney S. Strong, in a section on one Caleb Alexander.

  His son, William H. Alexander, founded the Alexander Iron Works of Syracuse, which business was continued by his son, William H. Alexander, under the firm name of Alexander, Bradley & Dunning. That business is now carried on by William D. Dunning.

• American Architect and Building News for May 5, 1900, has an article on the Broughton mixer made by W. D. Dunning, Syracuse, N. Y.
• March 1901 Iron Molders' Journal, in an article on "The Molding Industry of Syracuse".

  I would next call attention to a neat little foundry which is operated by W. D. Dunning as a jobbing shop. This foundry at one time was run by Pope, Alexander & Co., who manufactured the old-fashioned "Perfection" stoves. This shop also does architectural iron work, having made the iron work for the magnificent Dey building on South Salina Street, of this city. They have a foundry about 100 ft. square, and employ about 30 molders, all members of [Union Local] No. 80."

• A 1903 issue of Municipal Journal & Public Works has an ad for a cement mixer from Alexander, Bradley & Dunning of Syracuse, NY.
• From Cornell Alumni News of 1907-04-03: "[Class of] '99.—William S. Dunning is manager of the Alexander Iron Works, of Syracuse, N. Y. His address is 329 West Water street." The 1904-02-03 issue carried the same information except that no street address was provided. Note that the "Alexander, Bradley & Dunning" name dates back to at least 1872, so the "Dunning" part must have been after William S.'s father or other older relative.
• The 1916 Chemical Engineering Catalog features an ad for W. D. Dunning's Broughton mixer.
• The 1917 edition of Onondaga County Classified Business Directory lists W. D. Dunning under Foundries and Alexander Iron Works under Iron and Steel.
• Listed in A Directory of American Bridge-Building Companies 1884-1900, by Victor C. Darnell, 1984.
• A Rootsweb article on Syracuse, in a section describing the thriving businesses in 1840, mentions, "William H. Alexander & Co. offered stoves, etc., at their furnace, corner of Water and Franklin streets".
• The 1999 document, Contextual Study of New York State's Pre-1961 Bridges, lists "Alexander Iron Works—Syracuse, New York 1899-1901" as a bridge-building company that "built with less frequency in New York State". Their information came from Darnell's directory, mentioned above.
• Old Sturbridge Village has in its collection an ornate stove made by this firm. Their research notes, "Alexander Jr. & Co. listed in 1844; Wm H. Alexander Water St. 1850-51; Pope Alexander & Co. in 1859."
• Geanealogy sites show that William Daniel Dunning lived 1837-1918. The findagrave.com site provides a transcript of his obituary from the 1918-02-08 Syracuse Herald.

  ...As a young man he was employed in the State engineer's office at Albany and in 1862 he came to Syracuse and remained in the office of the State engineer here until about 1870. In that year he entered the firm of Alexander, Bradley & Dunning which carried on an iron foundry and machine shop in West Water street on the same site still occupied by the Alexander Iron works which Mr. Dunning carried on after the death of his partners up to the present time. ... He was also secretary and treasurer and a large stockholder of the Boomer & Boschert Press company organized in 1871. ...