Alexander Laing, born Rafford, Morayshire, Scotland 25th June 1824, emigrated to the USA in 1845. In the 1841 UK Census he had been working in a Hardware Store in his native town of Forres. In the 1850 US Census he is in Wheeling, described as a Merchant, and in the 1860 Census he is boarding in the house of Jacob Greer, also a Hardware Merchant. I have seen a reference to a Hardware firm of Greer & Laing in Wheeling.
Meanwhile Alexander's sister Annie, her farmer husband William Robb and their 5 children (four boys and a girl) had also emigrated in 1855 and were farming in Marshall County, where a fifth son, Henry Charles Robb was born in 1857. However, when their 7th child and 6th son Richard was born in 1863 the Robb family and Alexander Laing had moved into 104, 14th. Street in Wheeling together and Annie was her brother's housekeeper. This lasted until 1894 when Annie died and her only daughter Isabella Robb took over as Housekeeper.
Alexander Laing died in 1907, still unmarried, and clearly Isabella inherited 104, 14th St. as she was still living there when she died aged 87, also still unmarried, in 1938. Her brother Henry, who was the last survivor of Alexander's nephews and nieces, was still living there then but when he died, also unmarried, aged 94 in 1951 his residence on his Certificate of Death is the McLure Hotel, Wheeling. The Informant was his nephew Harry M. Robb who had a Jewellery Store in Wheeling.
Any information on Alexander and the Robb family, or the firm of Greer & Laing, or the property at 104, 14th St. would be very welcome. Photographs would be an unexpected bonus. Many thanks, Alastair MacDonald