Alexander Huntington Newcomb was born August 6, 1824 at Waterloo, Seneca County, New York. In 1833 he, with his family, moved to Detroit, Michigan and two years later to Toledo. He was married on May 14, 1848 to Miss Susannah Horner, by whom he had two children.
On January 15, 1851 his petition was received by Toledo Lodge No. 144. He was initiated on February 5, 1851, passed on February 19, 1851 and raised a Master Mason on March 5, 1851. His first elected office was that of Senior Deacon the following December. He afterwards filled the Senior Warden’s chair and on December 20, 1854 was, elected and installed Worshipful Master and was annually re-elected to that position up to and including 1859.
In the years 1861 and 1862 the citizens of Toledo conferred upon him the high honor of Mayor. Following his term of office as Mayor, he was again elected Worshipful Master of Toledo Lodge No. 144 and served until December 27, 1869, making a total service of 12 years as Worshipful Master of Toledo Lodge.
In 1857 M. W. Brother Benjamin F. Smith, Grand Master appointed M. W. Brother Newcomb to a committee of five to revise the Ohio ritual. They met accordingly and about two weeks later produced a ritual, which, with minor changes, has remained standard in Ohio to the present time.
In 1867 he was elected Senior Grand Warden and re-elected in 1868. At the Grand Lodge Communication in 1869 he was elected Most Worshipful Grand Master and re-elected in 1870 and 1871.
At the time of his death in Toledo on 28 August 1888 he was the senior Past Grand Master of The Grand Lodge of Ohio. M. W, Brother S. Stacker Williams conducted Masonic services for M. W. Brother Newcomb and burial was in Forest Cemetery, Section 16, Lot 23, Toledo, Ohio.