He met the love of his life, Candace Dunlap, in Winona and they moved in the early 1870s to Toledo, Ohio, where Miles patented his hair cleansing balm. By 1875, the couple headed to Duluth.

On this day, October 11, in 1887, Alexander Miles patented the electric elevator. Miles did not invent the first elevator; however, he patented key design improvements that are still used today.