Alexander Milne emigrated from Scotland and settled in New Orleans in the late 1700s. His brick making business prospered following the two major fires that consumed large portions of the City, in 1788 and again in 1794. Prior to his death in 1838, Milne crafted a will designating funds for the opening of two asylums for destitute orphans, one for boys and one for girls. The Milne Boy's Home was established in 1933 as a residential facility for troubled and needy boys. It was a joint program between the City of New Orleans and a private foundation, the Milne Trust. The previous "Colored Waif's Home" was merged into the Milne Boys Home in 1926.