My Genealogy Hound

CHARLES H. FAIRBANKS. Prominent and conspicuous among the leading agriculturists of Homer township is the gentleman named above, whose sterling worth and companionable traits have given him a place of influence in the community, and have caused him to be regarded with a high amount of respect. He was born March 26, 1835, in the town of Homer in the farm-house, where he now resides, and which has been the birth-place of three generations. His parents were Harvey and Lois (Hall) Fairbanks.

The family name was formerly spelled “Ffairbanke”; the final “e” was first exchanged for an “s,” and at last the initial “f ” was dropped. Our subject in 1885 compiled a partial history of the Fairbanks family, which was published in pamphlet form, to which we are much indebted for many of the facts in this sketch. All the Fairbanks in the country are descended from Jonathan Fairbanks, who settled in Dedham, Mass., in 1633. Members of the various branches of the family, of which there are now eleven generations, have achieved distinction in all the walks of life, but the principal calling has been that of farming. In the War of the Revolution the Fairbanks took a prominent part, for over 200 members of that family fought in the Continental Army, and their names may be found on the regimental rolls. The first postmaster of the City of Boston was a Richard Fairbanks. Of all the numerous branches, it is likely that the Fairbanks family of St. Johnsbury, Vt., is the best known. This family has had to do with the manufacture of Fairbanks’ scales. Sir Thaddeus Fairbanks, the original inventor of the scales, was the recipient of many honors from abroad as well as at home. He was knighted by the Emperor of Austria, the Bey of Tunis, and the King of Siam. He also invented the refrigerator and cast iron plow. On the St. Johnsbury Academy he expended about $200,000.00 in building and equipping it; the institution was originated in 1848 by the three brothers, Erastus, Thaddeus, and Joseph P., who composed the original firm of E. & T. Fairbanks & Co. The St. Johnsbury Fairbanks were own cousins of our subject’s father, and moved from Brimfield, Mass., to their location in Vermont.

Recurring now to the original American ancestor of our subject, Jonathan Fairbanks, we find that he emigrated to this country from Somerby, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England, in a vessel named the Speedwell. In 1636 he erected a dwelling-house in Dedham, Mass., which was so substantial and durable in its structure that it is still in good preservation after the storms and vicissitudes of two centuries and a half, during all of which time Fairbanks have continued in uninterrupted possession, the house being now the home of a direct descendant of the original emigrant. Jonathan Fairbanks died at Dedham, Mass., December 5, 1668. His wife, Grace, bore him the children named below: John; George; Mary; Susan; Jonas; and Jona. George, the second son, was born in England; in 1657 he removed from the parental home at Dedham to Sherburne (now Medway), Mass. There he held an honorable position in the community, and served his town as selectman. His wife, Mary, made him the father of seven children. He departed this life January 10, 1682. His children were: Mary, born November 10, 1647; George, May 26, 1650; Samuel, October 28, 1652; Eliesur, June 8, 1655; Jonas, February 23, 1657; Dr. Jonathan, May 1, 1662; Margaret, June 27, 1664.

Eliesur Fairbanks joined his fortunes with those of Martha Bullard. He lived in Sherborn, Middlesex County as early as 1680, and was selectman in 1703. His issue was: Mary, born October 31, 1678; Martha, January 22, 1680; Lydia, March 8, 1682; Margaret, December 9, 1684; Mercy, October 18, 1688; and Eleasur, December 29, 1690.

The youngest of the above company lived in Sherborn, and died there September 19, 1741. His children were: Rev. Eleazar, born July 23, 1716; Joseph, September 17, 1718; Deborah, November 12, 1719; Moses, August 14, 1721; Sarah, September 25, 1722; Martha, August 2, 1724; Abel, November 28, 1726; Abigail, August 18, 1728; David, February 2, 1731; Abagail, May 5, 1732; Ebenezer, June 1, 1734; and Mary.

Rev. Eleazar Fairbanks was the great-grandfather of our subject. He was born in Sherborn, Mass., and married Prudence Cary. They removed to Plainfield, Conn., and from there to Killingly in the same state. His last years were spent in Munson, Mass. He was a minister of the Congregational Church. His children were: Martha, Prudence, Betty, Eleazar, Abel, Rufus, and Sarah.

Abel Fairbanks, who was born May 12, 1754, lived through his younger years in Brimfield, Mass. He married Hannah Hobbs, eighth daughter of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Flint) Hobbs. Abel Fairbanks followed the occupation of a farmer and carpenter. He was a man of steady, industrious habits, and much looked up to by his neighbors, who valued his good, common-sense and excellent judgment. Personally, he was a fine-appearing man, in stature a little above the average; his chief attraction, however, was his pleasant, kindly countenance. For many years he was a faithful member of the Congregational Church. About 1783 he removed to Sharon, Vt., from which place he went to Cornish, N. H., where about forty years of his life were spent. He died at Fairfield, Vt., at the residence of his son Benjamin, March 27, 1842. His wife passed away April 9, 1840. Following were the members of the family: Chester, born March 11, 1778; Joseph, April 19, 1779; Benjamin, March 9, 1781; Abel, November 22, 1782; Rufus, June 18, 1785; Harvey, October 1, 1787; Zabad, June 5, 1790; Betsey, May 19, 1792; Polly, October 24, 1793; and Sally, August 26, 1795.

Harvey Fairbanks, our subject’s father, was born at Sharon, Vt., married Lois Hall, January 23, 1816, and removed from Cornish, N. H., to Homer, N. Y., in the winter of 1816. He settled on a farm that was heavily timbered and in much the same state as an unbroken forest. He went to work with a will and determination and what with his untiring industry and steady perseverance he soon had the farm cleared, and lived many years to enjoy the fruits of his labors. He had cultivated a taste for reading, and was at all times well informed on all the current topics of the day; like all educated men he was broad and liberal minded, and showed great respect for all others, no matter what their views. He was disposed to be charitable in his actions and deeds, and never harbored ill will against his neighbors. He was one of the best of men to get along with, and it was a decided pleasure to spend a few moments in his company. He was a member of the Congregational Church of Homer for nearly sixty years. He died September 16, 1877, honored and respected of all men. Some years before his death he commenced a paper entitled “Recollections of the Last Century,” which he unfortunately never had an opportunity to finish. Some of the incidents of farm-life in New England a century ago were touched on, and a clear insight into the home-life of the sturdy people who threw off England’s yoke is given. There were no maps or blackboards in the schools, and the ciphering was done on white birch bark. When they wished to write they utilized a quill for a pen and ink of their own manufacture as a writing fluid; the paper used was ruled with a lead plummet. It was indeed a strange sight in the summer time not to see a boy barefoot, for shoes were too expensive for such common use; it was even not uncommon to go barefoot in winter, as our subject’s father did for one or two different winter seasons. The houses were small, of but one story, without paint and poorly lighted, with a big fire-place and brick oven, where they baked the pork and beans, and rye and Indian bread. The inhabitants for the most part obtained their living through agricultural pursuits, and as most of them were poor, they were under the necessity of being industrious and economical in their habits. Their only luxuries were such as they raised or produced themselves. The women were good housekeepers, industrious and frugal, and carded, spun and wove most of the cloth worn by the members of the family. The carding was done by hand, and most of the cloth was made up just as soon as it came from the loom. But very little tea or coffee was used except pea coffee; for supper, bread and milk or pudding and milk or bean porridge was invariably eaten. Wagons were almost unknown, and horses were used chiefly for the saddle. Nine children were born to Harvey Fairbanks, as follows: Louisa, born March 25, 1817, died August 1, 1845; Juliett, January 4, 1819, married Chester Cobb, and is the mother of Francis H. Cobb, whose personal history appears elsewhere; Mary L. (Clute), July 1, 1821; Lucy Hall (Pond), June 5, 1823; Charles Henry, March 21, 1825, died October 1, 1826; Laura, November 10, 1828, died August 28, 1829; Moody Hall, December 17, 1830, died February 1, 1831; Milton Whitney, May 13, 1834, died January 6, 1842; and Charles H., the subject of this biography, who was born March 26, 1835. All of the above nine children were born in the home that was built by Harvey Fairbanks, and which has sheltered the subject of this notice all his life. It has been the birth-place of three generations, for our subject’s children were all born there, and some of his grandchildren.

Charles H. Fairbanks obtained the rudiments of his education in the common schools, but he did not stop in his pursuit of knowledge with that goal reached. He became a voracious reader very early in life, and by confining himself to good literature he has been able to acquire an excellent general education, that would fit him for almost any duty in life outside the learned professions. He was reared on the old homestead, and has always lived there; the property consists of seventy acres of arable and fertile land, that is kept in a fine state of cultivation, with all the necessary improvements. He has been careful in his farming, and has been correspondingly successful also. He is esteemed as an intelligent, upright citizen, whose cooperation it is always well to have in times of doubt and uncertainty. He is a stanch Republican, and takes a lively, wide awake interest in public affairs, but cannot be termed a venal office seeker. In political literature he is well read, and keeps well in touch with all occurrences of importance. He has been a consistent member of the Homer Congregational Church for many years, and was a member of the board of trustees for a matter of six years.

Mr. Fairbanks entered the married state on October 9, 1855, for on that date he was joined in marriage with Amelia A. Williams, who was born at Homer November 20, 1836, a daughter of Col. Zebina Williams, a farmer of that town. Milton Hall Fairbanks, our subject’s eldest son, born at Homer, February 5, 1857, married Avis E. Stebbins, October 27, 1880; she was born November 29, 1859. He is an apiarist, and keeps one hundred and seventy colonies of bees. His product of honey in 1896 was ten thousand pounds. He is a complete master of his business, and was for two years president of the Union Bee-keeper’s Association of Central New York. His children are: Clarence Earldane, born August 4, 1881; Lena Amelia, born June 13, 1885; Fred Hall; and Dorothy Louisa. Herbert Charles Fairbanks, our subject’s second son, was born at Homer, March 5, 1859. On July 2, 1878, he married Ellen Hammon, who was born June 14, 1857. He is a skilled machinist and draughtsman; he was superintendent in Reynolds & Lang’s machine shop and engine works, Ithaca, N. Y., and in the shops of Hornellsville, N. Y.; he is now experimental and mechanical engineer in Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y. He has one son, Frank Latta, who was born at Ithaca, December 16, 1884. Thomas Chester Fairbanks, the youngest son of Charles H., our subject, was born at Homer, September 14, 1861, and when a young man of twenty-two years, in the spring of 1884, went to Waseca, Minn., where he became the owner of 330 acres in the famous spring wheat belt of the northwest. He was industrious and of good habits, and displayed a good deal of mechanical skill. He is now a prosperous and successful farmer of Homer, N. Y. He married Lucy Alvord.