Jairus Cassius Fairchild (December 27, 1801 – July 18, 1862) was an American Democratic politician and a businessman. He was the first

State Treasurer of Wisconsin The State Treasurer of Wisconsin is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Thirty-six individuals have held the office of State Treasurer since statehood. The incumbent is Sarah Godlewski ...

and the first

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...

. He was the father of Wisconsin's tenth

governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Lucius Fairchild Lucius Fairchild (December 27, 1831May 23, 1896) was an Americans, American politician, soldier, and diplomat. He served as the List of Governors of Wisconsin, tenth Governor of Wisconsin and represented the United States as List of ambassadors o ...

. In historical documents, he is often referred to as "J. C. Fairchild" and his first name is sometimes misspelled "Jarius".

Early life

Fairchild was born in Granville, New York, the son of Lucy (Hubble) and Sueton Fairchild. He moved to

Hudson, Ohio Hudson is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States. The population was 23,110 at the 2020 census. It is a suburban community in the Akron metropolitan statistical area and the larger Cleveland–Akron–Canton Combined Statistical Area, th ...

, where he was a merchant. In 1827, he settled in Franklin Mills, Ohio, where he built the first brick house in Franklin Township and operated a tannery. He relocated to

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

around 1834. He then moved to the Wisconsin Territory, first to

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

, in 1845, and then to

Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...

, with his family arriving in June 1846.

Career

Fairchild had business interests in

cranberries Cranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the subgenus ''Oxycoccus'' of the genus ''Vaccinium''. In Britain, cranberry may refer to the native species ''Vaccinium oxycoccos'', while in North America, cranberry m ...

and the lumber industry and was president of the Watertown-Madison Railroad Company. In the referendum to ratify the

Wisconsin Constitution The Constitution of the State of Wisconsin is the governing document of the U.S. State of Wisconsin. It establishes the structure and function of state government, describes the state boundaries, and declares the rights of state citizens. The ...

in 1848, a concurrent election took place to choose the first state officers. In that election, Fairchild was elected as the first State Treasurer. He was re-elected in 1849 and left office in January 1852. In 1856, after Madison was incorporated as a city, Fairchild was elected the first Mayor of that city. In the

1857 Wisconsin gubernatorial election The 1857 Wisconsin gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1857. Republican Party candidate Alexander Randall won the election with just over 50% of the vote, defeating Democratic candidate James B. Cross. Incumbent Governor Coles Bas ...

, he was a candidate for Governor at the Wisconsin Democratic Party Convention, but lost the nomination to James B. Cross.

Family and personal life

Jairus Fairchild married Sally Blair in the spring of 1826. They had five children together, with four surviving to adulthood. The first four children were born in Franklin Mills, Ohio, between 1827 and 1831. Their fifth child, Charles, was born in

in 1838. His daughter Sarah married and divorced Madison businessman Eliab B. Dean, Jr. She later married University of Wisconsin Professor Obadiah Milton Conover. His two eldest surviving sons were also active in Wisconsin politics, with

Cassius Fairchild Cassius Fairchild (December 16, 1829 – October 24, 1868) was a Wisconsin businessman, politician, and Union Army officer in the American Civil War. He was the brother of Lucius Fairchild, the 10th Governor of Wisconsin, and the son of Jairus C. ...

serving in the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

and

serving as

Governor of Wisconsin The governor of Wisconsin is the head of government of Wisconsin and the commander-in-chief of the state's army and air forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Wiscons ...

for three terms, from 1866 to 1872. All three sons joined the Union cause in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. Lucius and Cassius both achieved the rank of

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

, serving with the Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. Charles served as a paymaster in the Union Navy.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fairchild, Jairus C. 1801 births 1862 deaths Jairus C. People from Granville, New York Politicians from Cleveland People from Hudson, Ohio People from Kent, Ohio State treasurers of Wisconsin Mayors of Madison, Wisconsin 19th-century American politicians

Early life

Career

Family and personal life

See also

References

External links