Samuel S. Fifield (June 24, 1839February 17, 1915) * * was a

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

politician and influential businessperson. The Town of Fifield in

Price County, Wisconsin Price County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,054. Its county seat is Phillips. History Price County was created on March 3, 1879, when Wisconsin Governor William E. Smith signed legis ...

is named after him.

Biography

He was born in Corinna, Maine, in 1839 and received an education as a printer. He moved to Wisconsin in 1854, where he worked as a clerk on a steamboat on the St. Croix River. He founded the ''Polk County Press'' in 1861. After 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 ...

, he entered politics and served as a Sergeant-at-Arms for 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, ...

in 1871 and 1872. He later served as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

member of the Assembly from 1874 through 1876, serving as

speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** I ...

the last year. He was elected to the

Wisconsin State Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the larger Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after t ...

in 1876, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Henry D. Barron. He served in the state senate until 1881, at which time he was elected as Wisconsin's 14th Lieutenant Governor. He lived in Ashland from 1872, and helped found the '' Ashland Press'' newspaper. He was the chairman of the first board of supervisors in June 1872. After retiring from politics in 1887, he served as postmaster in Ashland,Peterson, Sheree L. "Camp Stella: Meeting Place of Kindred Souls," report for the

Eastern National Park and Monument Association Eastern National (also known as EN) is a nonprofit Cooperating Association based in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, that partners with the National Park Service in the United States. It was created by charter in 1948 to "provide quality educati ...

, 1997 and opened a summer resort on

Sand Island A sand island is an island that is largely made of sand. The largest sand island in the world is Fraser Island, Australia. Other examples of large sand islands are Moreton Moreton may refer to: People Given name * Moreton John Wheatley (183 ...

Lake Superior Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh wa ...

.Busch, Jane C. ''People and Places: a Human History of the Apostle Islands'', prepared for National Park Service, 2008. Named Camp Stella, after Fifield's wife, the camp was one of the first successful resorts in northern Wisconsin. The site is now within the boundaries of the

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is a U.S. national lakeshore consisting of 21 islands (Apostle Islands) and shoreline encompassing on the northern tip of Wisconsin on the shore of Lake Superior. It is known for its collection of historic ...

; many of the buildings are still standing, and one, the Sevona Memorial Cottage, is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. Fifield died in 1915 at his home in Ashland. In Ashland, there is a street of historic homes named Fifield Row in his honor. Sam Fifield Grave

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fifield, Sam 1839 births 1915 deaths People from Corinna, Maine People from Ashland, Wisconsin People from Polk County, Wisconsin Businesspeople from Wisconsin Employees of the Wisconsin Legislature Republican Party Wisconsin state senators Lieutenant Governors of Wisconsin 19th-century American politicians Speakers of the Wisconsin State Assembly Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly 19th-century American businesspeople