Jairus C. Fairchild

Who was Jairus C. Fairchild?

Jairus Cassius Fairchild was an American politician and businessman. He was born in Granville, New York and later moved to Hudson, Ohio, 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. His first two sons, Cassius, and Lucius, were born in Franklin Mills in 1829 and 1831 respectively. Fairchild relocated to Cleveland around 1834 and his third son, Charles, was born in 1838. He then moved to Wisconsin, first to Milwaukee in 1845 and then to Madison. Fairchild had business interests in cranberries and the lumber industry and was president of a railroad. From 1848 to 1852, Fairchild was the first State Treasurer of the State of Wisconsin, and in 1856 was elected the first Mayor of the city of Madison. His two oldest sons were also active in Wisconsin politics, with Cassius Fairchild serving in the Wisconsin State Assembly and Lucius Fairchild serving as Governor from 1866–72.