After the initial settlement of the Sample family, other early settlers who came into the township, with their dates of arrival, were:
Jacob Rush ca 1816. | W. Day 1817. |
Amos Harkness 1817. | Spencer Baker 1819. |
William Baker 1819. | Philip Moffitt 1819. |
Aaron Smith 1820. | Sampson Baker ca 1821. |
George Baker ca 1821. | Sylvester Baker ca 1821. |
Jefferson J. Baker ca 1821. | Abijah Baker ca 1821. |
John Cherry 1821. | Jeremiah Kingsbury 1821. |
Eleazer Jones ca 1821. | Ransom B. Ellsworth 1821. |
Havilah Smith 1822. | Samuel Foote 1822. |
Col. William Greenfield 1822. | John Dimmitt ca 1822. |
Gardner Eldridge 1822. | George Eldridge 1822. |
Reuben M. Snow 1823. | Clark Berry 1823. |
Spencer Berry 1823. | Benjamin Lee 1823. |
Silas Adams ca 1824. | William Cherry 1825. |
The first death was that of a child of Benjamin Bake in May, 1823.
Amos Harkness and Martha Sample were the first couple to be married in 1817.
The first law suit between Fairfield parties was between Amos Harkness (plaintiff), and Gardner Eldridge (defendent). Harkness maintained that Eldridge left syrup exposed in his sap bush, and that the Harkness' ox, "loving it wisely but too well," drank of the syrup to excess and died. The case was settled by the defendent agreeing to chop four acres of timber for the plaintiff.
The first log cabin was built by the Sample family.
The first frame building was erected by Aaron Smith. The first brick houses were those of Havilah Smith and L. T. Brown.
The first tavern was built about 1835, and is still standing as part of Fairfield House (as of 1879). The first landlord was Otis Thornton.
The earliest religious organization in Fairfield was a Methodist class, formed in 1822 with less than six members.
Jonas Leonard, a native of Connecticut who had settled in Bronson Township, probably taught the first school in Fairfield about 1824.
The first physician who practiced in Fairfield was Dr. Moses Saunders of Peru. The first resident physician was Dr. J. N. Campbell. He came to the township in 1832 and was received as a partner by Dr. Saunders.
Ebenezer Foote, Sampson Baker, and Dr. Campbell built a steam saw mill in 1834. This was the beginning of the manufacturing interest at the village of North Fairfield, then named "Steam Corners", and later, "Steamburg."
The first saw mill was the property of Philip Moffitt, built about 1828. The first grist mill was that of Reuben Draper and John Mitchell. It was located at Steamburg (North Fairfield).
Ezra Smith of Macksville opened the first store in the township in 1831.
Walter Branch was commissioned as the first postmaster 1 Jan 1829. He held that office for four years, when he resigned in favor of Horace l. Moulton.
1840 Census-- 1,067
1880 Census-- 1,359