Erastus FAIRBANKS, was born on October
28, 1792 and died on November 20, 1864. He was a son of Joseph Fairbanks
who had removed to St. Johnsbury in 1815; his mother being Phebe Paddock
Fairbanks (sister of Judge Ephraim Paddock) and brother to Thaddeus and
Joseph P. Fairbanks.
His early life was one of great struggle
til 1830 when he established a manufacturing business with his brother
Thaddeus producing stoves, plows, forks, machines and finally scales. Four
years later he was a senior partner of the firm E & T Fairbanks &
Co. This company eventually became a major producer of scales of all sizes
distributed throughout the world.
He became a trusted leader in politics
and in 1852 he was made Governor of Vermont, and again in 1860. Further
evidence of the degree of trust is that the State of Vermont placed $1,000,000
at his disposal relying entirely on his judgment as to it appropriation
towards the Civil War causes.
[Engraving
by Metropolitan Publishing and Engraving Co., Boston]
Source:
Gazetteer
of Caledonia and Essex Counties, VT; 1764-1887,
by Hamilton Child, May, 1887, page 327.
Additional
information available from Tom Dunn
who provided this photo and biographical sketch.
|
