Homes of Fairfield - 501 South Main St.

LAMSON, BALDWIN

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 5/17/2006 at 16:24:41

"Fairfield Ledger", Jan. 3, 1933, Pg. 4, Col. 5

HOMES OF FAIRFIELD. 501 South Main Street. R. W. LAMSON. Built by Caleb BALDWIN in 1852 and sold to Ward LAMSON in 1857 and occupied by himself and family until the end. Ralph has reared a large family and he seems good for many years. Mr. BALDWIN went to Council Bluffs and was elected to the Iowa Supreme Court. In the course of 40 or 50 years' residence in this county, Mr. Ward LAMSON owned more separate pieces of property, lots and land, at different times and at the time of his passing, than any man in the county. He was public spirited and a special friend of the library.

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"Fairfield Ledger", Oct. 2, 1939, Sec. H, Page 2

Photo: LAMSON HOME, 501 South Main Street. The LAMSON Homestead, planned and built in the early fifties by one of Iowa's distinguished jurists, Judge Caleb BALDWIN, has long been a landmark in the city of Fairfield. Of New England lineage, he chose the Colonial type of architecture. Before its completion, Judge BALDWIN was engaged by Abraham Lincoln to try a case in Omaha, which according to historical data, was the only case recorded having Mr. Lincoln as a client.

Finding Omaha more promising than Fairfield, Mr. BALDWIN decided to locate there, and sold the house to Ward LAMSON, another New Englander, who completed the building and moved in with his family in 1855. He lived there continuously until 1895, when he built a house a few feet to the south for his home. His son, Ralph W. LAMSON with his family then occupied the homestead, and continued to do so up to the present time, thus making eighty-four years that the house has been known as "The LAMSON Home". The camera of the past could picture many different phases of life as lived by one family and their descendants down through the years at 501 South Main Street.

During the Civil War soldiers stacked their guns in the yard while they were served a home cooked meal.

*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.