FAIRBANKS, Luke B. (b: 1838)

BOWEN, FAIRBANKS

Posted By: K. L. Kittleson
Date: 4/18/2008 at 21:50:58

Luke B. Fairbanks was born in Vermont, March 26, 1838. When he was seventeen years of age he went to Iowa to join his brother in Mitchell county, and spent three years with him in Mitchell and Howard counties, then came to Austin with him. His brother purchased an interest in a steam saw mill, and later added a flour mill.

He assisted his brother in the mill there until 1860, when he sold out and bought a farm in Windom. He spent the summer with his brother here; then in the fall returned to Vermont. He enlisted there, in May, 1861, in Company F, Third Vermont Volunteer Infantry, and with the regiment joined the Army of the Potomac. The first battle in which he participated was the battle of Lee's Mill, in which he was wounded. As soon as he was able to make the trip he was granted a furlough and visited home. He joined the regiment after an absence of three months. His health was not good at the time, and he was detached for the recruiting service in Vermont. He again joined the regiment in December, and was with them until after the close of the war, having veteranized in 1863.

Among the many battles in which he participated, we mention the following: Second battle of Fredericksburg, Wilderness, Petersburg, Cold Harbor, Spottsylvania, was with Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley, and participated in the battle of Winchester, was in New York City at the time of the riot, and in the battles of Gettysburg and Cedar Creek. He was mustered into the service as a private.

He was promoted for gallant and meritorious conduct, May, 1864, to first lieutenant, and soon after to captain. He was discharged from the service with the regiment, July. 1865, and returned to Vermont and bought a farm. In 1869 he sold out there and emigrated to Kansas. He took a homestead and bought some wild land in Washington county.

He built a stone house and improved a portion of the land, living there until 1872, when he sold and came to Mower county and bought wild land in the northeast quarter of section 29, Windom township. He was joined in marriage in 1863 to Caro Bowen, also a native of Vermont. They had seven children, named Samuel, Henry, Eugene, Guy, Dan, Leila and Florence. In 1893 Mr. Fairbanks'sold his farm in Mower county and removed to southern California, where he remained two years. He then returned to Austin, where he resided until his death, October 24, 1907.

HISTORY OF MOWER COUNTY (Minnesota), 1911