Jefferson County Online A part of the IAGenWeb and USGenWeb Projects Miscellaneous Firstlings

The first post office was in Thomas Dickey's hat, and Dickey was the first Postmaster. It is not known whether Dickey was regularly appointed by the Department or not, or whether he was the Postmaster by sufferance of the settlers; however, it is certain it was from him the first citizens of Fairfield obtained their letters, at the moderate price of 25 cents each. [There are now in the county eighteen offices, to wit.: Fairfield, in Fairfield Township; Salina, Four Corners and Glendale, in Lockridge Township; Wooster, in Cedar Township; Glasgow and Vega, in Round Prairie Township; Libertyville, in Liberty Townshp; Perlee and Pleasant Plain, in Penn Township; Germanville and Merrimac, in Walnut Township; Baker, in Black Hawk Township; Batavia and Brookville, in Locust Grove Township; Abingdon, in Polk Township, and County Line, in Des Moines Township. Fairfield and Batavia are money-order offices.]

The first hotel was kept by Thomas Dickey, in 1839.

Dickey's house was a one-story log building, with but one room, 10x12 feet square, and in one end of this room the M. E. Church, of Fairfield, was organized, March 22, 1840. It has been heretofore stated in print that Thomas Dickey was a coarse, irreligious character. The only surviving member of the organization, Mrs. J. W. Culbertson, gives Mr. Dickey a record for being a good kind of a man, having a kind heart and generous impulses hidden beneath a rough exterior.

The first brick house erected on the original town plat was built by George Craine, in 1843. The house is still standing, at the corner of First South and Second East streets, and occupied as a dwelling by David Eckert. The brick were made by Luke Owen, a little east of town, near the present residence of Mrs. John Wells.

The first brick house erected within what is now the coroprate limits of Fairfield stood east of the present brick schoolhouse. At the time it was built, the city limits did not extend out that far by thirty or forty yards. The house was built for Samuel Shuffleton.

John T. Moberly was the first physician, in 1839.

Samuel Shuffleton was the first lawyer, in 1839.

Rev. Reuben Gaylord, Congregationalist, preached the first sermon, in 1839.

A son was born to a Mr. Shepherd in the fall of 1839, the first on the town quarter.

Eliphalet B. Fitch, first death in the town, 1839; shortly after, William Winn died.

Farnham Whitcomb and Nancy Fox were the first couple married, 1840.