Jefferson County Online A part of the IAGenWeb and USGenWeb Projects Growth and Prosperity

In the centennial year, 1876, a pamphlet history of Jefferson County was published by authority of the Board of Supervisors, and under the direction of a committee of citizens consisting of S. M. Boling, C. W Slagle, W. W. Junkin, J. F. Wilson, Charles Negus and I. D. Jones, which included a statement of the business of Fairfield at that time. Since then, there have been no material changes in the business status of the city, and we trasfer to these pages the following paragraphs:

In 1840, the town of Fairfield had a population of 110. In October, 1847, it had increased to 141 families and 651 inhabitants. In 1847, the business of Fairfield was done by six dry goods, three grocery and two drug stores; two hotels, two livery-stables, eight cabinet and wheelwright shops, three blacksmith, two shoemaker, two harness, three tailor, two chairmaker, two cooper, one gunsmith and one tin shop, employing about fifty persons. The sales aggregated about $100,000. There was one carding machine, four church organizations, two church edifices, three ministers, seven, lawyers, the United States and the State land officers.

In 1876, the city presents greater proportions, showing a healthy growth in twenty-nine years. There are thirteen grocery stores, doing a business of over $200,000; one wholesale grocery house, $60,000; two restaurants, $25,000; two general stores, $100,000; seven dry goods stores, $150,000; four clothing stores, $37,000; three boot and shoe stores, $50,000; two hat and cap stores, $25,000; three jewelers, $25,000; five drug stores, $70,000; three book stores, $30,000; four meat markets, $50,000; six millinery stores, $75,000; ten saloons, $100,000; three stove and tinware stores, $60,000; two foundries, $40,000; one woolen-factory and one woolen goods stores, $30,000; two flouring-mills, $50,000; two butter and egg depots, $40,000; two hardware stores, $50,000; four grain houses, $150,000; two furniture stores, $40,000; three harness, six tailor, five wagon, ten boot and shoe maker, seven blacksmith, one gunsmith and four barber shops, doing a business of $100,000; three lumberyards, $125,000; one furniture-factory, $50,000; three livery-stables, two bus lines, one broom factory, $75,000; and in addition to these, there are three banks, nineteen lawyers, fourteen doctors, four dentists, one taxidermist, six insurance agencies, one pension agency, two Justices of the Peace, three telegraph offices, two railroad depots, one patent medicine manufactory, four private schools, one union school, four hotels, one opera-house, three public halls, two musical instrument dealers, three newspapers, three coal dealers, one public library with 4,620 volumes, ten church organizations, nine church edifices, one Masonic hall, one Odd Fellows hall, one Zetagathian hall, one Knights of Pythias hall, and one Ancient Order of Workmen hall.

The total business of Fairfield approximates $3,000,000, about thirty times as much business as was done in 1847. In 1847, the money at interest was $6,000; in 1876, $300,000.