Benjamin Fairchild was born in Washington County, Virginia in 1792. George Washington was the nation’s first President at the time. This is the year that the U.S. Postal Service was established and the year that Kentucky, Benjamin’s future home, became the 15th state in the United States of America.
Benjamin’s older brother Aaron, was a farmer and served in the War of 1812 in William Neely’s Virginia militia. Ben’s occupation, according to subsequent U.S. Census listings, was blacksmith.
He first married Barbara Litz in 1817 in Washington County, Virginia (note that Russell County initially was part of Washington County but later became a separate county, hence some references to Russell County as the location of marriage and childbirth). They had three children, all born in Washington County, Virginia: Margaret, John and Joseph, suggesting that the earliest time that they relocated to Kentucky was after Joseph’s birth in 1826.
His second marriage was to Minerva Jane Blevins in 1848 in Johnson County, Kentucky. Note that there is a substantial age difference when the marriage took place, as Benjamin was 56 years old while Minerva Jane was only 18 years old. They had four sons: Caleb, Martin, Arther, and Benjamin Franklin Fairchild. See note below related to another Benjamin living with the family according to the 1860 census.
In the 1850 U.S. Census he lived in Bath, Kentucky and his occupation is listed as blacksmith. Horse racing was very popular in this part of Kentucky at the time and would certainly provide steady business for a blacksmith. By this time the children he fathered with Barbara Litz Fairchild have left home and the listed dependents included his second wife, Minerva and two-year old son, Caleb.
Note that Bath, Kentucky was bordered on one side by Salt Lick Creek. This is significant because a substantial number of Kentucky Fairchild family members listed their residence location as Salt Lick, Kentucky.
In the 1860 U.S. Census he still lives in Bath, Kentucky but his younger children are now listed. There are two issues to note: 1) Benjamin Fairchild, age 15 is listed in the 1860 Census with a birthplace of Virginia – he was not listed earlier in the 1850 Census – possibly this could be one of his grandchildren, since he is 66 years old at the time; 2) the youngest son is listed as Franklin Fairchild but additional research has found that his full name was Benjamin Franklin Fairchild, but in the family he was referred to as Franklin since there were two other “Ben” names in the home.
Northeastern Kentucky was home to a strong and vibrant iron industry which may have been attractive to Benjamin, since he was a blacksmith. As early as 1818 the Argillite Furnace was opened not far from Bath, Kentucky as served as the beginning of the iron industry in that region. More furnaces were built and soon iron from Hanging Rock Iron Region became nationally known, due to the high quality of the product. Iron produced at these charcoal fired furnaces was hauled to Poage’s Landing for shipment on the Ohio River to Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.
Benjamin died in 1860 at the age of 68. His wife, Minerva Jane apparently returned to Virginia after his death since that is where she died in 1889.
American Generation #5
Benjamin Fairchild, Wife and Children
| Benjamin Fairchild | b: 1792, Washington County, Virginia d: 1860, Johnson County, Kentucky |
| Barbara Ellen Litz Fairchild (Married on Sep 19, 1817) | b: 1795, Virginia d: Aug 5, 1880, Virginia |
| Minerva Jane Blevins Fairchild (Married on Jan 13, 1848) | b: 1838, Lawrence, Kentucky d: 1889, Virginia |
Children with Barbara Litz Fairchild
| Margaret (LeMore) Fairchild (Married Hiram LeMore) | b: 1818, Russell County, Virginia |
| John Fairchild | b: 1820 |
| Joseph Sirah Fairchild (Married Sarah “Sally” L. Caudill in 1849) | b: Sep 25, 1826, Russell County, Virginia d: Dec 9, 1904, Sandlick, Letcher, Kentucky |
Children with Minerva Jane Blevins Fairchild
| Caleb Fairchild (Married Louisa Winkle in 1866) | b: 1849, Lawrence, Kentucky d: 1915, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
| Martin Fairchild | b: 1850. Lawrence. Kentucky |
| Arther Fairchild | b: 1854, Lawrence, Kentucky |
| Benjamin Franklin Fairchild (Married Mildred Ann Hilliard in 1877) (Married Sophia Byrd in 1887) | b: 1857, Lawrence, Kentucky d: Apr 22, 1922, Cobb, McIntosh, Oklahoma |
MATERNAL ANCESTRY: Barbara Litz and Minerva Jane Blevins
Barbara Ellen Litz was daughter of Leonard and Julie Ann Gose Litz of Cripple Creek, Wythe County, Virginia. Minerva Jane Blevins was daughter of William (1778-1872) and Ava Jane Collins (1803-1875) Blevins.
