E. B. Farnum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
E. B. Farnum
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| Born |
Ethan Bennett Farnum
November 10, 1826 Cheshire, Massachusetts, U.S.
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| Died | after 1900 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Merchant, Politician |
| Known for | First mayor of Deadwood |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Farnum |
| Children | 3 (Sylvia, Edward, Lyde) |
Ethan Bennett Farnum (born November 10, 1826 – died after 1900) was an important early resident of Deadwood, South Dakota. Unlike many others, he was not a miner looking for gold. Instead, he owned a general store. He became the very first mayor of Deadwood.
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Who Was E. B. Farnum?
Ethan Bennett Farnum was born in Cheshire, Massachusetts. He was the oldest of seven children. In 1868, he worked as a Postmaster in Springfield, Walworth County, Wisconsin.
Moving to Deadwood
Farnum came to Deadwood from Wisconsin in 1876. He quickly opened his own general store. He also bought other buildings on Main Street. He invested in some local mining projects. He even helped build a toll road from Deadwood to Centennial, Wyoming. This road made it easier to bring supplies to businesses.
Deadwood's First Mayor
On August 18, 1876, Farnum was elected mayor of Deadwood. He won by a large number of votes. As mayor, he worked hard to get the Dakota Territory to officially recognize Deadwood as a town. He also pushed for an Army post nearby. This would help keep the area safe.
Farnum also started important public services. He created a special place to keep people with diseases like smallpox separate. This helped stop the spread of sickness. He also set up a system for cleaning the streets. All these services were paid for by fees from town businesses.
Building the Community
In December 1876, Mayor Farnum started Deadwood's fire department. He also sent the town's first telegram to the mayor of Cheyenne, Wyoming.
His job as mayor included many other duties. He was in charge of the school board. He also acted as a Justice of the Peace and a judge. Farnum opened Deadwood's first school in November 1876. He also led the town's first marriage ceremony. He oversaw many trials as a judge.
After Being Mayor
Records from this time are hard to find. This is because a big fire destroyed many documents in 1879. After his time as mayor, Farnum ran for Justice of the Peace but did not win.
He later moved to Chicago. He was not listed as living in Deadwood in the 1880 census. We don't know exactly who became mayor right after him. However, Sol Star was elected mayor in 1884. In 1900, Farnum was living in Maury County, Tennessee.
Family Life
E. B. Farnum was married to Mary Farnum. They had three children. When he arrived in Deadwood, his children were Sylvia, who was 16, Edward, who was 12, and Lyde, who was 2.
