Ralph Jacobus Fairbanks facts for kids

Ralph Jacobus Fairbanks (born December 26, 1857 – died October 3, 1943) was an American prospector, a business owner, and a pioneer. He helped start several towns in the Death Valley area of California. These towns include Fairbanks Springs (1904–05), Shoshone (1910), and Baker (1929).

Early Life and Family

Ralph Fairbanks was born in Payson, Utah, on December 26, 1857. His parents, David and Susan Mandeville Fairbanks, were early Mormon pioneers. He was also a descendant of a famous early American settler named Jonathan Fairbanks.

Building Towns in the Desert

In the early 1900s, Ralph Fairbanks moved south to Las Vegas, Nevada, for a job with the railroad. Later, he moved his family to the Death Valley area. This was a very challenging place to live.

Fairbanks was known as "Dad" Fairbanks by the people who lived there. He built many businesses and helped create towns across the region. He even built the first Standard Oil service station in the town of Baker.

He was also famous for helping people who got lost or were in trouble in the desert. He would often rescue tourists and other prospectors. Sometimes, he even found the bodies of unlucky travelers.

His Family Life

Ralph Fairbanks married Celestia Adelaide Johnson in 1877. They had eleven children together, but only eight of them lived to become adults.

When Ralph was in his 70s, he and his wife, Celeste, moved to Santa Paula, California. They lived with their youngest daughter, Zella Modine, and her family. Celeste passed away in 1938. After that, Ralph moved to Hollywood, California, with Zella and his granddaughter, Nola Fairbanks. Ralph Fairbanks died on October 3, 1943, in a nursing home in Hollywood. His great-grandson is the well-known actor Matthew Modine.