E. B. Farnum
E. B. Farnum | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ethan Bennett Farnum November 10, 1826 Cheshire, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | After 1900 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Merchant, Politician |
| Known for | First mayor of Deadwood |
| Spouse | Mary Farnum |
| Children | 3 (Sylvia, Edward, Lyde) |
Ethan Bennett Farnum (November 10, 1826 – after 1900) was one of the first residents of Deadwood (then in the Dakota Territory) who was not a miner or prospector; he was the owner of a general store. He was the first mayor of the town of Deadwood.[1]
Biography
Farnum was born in Cheshire, Massachusetts, the eldest of seven children of John Farnum (or Farnham), and his wife, Chloe Bennett.[2][full citation needed] On May 11, 1868, he was appointed Postmaster in Springfield, Walworth County, Wisconsin.[3]
Farnum came to Deadwood from Wisconsin and opened his store in 1876, acquired other Main Street properties, and invested in some of the mining operations such as the Laura Mine and the Prince Oscar Lode; he also partnered with other camp entrepreneurs to have the Deadwood to Centennial Toll Road constructed to ease the flow of supplies to their businesses.
On August 18, 1876, Farnum was elected mayor, winning 672 votes out of 1,139; in this position, he was active in convincing the
Further records are scarce, due to the great fire of September 26, 1879;[4] when these duties became separate positions from the mayoralty, Farnum ran for Justice of the Peace, but lost.
Afterwards, he left for
In the 1900 Census, Farnum was living in Maury County, Tennessee.[5]
Personal life
Farnum was married to Mary Farnum. They had three children in 1876 when he arrived in Deadwood: Sylvia, age 16, Edward, age 12, and Lyde, age 2.
In popular culture
Actor William Sanderson portrayed a highly fictionalized E. B. Farnum in the HBO television series Deadwood (2004–2006) and the 2019 television sequel, Deadwood: The Movie.[6]
References
- ^ "E.B. Farnum". deadwood.com. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
- ^ Genealogy of the Farnham family
- ^ U.S., Appointments of U. S. Postmasters, 1832–1971
- ^ "Deadwood, SD Fire, Sept 1879". gendisasters.com. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
- ^ 1900 United States Federal Census
- ^ "Deadwood Déjà Vu". True West Magazine. May 20, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2019.