John H.Fairbanks: (b.1798, Champlain, N.Y. - d.1880,
White Earth, Mn.)
In the spring of 1818 John, along with Samuel Ashmun went to Montreal
where they were hired by Wm.W.Mathews as American Fur Co. clerks for 5
years. They spent those five years in AFC's Fond du Lac Dept. beginning
that first winter at Leech Lake. He met the Gov.Cass expedition when they
arrived at Sandy Lake in the summer of 1820. Not long after that he married
Mary Sayer (Saganoshequa) at Mackinac, she was probably the daughter of
former Fond du Lac trader John Sayer. John & Mary's children were:
William B.; Robert (1825-1901)(m.Catherine Beaulieu); George (1827-1849);
John Jr.(1830-1848); Benjamin (b.abt.1832); Albert (b.abt.1836); Jane (1838-1865);
Albert (b.abt.1840) & James (1841-1869). His list of winter posts include
Lake Winipec(1825-26); Cass Lake(1826-27) & Red Lake(1836). In 1840
his residence was at Lapointe and by 1844 he resided at Crow Wing (he can
be found in the 1860 census as a farmer in Crow Wing Co., Mn. In 1848 John
was sent by Clement H.Beaulieu, who was in charge of the Fond du Lac Dept.(Northern
Outfit), with Paul H.Beaulieu & Jacques Courrier by dog train to obtain
a winter supply of meat. They found a buffalo herd wintering on todays
White Earth Reservation and together with a party that arrived from Red
Lake had a successful hunt. During the 1860's & 1870's much of the
Fairbanks family took up residence on the newly formed White Earth Reservation.
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