Ralph Jacobus Fairbanks
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Ralph Jacobus Fairbanks | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 26, 1857 Payson, Utah, U.S. |
| Died | October 3, 1943 (aged 85) Hollywood, California, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Celestia Adelaide Johnson
(m. 1877; died 1938) |
| Children | 11 (3 deceased) |
| Relatives | Nola Fairbanks (granddaughter) Matthew Modine (great-grandson) |
Ralph Jacobus Fairbanks (December 26, 1857 – October 3, 1943) was an American prospector, entrepreneur, and pioneer who established several towns in the Death Valley area of California, including Fairbanks Springs[1] (1904–05), Shoshone (1910), and Baker (1929).
Fairbanks was born to Mormon pioneer parents David and Susan Mandeville Fairbanks in Payson, Utah, on December 26, 1857.[2]
Career
He was a descendant of Jonathan Fairbanks. He followed a job with the railroad at start of the 20th century south to Las Vegas, Nevada, and eventually moved his family to Death Valley.[citation needed]
Earlier in 1883, Fairbanks had been among those called by John Taylor to start a new settlement in the Sevier Valley.[3]
R. J. "Dad" Fairbanks, as he was known to locals, built businesses and towns throughout the region and built the first Standard Oil service station in the area, in Baker.[4] He was known for saving tourists and prospectors who wandered into the desert, and also recovered bodies of unlucky travelers.[citation needed]
