Weld County, History of Colorado, BIOS: FISK, George W. (published 1918)
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"History of Colorado", edited by Wilbur Fisk Stone, published by The S. J. 
Clarke Publishing Co. (1918)  Vol. II


p. 314-316


GEORGE W. FISK.

	Greeley, the progressive and fast growing city of Colorado, can 
boast of one man who has not only a state and nation-wide reputation, 
but enjoys international fame as an artistic violin maker. Some of the 
greatest artists of the world have recognized his work and highly 
commended his ability and talent and many are the testimonials which 
give high credit to Mr. Fisk. He seems to have rediscovered the art of 
violin making which flourished in the Italian school of about two 
hundred years ago and seems to be gifted with the delicate touch of 
those great makers in creating new instruments and adjusting old ones. 
Moreover, Mr. Fisk is not only an artist in his line, but is a 
practical business man who has built up a sound trade, also handling 
violin accessories. His dealings have always been most honorable and he 
is sincere and true in his opinions, which are often asked of him by 
the profession. In the course of many years of experience he has 
acquired a judgment upon the qualities of violins which is practically 
infallible and generally considered so.

	George W. Fisk was born in Bennington, Vermont, May 30, 1838, a 
son of Richmond and Lurana (Matteson) Fisk, natives of that state. The 
father was an agriculturist and was also engaged in the lumber business 
and achieved material success along both lines. Richmond Fisk was one 
of the earliest settlers in Greeley, where he located in 1870, having 
been one of the organizers of the Union colony, the originator of which 
was N. C. Meeker. After the company was organized H. T. West was 
entrusted with the commission to move out to Greeley and look over the 
ground and report upon conditions here. At the last meeting in New York 
in the winter of 1869-70 Mr. Fisk resigned his position as one of the 
locating committee on account of poor health and Henry T. West, now 
ninety-three years of age. living in Idaho, was appointed in his place 
on the locating committee. After settling in this city Richmond Fisk 
here lived retired until his death, which occurred in October, 1877, 
his widow surviving him until October, 1886.

	George W. Fisk was largely reared and educated in Hoosick Falls. 
New York, whither his parents had removed about 1848. After completing 
his education he worked in different localities along mechanical lines 
and so continued until the Civil war broke out, when he enlisted with 
the Second Vermont Infantry, serving as a musician and remaining with 
the colors for about a year. He was then discharged and again took up 
his trade, perfecting his mechanical skill and efficiency in the east 
until 1870, when he came to Colorado with his parents. At this period, 
however, he did not remain long, but returned to the east. where he 
continued until 1876, when he again heeded the call of the west and 
returned to Greeley, where he has resided ever since, covering a period 
of over forty-two years. Mr. Fisk has always been imbued with a love of 
music and in his younger days was a very successful player on the 
violin. He also was a very skillful pattern maker and an experienced 
wood carver and worker. In 1876 he engaged definitely in the 
manufacture of violins and has ever since followed this line. His 
extensive mechanical experience and his native talent combine in making 
him one of the most sought after violin makers. There is not the least 
part of the work which he leaves to others, but he makes all of the 
instrument himself and at this writing is working on his one hundred 
and sixty-third violin. When he first started out he sold his 
instruments for seventy-five dollars and since then has received as 
much as three hundred dollars, the price which he now generally 
commands. He has not only made instruments for local and American 
artists, but for many from other countries, and all those who have 
bought of him are high in their praise of his instruments, which excel 
on account of their clearness of tone, their resiliency, their power 
and also because of the liquid sweetness so peculiar to the Italian 
violin of the historic epoch. His instruments are never sold through 
stores but only direct and it is certainly a great credit to Mr. Fisk 
and his work that he has never needed to advertise himself but that 
people have come to him simply on account of the merit of his 
instruments. The material which Mr. Fisk uses for making violins is the 
very choicest and most carefully selected and he has some woods on hand 
which he purchased in 1884 and uses only material which is properly 
seasoned and which he has tested out entirely to his own satisfaction. 
Part of the tools which he uses in the manufacture of his violins are 
self-designed and made by him.

	Among the many flattering testimonials which Mr. Fisk has 
received may be mentioned one from Fritz Thies, of Denver, Colorado, 
who says: "* * * You have made an exquisite piece of work, and in the 
future I shall not send any fine instrument to Hill in London, England, 
to be repaired." Ferdinand Stark, the celebrated virtuoso of San 
Francisco, writes: "Had the greatest success of my life tonight. Played 
several solos for artists, and on the violin you made for me. That 
violin turned out to be one of the finest ever made-not only in 
Colorado, but perhaps in the world! No one believes that the violin was 
made in Colorado. I wish you could hear it. It is a wonder! If you 
could hear it, I am sure it would make you feel as Admiral Dewey did 
when he took Manila." David E. Fisher, first violinist with the Grand 
Opera Company, New York, writes: "It affords me great pleasure to write 
you with regard to the violin which you made for me. As you know, I 
took it right from your shop and played the Seventh Concerto by De 
Beriot and the Legend by Wieniawski upon it, at a concert in your town. 
I must say it was one of the greatest surprises of my life. The tone 
and ease with which it played, was wonderful for a new instrument that 
had never been used." In the Denver Daily Tribune appeared the 
following from Edouard Remenyi, the Hungarian virtuoso: "Among the 
thousands of 'fiddle makers' in Europe and America Mr. George W. Fisk, 
of Greeley, Colorado, is one out of only four real violin makers that I 
have found in my travels over the world. His workmanship is well nigh 
perfect. * * * The violin he made for me is a beauty and has a grand, 
mellow, magnificent tone. Mr. Fisk will back up all I have stated of 
him." Shortly before his death, Remenyi wrote to Mr. Fisk, addressing 
him thus: "I have just a few hours in Denver. I have seen your violin, 
Stradivarius Format, at the home of our friend, Jervis Joslin. I played 
on it, and it is an excellent instrument, magnificently made. The 
workmanship is well nigh perfect. I say now, unhesitatingly, that you 
are not only the best living violin maker in America, but in the 
world." Elbert Hubbard, whose tragic death came about with the sinking 
of the Lusitania, said of Mr. Fisk: "One man I met at Greeley was worth 
going miles to see. 'Old Man' Remenyi told me of him years and years 
ago. 'His name is George W. Fisk,' said the Old Man, 'and he makes 
violins to the glory of God, just as Stradivarius did. I used to play a 
"Strad," then a woman who loved me gave me a Joseph Guarnerius. but now 
I play a Fisk.' So I went to see Fisk at Greeley. He has a little bit 
of a shop and works all by himself. He knows nothing but violins and 
the great men and women who played violins and loved them. Fisk plays, 
too, and when he sells a violin he always sheds tears at parting with 
it and tries to buy it back. He works just a month on each instrument, 
and never lets a violin leave the shop until it is at least a year old. 
To see Old George Fisk close his eyes and caress a violin makes you 
think of the times of long ago, when all the days were May days and 
sorrow was unguessed. There is a man who has found his work." To 
mention one more celebrity among those who paid high testimony to Mr. 
Fisk's work, George Lehman, one of the foremost solo and quartette 
violinists of America, gave his opinion that he had never seen or heard 
a new violin which pleased him so much as one of Mr. Fisk's make, 
although he had visited all the violin shops of note in Berlin, Paris 
and other capitals. Six new instruments of his make were used in a 
concert program of Ferdinand Stark, and the Colorado Springs Gazette 
wrote in 1899 the following on this occasion: "During the performance 
something was happening on the platform, though few were aware of it. 
Six new violins were being tried, and judging from the smiles of the 
orchestra and an old gentleman in the front row, the trial was 
satisfactory. The violins are the work of the old gentleman above 
mentioned. He is an American, lives in Greeley, Colorado, and his name 
is George W. Fisk. He is an enthusiast in his art, is modest, 
unassuming and a most interesting talker. He has produced so far about 
one hundred violins, which are scattered over the whole musical world-
Wilhelmj has one, Remenyi had another-how proud the old man was of his 
violins-Stark plays on one every day. Kneisel and Ysaye admire them. 
They are American made, and what is more to the point, Colorado made. 
The city of Greeley is proud of George W. Fisk."

	George W. Fisk was married on the 23d of January, 1861, to Miss 
Lucy E. Ames, who passed away, after twenty-five years of happy married 
life, in June, 1886. On the 28th of December, 1887, Mr. Fisk was again 
married, this union being with Miss Katherine L. Moody, and to them 
were born two children, one of whom died in Infancy. The other, Eugene 
Moody Fisk, was born August 10, 1891. After receiving a suitable 
preparatory education he entered the Massachusetts Institute of 
Technology, from which he graduated as one of the honor class, and he 
has for the last four years been employed in the engineering department 
of the Western Union Telegraph Company at New York city.

	Mr. Fisk now gives his allegiance to the democratic party, but in 
former years followed the standards of republicanism until Woodrow 
Wilson was first nominated. Although he has always been busy and 
occupied with his exacting work, he has found time to take part in the 
public life of his community and has served as trustee of Greeley. 
Fraternally he is a member of the Masonic order and the Odd Fellows 
lodge. In former years he owned a quite valuable ranch in the 
neighborhood but has sold this property. He is living at No. 710 
Twelfth street, in the same house which his father built in 1870, and 
his office is located at No. 714 Twelfth street. Although in his 
eighty-first year, Mr. Fisk is very active and fully able to cope with 
his extensive business. He has always taken a deep interest in the 
moral and intellectual progress of his community and his wife is a 
member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Both have made many friends 
in Greeley and are popular in the social circles of the town, extending 
on frequent occasions the hospitality of their home to those who have 
the pleasure and honor of their more intimate acquaintance.