John Matthew Gay Fairfax

The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.
Chicago and New York, Volume 111
Pg. 367


The community of Reedsville has in the person of
John Matthew Gay Fairfax not only a splendid example of sturdy citizenship
but is the representative of one of the most distinguished families of Old
Virginia and Maryland.  He is a grandson of Colonel John Fairfax, who at one
time was manager of the estate of General Washington, and whose duties
brought him to the Washington lands west of the Alleghanies and eventually
he settled here permanently, the story being more fully told in the record
of another of his descendants.


John M. Gay Fairfax was born at the Fairfax farm, now the Arthurdale farm, a
son of the late George Washington Fairfax, who died near Reedsville October
25, 1885, at the age of seventy-three.  The wife of George W. Fairfax was
Margaret S. Gay.  Her father was Robert Gay and her mother was a Stewart,
accounting for that name in her own christian name.  Margaret S. Gay was
born in County Tyrone, Ireland, in 1819, and came to the United States with
her parents at the age of twelve, in 1831.  She died February 13, 1859.  Her
three children to grow up were John M.G., Emma R., who married D.G. Watson
and died in Reedsville; and Anna C., now Mrs. John Shields, of Mendocino
County, California.


John M. Gay Fairfax was born July 10, 1847, and his early youth was spent at
his birthplace.  He finished his early education in E.K. Lozier's Commercial
College in Baltimore, and was a bookkeeper in that city until that
occupation proved too confining for his health.  He then returned home, and
subsequently became a teacher in the free schools, teaching his first term
near home.  He taught one school in Taylor County and the remainder of his
five years of educational work was passed in Preston County.  He then spent
a summer in the employ of the Keystone Bridge Company at Pittsburgh, the
next year dug coal for a Uniontown coal company in Westmoreland County, near
Scottsdale, and subsequently was employed as an engineer by the Overholt
Distilling Company.  He then went to Louisville, Kentucky, and for eight
months nursed his uncle, William Gay, in his last illness.  About that time
he chose a profession, entering the Philadelphia Dental College, and
continued his studies until he was qualified to practice.  He was a dentist
at Gladesville and in his home community, and was active in the profession
before the introduction of the marvelous modern dental tools and apparatus
and nearly all his work was hand work and of a quality that seldom failed.


Eventually Mr. Fairfax resumed farming, at first on the estate of his father
near Reedsville, and he than bought the David C. Miles farm and later the
Heidelberg farm, where his activities have continued since.  Grain growing
and stock raising have been his chief productive efforts, and though now
almost seventy-five he is still alert, vigorous and closely attentive to all
the details of farm management.  He possesses a rugged constitution, and
still enjoys life for its own sake and for the opportunities of useful toil
and effort it affords.


Mr. Fairfax for many years was active in county politics.  His father was a
democrat, and he himself cast his first presidential ballot for Governor
Seymour of New York.  He was hostile to the proposed fusion nomination of
Horace Greeley for president, knowing the abolition record of that candidate
and realizing that his acceptance of the nomination was confession of an
overwhelming ambition for the presidency.  He did no vote in the general
election of the year, but since then has consistently aided every candidate
of his party and has been a delegate to various conventions, both local and
state.  In 1896 he supported Bryan and the free silver issue, and he
continued lending his influence as well as his vote to campaigns until
advancing age caused him to give up all political activity except voting.
He is a Presbyterian, and joined Valley Lodge No. 97 of the Odd Fellows at
Reedsville I March, 1889, and is a past grand representative and has
attended many meeting of the Grand Lodge. 


Mr. Fairfax a number of years ago became associated with the late B.M.
Despard in the coal business.  They optioned and sold 5, 000 acres of coal
in Preston County, and he still owns a similar number of acres in Taylor
County.  He is a charter member of the Farmers and Merchants Bank of
Reedsville, was one of the most active in promoting that institution and is
still on its Board of directors.


At Cumberland, Maryland, March 17, 1876, Mr. Fairfax married Miss Sadie
Reed, daughter of Peter and Mary J. (Gilbert) reed, of Franklin County,
Pennsylvania.  She was born in that county October 18, 1856.  Two sons were
born to Mr. and Mrs. Fairfax.  George W. was killed in a runaway when thrown
from his cart at the age of sixteen.  The surviving representative of the
family and the chief lieutenant of his father on the farm is Ralph Bernard
Fairfax, who was born September 23, 1881, and has spent all his active life
on the home farm.  He served as democratic committeeman for Valley District.
August 29, 1902, he married Miss Nellie M. Dent of Morgtantown.  They have
an interesting family of four young children, Margaret G., William Dent,
Mary Virginia and Francis Gaylord.