E. B. Farnum
Encyclopedia
Ethan Bennett Farnum was one of the first residents of Deadwood, South Dakota
, who was not a miner
or prospector
; he was the owner of a general store
. Farnum was married to Mary Farnum with three children, Sylvia, age 16, Edward, age 12, and Lyde, age 2 when he arrived in Deadwood. He was the first mayor of the town of Deadwood.
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, he was elected mayor, winning 672 votes out of 1139; in this position he was active in convincing the Dakota Territories
to officially recognize the town and establish a nearby Army post, as well as instituting a pest house
to quarantine
those with communicable diseases (a smallpox
epidemic
striking the town in 1876) and a system of street cleaning, all to be funded out of licensing fees for town businesses. In December 1876, Farnum established the town's fire department
and sent the town's first telegram, to the mayor of Cheyenne, Wyoming
. His position also included duties as head of the school board, and Justice of the Peace
and judge; he established the town's first school, in November 1876 presided over the town's first marriage, Fannie Garrettson to Daniel Brown, and presided over numerous trials.
Further records are scarce, due to the great fire of September 26, 1879; when these duties became separate positions from the mayoralty, Farnum ran for Justice of the Peace but lost. Afterwards, he left for Chicago, Illinois; he is not listed as a town resident in the 1880 census. His mayoral successor is unknown, although Sol Star
would eventually be elected to the position in 1884.
as Eustace Bailey Farnum, owner of the Grand Central Hotel. His character is depicted as a bit of a buffoon with a conniving, greedy personality who is disliked by many of the town's residents. The character is shown as bullying his subordinates (particularly Richardson, his imbecilic cook) while toadying to those more powerful (initially Al Swearengen
and later George Hearst
); he is also given to long, self-pitying monologues. He is played by William Sanderson
.
Deadwood, South Dakota
Deadwood is a city in South Dakota, United States, and the county seat of Lawrence County. It is named for the dead trees found in its gulch. The population was 1,270 according to a 2010 census...
, who was not a miner
Miner
A miner is a person whose work or business is to extract ore or minerals from the earth. Mining is one of the most dangerous trades in the world. In some countries miners lack social guarantees and in case of injury may be left to cope without assistance....
or prospector
Prospecting
Prospecting is the physical search for minerals, fossils, precious metals or mineral specimens, and is also known as fossicking.Prospecting is a small-scale form of mineral exploration which is an organised, large scale effort undertaken by mineral resource companies to find commercially viable ore...
; he was the owner of a general store
General store
A general store, general merchandise store, or village shop is a rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, sometimes in a small space, where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general...
. Farnum was married to Mary Farnum with three children, Sylvia, age 16, Edward, age 12, and Lyde, age 2 when he arrived in Deadwood. He was the first mayor of the town of Deadwood.
Farnum came to Deadwood from Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
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, he was elected mayor, winning 672 votes out of 1139; in this position he was active in convincing the Dakota Territories
Dakota Territory
The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of North and South Dakota.The Dakota Territory consisted of...
to officially recognize the town and establish a nearby Army post, as well as instituting a pest house
Pest house
In the past, a pest house or pesthouse was a hospital or hostel used for persons afflicted with communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, cholera, or smallpox...
to quarantine
Quarantine
Quarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian quarantena, meaning forty-day period....
those with communicable diseases (a smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
striking the town in 1876) and a system of street cleaning, all to be funded out of licensing fees for town businesses. In December 1876, Farnum established the town's fire department
Fire department
A fire department or fire brigade is a public or private organization that provides fire protection for a certain jurisdiction, which typically is a municipality, county, or fire protection district...
and sent the town's first telegram, to the mayor of Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Laramie County. The population is 59,466 at the 2010 census. Cheyenne is the...
. His position also included duties as head of the school board, and Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
and judge; he established the town's first school, in November 1876 presided over the town's first marriage, Fannie Garrettson to Daniel Brown, and presided over numerous trials.
Further records are scarce, due to the great fire of September 26, 1879; when these duties became separate positions from the mayoralty, Farnum ran for Justice of the Peace but lost. Afterwards, he left for Chicago, Illinois; he is not listed as a town resident in the 1880 census. His mayoral successor is unknown, although Sol Star
Sol Star
Solomon "Sol" Star was an early resident of the town of Deadwood, South Dakota.Star was born in Austria-Hungary to Jewish parents. When he was ten years of age, his family moved to Ohio. When he grew older he moved to Helena, Montana, where he served as territorial auditor and personal secretary...
would eventually be elected to the position in 1884.
Media portrayal
He is portrayed in the HBO television series DeadwoodDeadwood (TV series)
Deadwood is an American Western drama television series created, produced and largely written by David Milch. The series aired on the premium cable network HBO from March 21, 2004, to August 27, 2006, spanning three 12-episode seasons. The show is set in the 1870s in Deadwood, South Dakota, before...
as Eustace Bailey Farnum, owner of the Grand Central Hotel. His character is depicted as a bit of a buffoon with a conniving, greedy personality who is disliked by many of the town's residents. The character is shown as bullying his subordinates (particularly Richardson, his imbecilic cook) while toadying to those more powerful (initially Al Swearengen
Al Swearengen
Ellis Albert "Al" Swearengen was a pimp and early entertainment entrepreneur in Deadwood, South Dakota, running the Gem Theater, a notorious brothel, for 22 years, and combining a reputation for brutality with an uncanny instinct for forging political alliances.Swearengen and his twin brother,...
and later George Hearst
George Hearst
George Hearst was a wealthy American businessman and United States Senator, and the father of newspaperman William Randolph Hearst.-Early life and education:...
); he is also given to long, self-pitying monologues. He is played by William Sanderson
William Sanderson
William Sanderson is an American character actor.-Early life:Sanderson was born in Memphis, Tennessee, to an elementary school teacher mother and a landscape designer father...
.