N. K. Fairbank

Nathaniel Kellogg "N.K." Fairbank (1829-1903) was a Chicago industrialist whose company, the N.K. Fairbank Co., manufactured soap as well as animal and baking products in conjunction with the great meat packing houses in northern Illinois. The company had factories in Chicago, St. Louis, Montreal and Louisiana and had international offices in the United Kingdom and Germany. Gold Dust Washing Powder (featuring the iconic Gold Dust Twins and distributed by Lever Brothers), was one of the most successful cleansing product lines in twentieth century North America. Another original Fairbank creation, Fairy Soap, was purchased by Procter & Gamble and remains one of the best-known European household brands.

Streeterville

Fairbank was the original owner of the land that now comprises Streeterville in downtown Chicago; now some of the most expensive real estate in the city. Despite unanimously winning several court cases Fairbank, the Pinkertons, and the Chicago Police were unable to remove the squatter and Chicago legend, George Streeter, from the property for 28 years.^[1] As a testament to the long running feud a street running near the outside (western) edge of Streeterville is named Fairbanks Court.

Other activities

Fairbank served as: president of The University of Chicago board of trustees, a founder and president of The Chicago Club, a founder of the Commercial Club of Chicago, a senior officer and an early major trader at the Chicago Board of Trade, one of the original trustees of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the first Commodore of the Lake Geneva Yacht Club, and as a director of numerous corporations between 1880 and 1903.

Fairbank, Arizona, now a ghost town, was named for him because of his role in financing both the Grand Central Mining Company and the railroad in nearby Tombstone, Arizona^[2][3](famous site of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral).

The Fairbank family in America

N.K. Fairbank was a descendent of Jonathan Fairbanks of England who arrived in Massachusetts in 1633. Settling in Dedham, Massachusetts, Jonathan built Fairbanks House, the oldest surviving wood frame building in America.^[4]

The Livingstons

Fairbank married Helen Livingston Graham in New York on April 24, 1866. Livingston Graham’s original American ancestor was Robert Livingston, 1st Lord of Livingston Manor.^[5] Livingston Manor was ceded to Livingston in 1686 by New York Governor Thomas Dongan and confirmed by King James II and King George I, it was the largest of the American noble manors.^[6] Unlike most manor lords the Livingstons supported democracy and independence in the America and were signors of the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution.

Lord Robert Livingston was a descendant of the Lords and Earls Livingston of Linlithgow and Callendar in Scotland. The family seat was Callendar House in Falkirk, now a museum.

References

1. ^ Untitled Document at www.waterdogmusic.com
2. ^ http://www.blm.gov/az/nca/spnca/fairbnk1.htm
3. ^ Fairbank - Ghost Town at www.inn-california.com
4. ^ Bragging rites - The Boston Globe at www.boston.com
5. ^ Descendants of Robert Livingston and Alida Schuyler at iment.com
6. ^ Manor lords - the landed gentry of New York at www.raken.com

• Helen de Freitas, "Antecedents and descendants of Nathaniel Kellogg Fairbank, 1595-2000"
• "The Story of Chicago", by Joseph Kirkland, published by Dibble Publishing, Co., 1892.

External links

• Fairbank-Graham Family Papers at the Newberry Library

Persondata
Name	Fairbank, Nathaniel
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1829
Place of birth
Date of death	1903
Place of death