Sam Fifield

Samuel S. Fifield (June 24, 1839 – February 17, 1915)^[1] was a Wisconsin politician and influential businessperson. The Town of Fifield in Price County, Wisconsin is named after him.

Sam Fifield
14th Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
In office January 2, 1882 – January 3, 1887
Governor	Jeremiah Rusk
Preceded by	James M. Bingham
Succeeded by	George W. Ryland
26th Speaker of the Wisconsin Assembly
In office January 12, 1876 – January 1, 1877
Preceded by	Frederick W. Horn
Succeeded by	John B. Cassoday
Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 24th district
In office January 1, 1880 – January 1, 1882
Preceded by	Dana Reed Bailey
Succeeded by	James Hill
In office January 1, 1877 – January 1, 1878
Preceded by	Henry D. Barron
Succeeded by	Dana Reed Bailey
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Ashland-Barron-Bayfield-Burnett-Douglas-Polk district
In office January 1, 1874 – January 1, 1877
Preceded by	Henry D. Barron
Succeeded by	Woodbury S. Grover
Personal details
Born	June 24, 1839 Corinna, Maine
Died	February 17, 1915 (aged 75) Ashland, Wisconsin
Resting place	Mount Hope Cemetery Ashland, Wisconsin
Political party	Republican
Spouses	Stella Grimes (died 1913)
Children	Lillian (Payne) (b. 1868; died 1956)
Residence	Ashland, Wisconsin

Biography

He was born in Corinna, Maine, in 1839 and received an education as a printer. He moved to Wisconsin in 1854, where he worked as a clerk on a steamboat on the St. Croix River. He founded the Polk County Press in 1861.^[2]

After the American Civil War, he entered politics and served as a Sergeant-at-Arms for the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1871 and 1872. He later served as a Republican member of the Assembly from 1874 through 1876, serving as speaker the last year.^[2] He was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate in 1876, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Henry D. Barron. He served in the state senate until 1881, at which time he was elected as Wisconsin's 14th Lieutenant Governor.^[2]

He lived in Ashland from 1872, and helped found the Ashland Press newspaper. He was the chairman of the first board of supervisors in June 1872.^[2]

After retiring from politics in 1887, he served as postmaster in Ashland,^[3] and opened a summer resort on Sand Island in Lake Superior.^[4] Named Camp Stella, after Fifield's wife, the camp was one of the first successful resorts in northern Wisconsin.^[3] The site is now within the boundaries of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore; many of the buildings are still standing, and one, the Sevona Memorial Cottage, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.^[4]

Fifield died in 1915 at his home in Ashland.^[2] In Ashland, there is a street of historic homes named Fifield Row in his honor.

Sam Fifield is buried next to his wife, Stella, at Mount Hope Cemetery in Ashland.