GEORGE FISHER, lawyer, Surveyor of Customs and ex officio Collector of the Port of Cairo, Ill., was born April 13, 1832, in Chester, Vt. His father, Joseph Fisher, was a native of New England, though of Scotch origin, and his mother, Orythia (Selden) Fisher, was a lineal descendant of the eminent English statesman, John Selden, who figured prominently in literature and politics in the first half of the seventeenth century. The family name upon both sides was represented in New England at an early date. Mr. Fisher's elementary education was obtained in the common schools of his native town; he fitted for college at the Chester Academy. He afterward entered the Middlebury College, where he continued for four years, receiving the degree conferred by that institution in 1858. Immediately after the completion of his collegiate course, he became the Principal of an academy in Vermont, where he remained three years, winning for himself a name among the leading teachers of his State. His next position was as Principal of one of the grammar schools of Alton, Ill., where he also took rank among the leading educators of Illinois. During the three years that he taught in Alton, he pursued the study of law, under the instruction of Hon. H. W. Billings, and later of Seth T. Sawyer. In 1864, having been admitted to practice, he removed to Cairo, Ill., which has since been his permanent home, and where he has enjoyed a lucrative practice, as well as the confidence and esteem of an extensive circle of friends. While his court practice has not, perhaps, been as extensive as some members of the Cairo bar, he has proven himself especially able as an office lawyer, and in the settlement of estates, which he has made a specialty. His ancestry, for several generations, have been noted for their ability and enthusiasm in political issues, and it is but natural to expect that Mr. Fisher would have inherited some of their characteristic zeal; while he is not a politician in the accepted sense of that term, he takes an ardent interest in public affairs, and his natural abilities afford no small aid to the Republican party, with which he has always acted. In 1869, he was appointed Surveyor and ex officio Collector of the Customs for the Port of Cairo, Ill., and has held the position ever since. For several years he has served as a member of the Board of Education, and takes a lively and unselfish interest in the advancement morally, intellectually and politically of the community in which he is an honored citizen. He was married, November 29, 1860, to Miss Susan G. Copeland, of Middlebury, Vt.
Extracted 31 Mar 2017 by Norma Hass from 1883 History of Alexander, Union, and Pulaski Counties, Illinois, Part V, page 16.
| Cape Girardeau MO |
Union | |
 |
Pulaski | |
| Scott MO | Mississippi MO | Ballard KY |
