Fisher family.

Among members of the Beard and Fisher families of Salisbury, Rowan County, N.C., was Lewis Beard (1754-11 December 1820), who was born in Salisbury, son of John Lewis and Christine Snapp Beard. He was a prosperous businessman, owning almost 15,000 acres in Rowan, Montgomery, and Burke counties, some containing valuable mineral deposits. He operated a large store in Salisbury, as well as two large plantations on the Yadkin River. As a leading citizen of Salisbury, he served as assessor of town lands, public treasurer of Rowan County, high sheriff of Rowan, director of the Salisbury branch of the Bank of Cape Fear, and member of the North Carolina House of Commons, 1791-1792, and the North Carolina Senate, 1793.

Lewis Beard's daughter Christine married Charles Fisher (20 October 1789-May 1849), a prominent politician and businessman of Salisbury. Fisher studied law, but never practiced the profession. Fisher was elected to the state Senate in 1818 and, in 1819, was elected to fill the congressional seat of George Mumford upon Mumford's death in office. Fisher served two terms in Washington, becoming an ardent supporter of John C. Calhoun. Fisher returned to North Carolina after declining to seek a third term in Congress. In 1828, Fisher presented a lengthy Report on the Establishment of Cotton and Woolen Manufacturers to the North Carolina State Assembly. This report was reprinted in full by the American Farmer within a month and was circulated widely throughout the South. Fisher was then elected to the North Carolina House of Commons seven times, serving as speaker in 1830 and 1831. He became a leader of the western half of the state, and worked for a constitutional convention in North Carolina to give more power to the western counties. In North Carolina, he continued to work on behalf of Calhoun's presidential aspirations, taking Calhoun's part on many issues, such as the tariff, the national bank, and nullification.

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