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.

Charles Fisher was involved in many business activities. He was a partner in several gold mining companies in western North Carolina, some of which were located on property inherited from Lewis Beard. He owned half interest in a plantation in Smith County, Miss., and dabbled in land speculation in that state, which led to his involvement in the resettlement of the Choctaw Indian Nation.

Fisher died in 1849, and his business interests were taken over by his son, Charles F. Fisher (26 December 1816-21 July 1861) (Charles Frederick). Charles F. Fisher attended Yale University in 1835, but returned to Salisbury after one semester. He worked in his father's mining companies and became co-publisher of the Western Carolinian, a political newspaper supporting the philosophy of John C. Calhoun. In 1855, he was elected president of the North Carolina Railroad. While serving as president, he received a contract for construction of part of the western route of the railroad. This action angered some of the stockholders, but Fisher was reelected president in 1859 without incident. Fisher volunteered for the Confederate army and was elected colonel of the 6th North Carolina Regiment. He was killed in the Battle of First Manassas. His close friend, S. L. Fremont, named Fort Fisher on the Cape Fear River in his honor.

Charles F. Fisher and his second wife, Fanny Alexander Caldwell Fisher, had three children, including Frederick C. Fisher and Frances C. Fisher. Frances married J. M. Tiernan, who was involved in the mining business. She wrote novels under the pen name of Christian Reid.

From the guide to the Fisher Family Papers, 1758-1896, (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection.)