The name Fisher is self-explanatory being originally given to one who obtained his living by fishing. Some historians state that the family was originally Norman, but it seems more probable that it is of Saxon derivation as the early forms of the name were, in many cases, the same as those used in Germany and Holland today. The coat of arms is a simple one due to its antiquity. The shield is azure blue with a swimming dolphin that is silver. The crest has a kingfisher or another water bird displayed. In heraldry, blue is the color of truth, loyalty, honesty, and happiness, while silver denotes purity, eloquence, virginity, and innocence.

The first Fisher that we have records of is Thomas Fisher, born August 10, 1811, in Virginia. He reportedly was living with a very cruel stepfather or uncle. The man was mean to Thomas making him work on Sundays. When Thomas was twelve years old he was hoeing in the fields when a peddler or merchant from Richmond came by on a wagon. The man asked him if he wanted to go to North Carolina with him. Thomas reportedly threw down his hoe, jumped on the wagon and left without looking back. The merchant put him in the care of a responsible couple where Thomas lived until he became of age. It was said that he then visited the stepfather in Virginia who acted as though he did not know him.

Thomas left no records of his parent's names or his county of birth. However, there are some reminiscences that have some background. There were two Fisher brothers who came from England to Virginia. They were carpenters by trade. One of them is thought to be Thomas's father or grandfather. They brought with them a chest of carpenter's tools, which Thomas held in his possessions. A bit, the last of the tools held by the family now belongs to William David Fisher, son of Arthur who was one of Thomas's sons. The bit is finely carved and has a metal socket to hold bits. The top knob was broken off and replaced by an old bedpost knob, but other than that, it is the same.

Thomas was a farm overseer and worked for planters in Warren, Halifax, and around Wood in Franklin County during his lifetime. Most of his life was spent in Nash County around Hilliardston, Red Oak, and Dortches.

At the age of 24, Thomas married Caroline Washington Gay on December 23,1835 in Halifax County, N.C. She was the daughter of Charles Gay, a farmer born 1792 in Orange County, Virginia. Caroline was born February 6, 1818 in Nash County. Their first son, Willis Christopher, was born August 19,1836. James Thomas Fisher was born on July 9,1838 and a third son, William Henry, was born on September 17, 1839.

In 1840, Thomas and Caroline and the three boys were residing in Halifax County. Shortly after that, the family must have moved to the Gay Farm in Nash County. The second child, James, when a very young child got into a chair and tried to reach something on the mantle over the large fireplace as was found the log cabins of that day. There were stands of hot lard cooling in front of the fireplace and he fell into one and was scaled to death. He was buried in the old Gay place, which is now on the J. B. Fisher line between Dortches and Red Oak. Thomas planted three cedar trees there at the house, one for himself, one for his wife, and one for his dead son.

After the boys there was born Mary Frances in 1841; John M. July 30, 1843; Sarah C. (known as Salley), born in 1848, and Ann Caroline, born in 1850. [Charles Thomas Fisher was born during this time frame. Dates are questionable.] In 1850, Thomas was overseeing in Nash County. He was living next door to J.C. Hilliard, a farmer worth $8000 in real estate. One of the descendants remembered Thomas working for the Hilliards who were very prominent Nash County planters.

Carolyn died soon after 1850 and Thomas married the second time on November 2, 1853, to Sarah A. Edwards. She was born in 1836, the daughter of Cullen Edwin Edwards. Sarah inherited about 60 acres of land upon his death in 1844 or 1/7 of a 428-acre tract on Compass Creek near Battleboro. In an 1848 tax list Sarah Edwards was listed for 205 acres at a value of $205. However, there seems to have been more than one Sarah Edwards living in Nash County at that time and distinguishing the two is very difficult.

Thomas and Sarah had six children. They were Arthur, born in 1854; Martha Jane, born August 25, 1857; Joseph Washington, born May 20, 1859; James Albert, born April 9, 1861; Robert, born 1863, and Anna, born in 1866. In 1856, Sarah and Thomas bought the Davis G. Barrett place of 85 acres near Stony Creek for $285. William J. Arrington was the trustee for the transaction. This is supposed to be the same Gay place where Thomas and Carolyn lived at one time on the Red oak-Dortches Highway.

In 1860, the family was living at Ringwood in Halifaxz County. At that time, Thomas had no real estate and his personal estate was worth $800. Sarah, who was 24, was a seamstress and was raising four children: two stepchildren, Charles and Caroline, and two of her own, Arthur and Joseph. Some local planters that Thomas could have been working for at the time were F. W. Cyrus, Gideon Arrington, Lion Carlisle, and Littleton Arrington. Other neighbors were gin makers, tanners, millers, and a schoolteacher indicating that Thomas was living near the hub of activity in the town of Ringwood.

Willis, the oldest son, at the age of 23 in 1860, was living near Red Oak with Sallie Bunting, age 59, a housekeeper with a personal and real estate value worth $11,255. Willis was working as an overseer. Mary Frances, John, and Sarah Fisher, other children of Thomas and Caroline, were living with their grandparents, Charles and Sarah Gay near Dortches.

Thomas and Sarah sold one tract of land in 1863 to John E. Thorne for $60. Thomas died in 1867. He is thought to be buried in an unmarked cemetery on the old Gay place where he lived. In 1868, Sarah sold a small lot to Henry Todd for $10. In 1870, she sold 90 acres for James Woodruff for $285. Sarah and the children lived for a while in Whitakers with Charles, one of the sons, and in Franklin County with Ann Caroline and John Gupton, a stepdaughter and her husband. Most of Sarah's time until her death in 1900 was spent between the homes of Arthur, her son, and Anna Baker, her daughter. She died at Anna's home.

Willis and William Henry had left home in 1860. Willis was working as an overseer near Red Oak and Dortches. William Henry was probably doing similar work. William Henry was known by his friends as "Button" Fisher because of the cleft in his chin. Another brother, John, married Martha Ann Lamnon in 1863. He and his wife migrated to Texas to make their home.

Willis and "Button" enlisted in the Confederate Army April 24, 1861, in Nash County. Both were listed as being residents of Edgecombe County as that time. They were in the Rocky Mount Light Infantry, the 15th Regiment, Company K. The company consisted of 140 men under Captains G. W. Hammond, G. W. White, and J. P. Cross. The regiment was ordered to Yorktown where they threw up brestworks until February, 1862. They were ordered to Sulfolk and Goldsboro in 1862 to reinforce General Branch's command after the evacuation of New Bern. In April, 1862, they returned to the Wilderness, Virginia where they fought in engagements at Lee's Mill and Malvern Hill. Willis was promoted to Corporal in May, 1862. He was wounded in the shoulder and head at Sharpsburg, Maryland September 17, 1862. He returned to duty in January, 1863 and was promoted to Sergeant in July, 1863. Willis and Button were both wounded in a battle at Wilderness, Virginia, May 5, 1864. Willis was shot in the elbow. "Button" was shot in the jaw in the war. He laid delirious on the battlefield for more than a day before the medic attended him. The medic hurriedly sewed up his jaw and in doing so sewed his tongue to his cheek. When back at camp another medic saw the problem and reached in "Button's" mouth and ripped the stitches out with his finger. Then he restitched the wound. At some other time "Button" was wounded and unconscious on the retreat of his regiment. His buddies hid him up in a tree and hoped he wouldn't stir and fall out and the Yankees find him. "Button" was reported absent through October, 1864 after his wound May 5 at Wilderness, VA. Willis returned to duty November 1, 1864. He was parolled at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865.

After the surrender at Appomattox, Willis and "Button" returned home to Nash County. Willis married Sallie Price January 2, 1866 in Nash. She was the daughter of Joel and Penelope Price. They had one son, Ellie Jackson, born shortly before her death. Willis married the second time to Louise Price, Sallie's sister, on January 5, 1870. In 1870, Willis and Lou were living in the Dortches Township. He was working as a miller and had $100 personal property value. Lou was keeping house and three year old Ellie.

"Button" married Lucinda Georgia Davis December 2, 1869. She was the daughter of John W. Davis and Elizabeth Davis. "Button" was a close friend and frequent visitor of Robert Ricks, a farmer who later became a prominent and wealthy businessman of Rocky Mount. Robert Ricks, a Bethel hero, erected the Civil War monument at the Falls of the Tar and was the philanthropist of Rocky Mount before his death.

In 1870, "Button" was a farmer living near Willis. His personal estate was worth $250. Later, they moved to Battleboro where Lucinda inherited some land. They farmed there until his death in 1888. Lucinda lived long afterwards in Battleboro with her children. In 1934, she applied for widow's pension for his Civil War service. At that time she was 83, disabled, deaf, and nearly blind. She was approved and her benefits were increased in 1936.

Willis, in 1880, was farming in the Red Oak and Dortches area. He and Lou had four children: Loula, born 1873, Sallies, born 1874, Olivia, born 1877, and Sam, born 1879. Ellie, at the age of 13, was living with his [maternal] grandparents, Joel and Penelope, just down the road.

After the Soldier's Claim for Pension Act was passed March 11, 1885, Willis, age 49, then residing at the Red Oak Post Office applied and was approved for the Civil War Disability Pension. He received $30.00 annually for his incapacitation for manual labor. His disability was caused by his elbow bone being fractured and several pieces being dislodged. J. M. Earl, a physician, examined Willis, and George W. Gay, a neighbor swore to the accuracy of his claim.

In the 1880's and 90's Willis worked as an overseer for Sam Hilliard. He lived near the Jack Strum farm on the Salem highway. Later he worked for James Williams and is thought to have done some blacksmithing. It is not known when Willis or Lou died. They are buried beside the old Price house presently on the J. B. and Lee Fisher farm in unmarked graves.

Ellie Fisher, son of Willis and Sallie, was born September 10, 1866. He was raised by his grandparents, Joel and Penelope Price from childhood. They lived between Dortches and Red Oak on what is now the J.B. and Lee Fisher farm. He worked as a farm laborer and overseer for various people in the community. In the 1880's and 1890's he worked for John Beal of Red Oak. He also worked in the early 1900's for James Williams of Hilliardston. Ellie mainly did farm work, but he also was noted for his carpentry work. He went around in the community doing latticework on houses. In the 1880's, Ellie started growing tobacco along with others in Nash County. The first tobacco grown in Nash was in 1880 by Mr. York of Granville County. He settled at Hilliardston and tobacco sprung up in neighboring communities. The real boost came when a warehouse was established in Battleboro in 1885.

In 1891, Ellie married Patrick Ellis Griffen, daughter of T.A. Griffen from the North Nashville area. She was born June 14, 1868. Ellis, in 1888, along with her three sisters, was one of twenty charter members of the Beulah Church of Christ. In May, 1888 a group of R. J. Weaver, Isaiah Carver, M. J. Moye, and several others met at a small schoolhouse near the depot in Nashville, N.C. The group continued to meet at different times and places in and around Nashville. On the fourth Sunday in May the group organized at Robbin's school. In 1896, the church moved to a site near the Red Oak-Nashville Highway called the Terrapin Road. After Ellie married Ellis, he too joined the Beulah church in 1907.

Ellie and Ellis had three sons. They were Alphonso Jackson (Jack) born December 9, 1893, Lee Allison born 12, 1896, and jerry Willis born April 17, 1902. In 1895, Ellie bought 56 acres from G. W. Gay, his great-uncle, for $500. This land was adjoining J. R. Whitfield, J. M. Earl, D. W. Denson, and R.G. Whitfield on what is known as Turkeyfoot Road. This farm is referred to by the family as the Old Place.

Together the family farmed the land in tobacco, cotton, and grain crops. They raised quite a lot of corn for their hogs and mules. Ellie and Ellis and the boys worked many long hours gathering and bundling fodder for the livestock in the winter months. They lived in a log house that was very rustic. The floor in the kitchen slanted so that when Jerry spilled his soup it would run all the way down the table into Jack's lap and onto the floor. The soup was not wasted, though. It seeped through the cracks and dripped under the house where the pigs were penned. They ate all the table scraps.

Ellie Fisher was thought highly of by the members of the community. At one time he bought five pounds of honey from James Williams. He paid for it with a silver dollar so that Lucille Willams, his daughter, could have the new pair of slippers she wanted. Ellie was the first person in the community to own a Victoria. Neighbors came over at night to hear it. Their neighbors loved to visit Ellie and Ellis. They were very hospitable and there was plenty of entertainment. Jack played the banjo and Lee played the fiddle.

In 1913, Ellie bought 39 more acres for $650 adjoining G. W. Gay and G. W. Price from the Price estate. This was the land that Ellie was raised on by his grandparents. Ellie moved to the home house to Jack and his new bride. Mrs. Ellis Fisher bought 100 acres for $5000 from Phil Boon in 1927. This was land adjoining their home property between the Rocky Mount road and Horse Pen Branch. This rounded out that farm at a total of 135 acres, plus the 56 acres farmed by Jack at the Old Place.

In January, 1927, the Jones Williams store at Red Oak, (presently the T. B. Faulkner store), was auctioned off to pay a $3000 dept. Ellie's son, Lee ran the store at that time which was owned by a trust of 17 local people. The highest bidder was Ellie Fisher at $1500. He was deeded the property with E. B. High as trustee. However, Ellie could not pay the sum by 1930 so the deed was transferred to W. H. Faulkner.

In 1933, Ellie, at the age of 67, divided his 226 acres farm up among his three sons. He sold Jerry, the youngest, 72 acres for $10. To Jack, the oldest, he sold the Old Place farm of 56 acres for $10. Lee received the home place of 98 acres for $10. Ellie reserved the use of the main dwelling on Lee's farm for himself with the right to use outbuildings, and wood off the property for domestic use. Ellie also alloted the use of tobacco barns on the homeplace to Jerry during his lifetime.

Ellie died with a stroke July2, 1935, and was buried at the Red Oak cemetery. He left an estate of $3266 personal property that was divided between Ellis, Jack, Lee, and Jerry. Mrs. Ellis Fisher lived on the farm with Lee and his wife, Lucy, until her death February 19, 1948.

Jack Fisher, born December 9, when very small moved around with his parents tenant farming and overseeing around the Red Oak community. Afterwards, Ellie bought his first farm in 1895, the Old Place. Jack went to school his first years at Oak Grove School. It was a one-room school with three grades. Oak Grove was on the site now occupied by the Calvin Davenport home on Hunter Hill Road. Jack had to walk about a mile to go to school there. Later, Jack began to go to Red Oak school to further his education. In 1904, Red Oak Academy had 57 students with several boarders. Some of the subjects Jack took at Red Oak were English, history, rhetoric, geometry, spelling, and Latin. Mr. Nance was one of his teachers. Jack was a very good student in Latin. He and Miss Lucille Williams were the only two encouraged to study further in the subject. Around 1913, Jack completed school to work on the farm with his father. He was renowned as a baseball pitcher in high school. He had a game in Castailia one afternoon jack got up early and plowed his assigned field that morning. Finishing at noon, he then put up the mule and ran all the way to Castailia ten miles away. Jack pitched a no hitter and then walked home.

Red Oak school, in 1941, became one of the first Farm Life Schools in the state. It offered vocational agriculture and home economics for its students and was a self-sustaining entity. One of the students who attended the high school, Miss Annie Moore, won Jack's heart and they were married December 20, 1916 during Christmas break.

Annie was the daughter of James Waverly Moore and Mary Whitehurst Moore of Red Oak. He was prominent farmer and member of the Red Oak Methodist Church. Jack and Annie lived in the log house at the Old Place for a year or so with his parents. Then Ellie and Ellis moved to the Price farm on the Rocky Mount highway. Jack joined the Beulah Church in 1916. Annie changed her membership form the Red Oak Methodist Church to Beulah in 1920.

Lee Fisher, Jack's brother, was the only participant in ht family in World War I. He served in a medical unit in the army near Atlanta, Georgia. He worked in a prison and insane army camp there. After his discharge, Lee ran the store at Red Oak. He married Lucy Kennendy, born 1905, in 1922. They lived in the small white house behind the store. Lee and Lucy worked together with Jack and Annie quite a bit farming. Lee then farmed with his father on the Price place on highway 43. He inherited the farm there in Ellie's division among his children in 1933. In the years after that, Lee added to his farm with several purchases.

The first land Jack bought was in 1923 from the Walker estate. He bought 25 acres of good tobacco land for $3025. Ellie, his father, told him it was way too much to pay and that he'd never get on his feet to pay for it. Jack did run into some trouble, but Dick Conn, a merchant from Dortches, loaned him some cotton with no interest to help settle his debt. Still, Jack had to mortgage the land in 1927 to borrow $1500 from J. C. Braswell of Planters Bank.

During the time Jack and Annie farmed together with his brother, Lee and Lucy, they didn't have much but hard work kept them going. All the profit from the cotton and tobacco grown on the farm was reinvested in the farm. If Annie and Lucy wanted any luxuries they had to make it themselves. Being quite industrious , every week the two of them gathered all the extra eggs, butter, milk, and other items and went ten miles to Rocky Mount and sold them. They peddled the goods from door to door. After a while they built up a reputation and had customers waiting for them. When the curb market began in Rocky Mount, they sold some produce there. They usually made less than $10. Every Saturday, but that money was gold to them. They used it to clothe their children and provided for other necessities that could not be grown on the farm. Annie and Lucy went peddling every week until the 1950's. It was their one break from the dusty farm chores and kept the families with a little pocket money throughout the depression.

In 1926 Jack bought 12 1\2 acres for $2500 from Bonnie Ricks. In 1927 he bought 55 acres from J.R. Dunn for $5000. He didn't have money to pay but it is said that if Jack had a nickel in his pocket he would take his chances on getting the rest in time. He borrowed $400 with the 55 acres as collateral from S. T. Thorne in 1927. By 1929 Jack had paid the previous loan off and had a 97-acre farm with a major portion of it being good tobacco land. He rented other land as well. All the tobacco barns burned wood at that time. He was afraid that with the great increase of interest in tobacco that he would not have enough wood around the farm to cure the leaf for many more years. As a result he bought a 143-acre tract of land on Pig Basket Creed four miles away expressly for the large amounts of timber on it. That land cost $7000. Jack paid $1000 down and made annual payments with 6% interest on the rest.

In the twenties, Jack and Annie had built a better house for their new family at the Old Place. Their first child was Murveree born in 1919. Then came Betty Theresa in 1922, Eunice McIver in 1925, Rayeldred Sulivan in 1927, and Gilbert Benjamin in 1933.

The depression of 1929 made money come slowly to Jack's hands in the following years. Tobacco dirt-cheap. Rather than haul it to Rocky Mount for three cents a pound he used it as mule bedding. In 1931, he made less than $100 profit on 75 acres of tobacco. January 20, 1931 he got another mortgage for $1150 which he paid off the following January. Still failing to make ends meet, he mortgaged it again October 19, 1932 for $1000 and paid it off in November, 1933. All this while Jack was trying to meet his payments on the Pig Basket Creek farm. He got behind in his payments but managed to keep the farm by paying in $500 installments.

By 1934 the financial situation cleared. Times had been hard during the depression, but living on the farm, the family had plenty to eat. The car stayed under the shelter though without gas or cash to spend. They worked hard to keep the farm. Although deep in mortgages, Jack lost none of the farm.

Jack bought two adjoining farms in 1934. For the Denson farm of 71 acres lying south of highway 43 he paid $5500. Jack took this opportunity to expand to the road. He was able to borrow $5000 from R. G. Conn, the merchant from Dortches, for a note on the 55-acre Mat place that he had bought in 1927. At the same time, Jack bought 83 acres from R. D. Gorham known as the J. J. Jones Homeplace for $2500. This was to be paid in two payments in 1935 and 1936 with 6% interest.

After buying the Denson place, Jack decided it was time to move his large family out of the Old Place house and to the road. With a cheap, abundant labor supply he had a twelve room, two-story house built at the site of the George May homestead. The May house, a tremendous two story home, was winched by mules to a site a half mile down the road. The two-room wing in the back fell off halfway. They put a foundation under it and it became a tenant house. Jack and Annie's new home was built at a cost of $3500 in 1934.

Things were going well for the farm in the thirties. Tobacco was selling alright and there was plenty of labor. Jack worked for the adoption of the National Farm Program in 1933. He was given recognition later for being one of the persons in North Carolina who plated a great part in the early administration of farm programs. Jack decided to get into the cattle business in 1939. He bought a 134-acre farm on Stony Creek and Still Branch for $10 and other valuable considerations from J. L. Cornwell. The eroded farm was sown in fescue and clover, terraced, and fenced for cattle. The farm prospered through out this period and life gradually became easier for the family.

Jack worked in Mangumn's Warehouse in Rocky Mount as a drummer for buyers in the 1840's. He and several other Nash County farmers thought the warehouses were charging the farmers too much to sell their tobacco. These farmers met together and decided the best answer was to start a warehouse of their own. By April 8, 1947 sufficient support was gathered to start work with 32 investors representing 1041 acres of tobacco. Jack had 88 acres of the total. This committee along with his cousin, John. He was elected as a member of the executive as the warehouse's second Vice President. The Farmer Warehouse served its purpose in providing a more open floor to farmer's tobacco.

In 1849, Jack raised a total of 50,820 pounds of tobacco with nine tenants working for half the crop. His income in 1949 was $13,911.82 from tobacco, $2,721.60 from cotton, $53 from interest, and $37.50 from profit on cattle. Income from tobacco continued to climb while it decreased from cotton. Income for 1956 was $20,460; for tobacco, $1767; for cotton, $2493. He never did make much money off of cattle because be bought a sold some every year trying to improve the herd.

Annie and Jack were leaders in the community. Jack served as an Elder in the Beulah Church of Christ and Annie helped create the Ladies' Aide. She was a Home Demonstration Club member and had perfect attendance for25 years. She was treasurer for 12 years. They both worked with the extension service in the Soil Conservation program and 4-H clubs. Jack was also a member of the Nash County Farm Bureau and the Ruritan Club at Red Oak.

In 1958 Annie and Jack divided their 528-acre farm among their five children reserving only enough money for living expenses. Jack's greatest dream that he worked so hard for was to have his children all have a head start on a farm in the community. He wanted all his children and their families nearby and not scraping for a living the first years of their marriage as he did. Jack died July 31, 1970. Annie died June 20, 1974. Their children have followed their examples of being leaders in the community.

The story of the Fishers in Nash County is the story of a close-knit family, closely tied to the community and closely tied to the land. They have worked hard through the years to make a living from the soil. The family has seen good time and bad, but has always shown pride, happiness, and togetherness, traits not so atypical in rural North Carolina.