William Hoyt FANCHER

Other Events and Attributes:

• Census: 1900, Living with father and step-mother in Danbury, Fairfield Co., Connecticut
• Census: 1920, Living with step-mother in Danbury, Fairfield Co., Connecticut
• Census: 1930, Living with step-mother in Danbury, Fairfield Co. Connecticut

Notes:

Name:
He was educated in public schools of Danbury and because of an asthmatic condition, from which he was long a sufferer, he was sent to California in his youth and attended the University of California in which latter institution he acquired some knowledge of civil engineering. He assisted in laying out a development near Los Angeles. He had a natural bent for tools and things mechanical and subsequently turned to railroading and worked as a locomotive fireman on the Santa Fe Railroad. Returning east about the time of his mother's death in 1897 he worked for the Connecticut Highway Department, out of the New Milford office. His father having been somewhat interested in the Fancher Family genealogy, the son took the work up in earnest about 1925, when W.S. Potter of Columbus, Ohio, who had previously worked on a genealogy of the family, died. He carried on the task most assiduously throughout the remainder of his too short life and when he died it was found that he had left a bequest to the New England Historic Genealogical Society to provide the completion and publication of a Fancher Genealogy. Mr. Fancher had joined the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers while in California and remained a member in good standing until his death. He had also in California become a 32nd degree Mason and was a member of the Shrine.