Fisk

Fisk, James, 1834-72, American financial speculator, b. Pownal, Vt. In his youth he worked for a circus and as a wagon peddler of merchandise. During the Civil War he became wealthy purchasing cotton in occupied areas of the South for Northern firms and selling Confederate bonds in England. In 1866 he established a brokerage house in New York City with the aid of Daniel Drew, whom he had formerly served as agent. He audaciously helped Drew and Jay Gould conduct the famous struggle with Cornelius Vanderbilt for control of the Erie RR. Afterward he and Gould unscrupulously manipulated Erie stock so as to gain millions for themselves but wreck the road. They also engineered the attempt to corner the gold market in 1869, causing the famous Black Friday scandal. Other raids by Fisk and his associates upset markets and aroused public indignation. Fisk controlled the Fall River and Bristol steamboat lines on Long Island Sound, operated ferries on the Hudson, and bought an opera house in New York City, producing drama and light opera there. He was killed by Edward S. Stokes, a former business associate who was a rival for the attentions of the well-known actress Josie Mansfield.

Fisk, Willbur, 1792-1839, American clergyman and educator, b. Brattleboro, Vt. Ordained a Methodist minister in 1818, he rapidly became a leader of that denomination in New England. In 1825, Fisk helped to reestablish Wesleyan Academy at Wilbraham, Mass., and became its principal. He was a founder (1831) and first president of Wesleyan Univ., Middletown, Conn.

(born April 1, 1834, Bennington, Vt., U.S.—died Jan. 7, 1872, New York, N.Y.) U.S. financier. He worked his way up from circus hand to stockbroker and corporate official. He joined Daniel Drew and Jay Gould against Cornelius Vanderbilt in the “Erie War,” in which the three tried to maintain control of the Erie Railroad Co. by issuing fraudulent stock. They also attempted to corner the gold market by inflating the price, a venture that led to the panic of 1869. Known as “the Barnum of Wall Street,” Fisk produced theatrical shows and dallied with showgirls; he was fatally shot by an associate at age 37 after quarreling over business matters and a mistress.

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(born April 1, 1834, Bennington, Vt., U.S.—died Jan. 7, 1872, New York, N.Y.) U.S. financier. He worked his way up from circus hand to stockbroker and corporate official. He joined Daniel Drew and Jay Gould against Cornelius Vanderbilt in the “Erie War,” in which the three tried to maintain control of the Erie Railroad Co. by issuing fraudulent stock. They also attempted to corner the gold market by inflating the price, a venture that led to the panic of 1869. Known as “the Barnum of Wall Street,” Fisk produced theatrical shows and dallied with showgirls; he was fatally shot by an associate at age 37 after quarreling over business matters and a mistress.

Learn more about Fisk, James with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Fisk is a city in Butler County, Missouri, in the United States, along the St. Francis River. The population was 363 at the 2000 census.

Geography

Fisk is located at (36.782253, -90.206198).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.3 square miles (0.9 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 363 people, 169 households, and 102 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,099.8 people per square mile (424.7/km²). There were 189 housing units at an average density of 572.6/sq mi (221.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.35% White, 0.83% African American, 0.55% Native American, and 0.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.83% of the population.

There were 169 households out of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.0% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.6% were non-families. 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.80.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.7% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 20.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 80.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $19,886, and the median income for a family was $27,000. Males had a median income of $20,500 versus $16,250 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,577. About 17.0% of families and 30.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 53.3% of those under age 18 and 18.6% of those age 65 or over.

References

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