Edward Fairbanks arrived in the United States on June 4, 1894, after saving enough money on his family’s farms in County Sligo, Ireland. He first explored New York City, then visited cousins in Salem, Ohio, before settling in Chicago where he worked in a livery stable and later delivered milk for Bowman Dairy.
Family and Early Life in Naperville
Fairbanks married Ida Matilda Friess in Chicago on May 9, 1905. The couple moved to Naperville in 1906, where Ed found work as a wood carver at the Naperville Lounge Factory (later known as Kroehler Furniture). At that time, only three automobiles roamed the town’s streets. The Fairbanks family grew with the birth of daughter Marian A., who later married Frank Wagner. Their second child, Carol E., tragically died at age seven on April 4, 1920.
Public Service Begins
In 1913, city officials invited Fairbanks to a meeting at City Hall, and he was hired as a night policeman. Four years later, after Chief George Anderson resigned, Fairbanks was appointed chief of police, a position he held until 1927. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen on October 19, 1911, and after Ida’s death in 1920, he remarried Mary Magdalena Diener on April 22, 1922, at the Naperville Congregational Church.
Challenges on the Beat
Chief Fairbanks faced several dangerous incidents. In 1923, a motorist struck his police motorcycle, breaking his leg. Later, during the 1939 DuPage County Centennial Celebration, armed robbers stole the Kroehler Furniture payroll. While escorting bank employees, Fairbanks was knocked unconscious by one of the thieves, who escaped with several thousand dollars.
“Children’s Policeman” Legacy
Throughout his 34‑year career, Fairbanks earned the affectionate nickname “Children’s Policeman.” He routinely stood at the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Washington Street, outside the Naperville National Bank, greeting passing schoolchildren with a cheerful “fine day,” rain or shine, and helping them cross safely. His dedication to the community left a lasting impression on generations of Naperville families.
Masonic Involvement and Later Years
Fairbanks was raised a Master Mason on May 28, 1921, and later exalted a Royal Arch Mason on December 12, 1921. He retired from the police force in 1947 after a distinguished tenure. Edward Fairbanks passed away on January 21, 1956, at the DuPage County Convalescent Home in Winfield and was laid to rest in Naperville Cemetery.
Original reporting: Positively Naperville (Aurora area) — read the source article.
