OF THE SADDLE AND SIRLOIN CLUB 39 
CULTURIST AND AGRICULTURIST 
10. HonoraBLe Henry Farrrax was a high type of cultured 
Virginian gentleman. He bore himself with a dignity of manner 
that was at all times democratic, and he deservedly became one 
of the most popular men of his county and state, as well as the 
leading proponent in America of that breed of horses he so ener- 
getically fathered. Born in Alexandria, Virginia, May 4, 1850, 
he had not sufficient age to participate in the internecine conflict 
which occurred during his teens. His family emigrated from 
England in 1767, locating first in Maryland, but after fourteen 
years of struggle removed to Virginia. In 1852, his father, Cot. 
Joun W. Farrrax, bought the famous estate in Loudoun county 
known as Oak Hill, long the residence of PRESIDENT JAMES 
Monroe. Except for a few years when owned by Dr. Quinsy, 
during the reconstructive period of the south, the estate has ever 
since been in the hands of the Fairfax family. In 1867, Mr. 
FarrFax entered the Virginia Military Institute where he gradu- 
ated in 1871. He thereupon entered his first work as chainman 
with an engineering party in Pennsylvania, and worked in New 
York, New Jersey, Colorado and Idaho. In 1879 he took railroad 
contracts in Tennessee and continued in such work until 1887, 
building a considerable portion of the Norfolk and Western, 
Shenandoah Valley, Ohio River and East Tennessee & North 
Carolina railroads. He was engineer in charge of Machinery 
Hall at the Centennial Exposition in 1876. 
In the early 80’s, Mr. FatrFax maintained his office in Roanoke, 
Virginia, where he was elected to the town council, his first ven- 
ture in politics. From 1890 to 1900 he was a member of the 
state senate from Loudoun and Fauquier counties, and the follow- 
ing two years was a member of the state constitutional conven- 
tion, at which he was chairman of the Finance and Taxation 
Committee. From 1902 to 1905 he was a member of the Cor- 
poration Commission. His fitness for this latter position had 
