Will the real Fife please stand up?
Not long ago, I received a message from someone looking for information on a photo of a building in Fife – not one that looked familiar, and a bit older than what we are used to. After a few questions, it turned out the gentleman was asking about a building in Fife, British Columbia, not our beloved Fife, Washington. That got me to wondering just how many Fifes are out there?
After some googling, here is what I found:
Fife, Scotland, United Kingdom
Fife is Scotland’s third largest local authority area by population. It has a resident population of just under 367,000. It lies directly North of Edinburgh. On the northeast coast of Fife lies the historic town of St Andrews, home to the University of St Andrews—the most ancient university of Scotland and one of the oldest universities in the world—and the Old Course at St Andrews, considered the world’s oldest golf course.
Fife, British Columbia, Canada
The community of Fife, east of Christina Lake, was originally called Sutherland Siding, although the origins of both names are uncertain. The latter was after Sutherland Creek, so called by March 1898. The earliest reference to Sutherland Siding is in the Cascade Record of March 24, 1900. But a post office application submitted that year suggested using the name Christina or Fife instead.
Fife, Washington
Our beloved city, whose history this site is dedicated to.
Fife, Montana
Cascade County, located just east of Great Falls. Fife was once a station on the Great Northern Railway between Great Falls and Belt. It was likely named for a variety of wheat commonly grown near here. A post office was active at Fife from 1914 (February 27) to 1963 (November 22). James Prodger was the first postmaster at Fife.
Fife, North Dakota
This Northern Pacific Railroad station in the northwest quarter of section 2-139-50, Mapleton Township three miles east of Mapleton, was built in 1882 and called CANFIELD. The name was changed on June 2, 1907 to honor Joe Fife of Ontario, Canada, who developed Scotch Fife wheat in 1872, which was the leading hard spring wheat grown in the Red River valley. The elevator at this site closed during the 1920’s, and the site is currently used to store railroad cars for use at the stockyards in West Fargo.
Fife, Texas
Fife is an unincorporated community in McCulloch County, Texas, United States. According to the Handbook of Texas, the community had an estimated population of 32 in 2000 and was established by Robert Kaye Finlay. The community was named after Fife, in Scotland, the ancestral home of a first settler.
Fife, Georgia
Fife is a peaceful neighborhood in Fairburn, USA, known for its friendly atmosphere and beautiful surroundings. Neighbors love the area for its close-knit community and the abundance of green spaces, perfect for outdoor activities.
Fife, Virginia
Fife is an unincorporated community in Goochland County, Virginia. It has the oldest surviving Rosenwald school in the county, built in 1918 with assistance from Chicago philanthropist Julius Rosenwald. Second Union School is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The area was developed for agriculture, and many African Americans continued to work on former plantations into the 20th century. In the early 20th century, public education was segregated and schools for African Americans were underfunded. Julius Rosenwald began to work with Tuskegee Institute to support construction of new schools for rural African-American children in the South. Four were built in western Goochland County, and a total of 12.
Anyone up for a road trip to visit all of these Fifes?