BIOGRAPHY: C. C. FIELDS, Mifflin County, PA

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The Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of the Juniata Valley, Comprising 
the Counties of Huntingdon, Mifflin, Juniata, and Perry, Pennsylvania.
Chambersburg, Pa.: J. M. Runk & Co., 1897, Volume I, pages 519-520.

  C. C. FIELDS, flour manufacturer and farmer, Wayne township, Mifflin county, 
Pa., was born December 7, 1847, in Wayne township.  He is a son of William and 
Keziah (Graham) Fields.  His paternal grandfather came from Ireland at an early 
period, and settled in Mifflin county, where he engaged in farming.  William 
Fields, father of Mr. C. C. Fields, was born in Wayne township in 1810.  He 
received a fair education in subscription schools and commenced life on the 
farm.  He soon, however, became a teamster and a canal boatman, in which latter 
occupation he soon rose to such prominence as the commander of various boats, 
that to this day the name of Captain Fields is one of the best known among old 
canal men.  In middle life he discontinued boating and devoted his time during 
the winter to the supervision of his farm, a tract of over 130 acres, in Wayne 
township, and to stock raising, while in the summer he was employed along the 
canal in the capacity of stone mason and carpenter.  He died in 1891 at the home 
of his son, C. C. Fields, at Mt. Union.  Captain Fields married Miss Drake, born 
in Wayne township.  They had two children, both of whom died young.  His wife 
died in a few years, after which he was again married to Keziah Graham, born in 
Wayne township, daughter of a farmer of that township, who died in the State of 
Indiana.  The children of this marriage are:  Mary M., deceased;  C. C., of 
Wayne township;  George, of Newton Hamilton;  William P., of Kansas City, Kan.;  
J. Frank, of Newton Hamilton;  Annie (Mrs. George Sailor), of Mt. Union;  Jane, 
deceased, was the wife of Dr. Rhodes, of Mt. Union;  and Sydney (Mrs. Jackson 
Vanzandt), deceased.  The mother of these children died in 1888.  Captain Fields 
was prominent and useful in the community;  he was active in the Democratic 
party.  He served as school director, and was a commissioner of Mifflin county 
for one term.  He was one of the founders of the Central Banking Company at Mt. 
Union.  Mr. Fields was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
  C. C. Fields, after attending the public schools of Wayne township, studied 
for one term at the Kishacoquillas Valley Seminary.  He remained on the farm 
until he was eighteen years of age, when he spent one year at railroading.  In 
1865 he went to Venango county, where he worked for two and a half years in the 
oil fields.  He saved a little money there, but lost it by having loaned it.  
Returning home, he opened a little store at McVeytown Station in partnership 
with George Hanawalt.  One year later he sold out and became engaged in harness 
making, at which he worked for a number of years.  He then returned to Mt. 
Union.  After laboring there for a short time he was appointed engineer at 
Mattawana, near McVeytown, where he remained six months, again returning to Mt. 
Union, where he worked for one year as engineer in a flour mill.  After another 
six months at the Mattawana mills, he was employed by the Pennsylvania Railroad 
company at the stone quarries at McVeytown Station.  He was next an engineer at 
a sawmill at Singer's Gap, Huntingdon county.  Returning again to Mt. Union, he 
worked at the East Broad Top Railroad for some time, and was afterwards fireman 
for two and a half years at the Lucy Furnace, and then for three years engineer 
of the steam mill at Mt. Union.  Following this, Mr. Fields for eleven years 
successfully carried on the butchering business at Mt. Union.  On account of the 
panic, he discontinued this and took charge of the Union mills, in Wayne 
township, now owned and operated by the Fields Brothers, who have much improved 
the machinery of the mills, and enlarged the capacity to twenty-five barrels per 
day.  He also, at the same time, oversees the work on his farm.
     Mr. Fields was married in 1871, in Mattawana, Mifflin county, to Miss 
Rebecca Kauffman, born at Mattawana, daughter of Henry Kauffman, of Mifflin 
county.  They have six children, as follows:  E. Clark, a butcher, residing at 
Mt. Union;  Alice, deceased;  Myrtle;  Indiana;  Annie;  and Charles.
  Mr. Fields, who is extremely popular in the community, being respected for his 
integrity, industry and many good qualities, is an active and consistent member 
of the Methodist Episcopal church.  He is a Democrat.  At one time he belonged 
to the I. O. O. F.