In 1870, Fife's was the site of the first sermon preached in the county.

Quote from Marge Witcraft (Feb. 9, 2009)

"William Fife was my Great Uncle and he really was smart. He was either a billionaire or a pauper all through his life. He came to Cherokee and ran a mercantile business. Then he decided Cherokee needed a hotel so he built one along with the mercantile. Then he started a bank and put it in the same building as the mercantile. Having completed these 3 things, he was a millionaire (at least, maybe more) so he sold the mercantile to my Grandfather and went chasing the gold mines in Alaska."

Born c. 1835 in Canada (age 35 in 1870 census of Cherokee County in which his name was written as Wm. H. Fifes) .