▁several ▁early ▁families ▁in ▁the ▁vic inity ▁of ▁modern ▁Fair born , ▁which ▁had ▁at ▁least ▁five ▁resident ▁families ▁by ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁birth ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁white ▁child ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 0 . ▁ ▁These ▁early ▁sett lers ▁were ▁isolated ▁from ▁surrounding ▁regions ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁twenty ▁years ▁after ▁the ▁Mer cers ▁arrived ; ▁except ▁for ▁the ▁road ▁running ▁between ▁the ▁cities ▁of ▁Day ton ▁and ▁Spring field , ▁the ▁town ship ' s ▁best ▁transport ation ▁routes ▁were ▁paths ▁through ▁the ▁dense ▁forest , ▁although ▁the ▁nearby ▁Mad ▁River ▁could ▁be ▁used ▁for ▁light ▁fre ight ▁transport ation ▁during ▁the ▁spring ▁flo ods . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 1 0 s , ▁more ▁sett lers ▁were ▁moving ▁into ▁the ▁area ; ▁Fair born ▁( then ▁known ▁as ▁Fair field ) ▁was ▁pl atted ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 7 , ▁by ▁which ▁time ▁the ▁property ▁was ▁owned ▁by ▁Robert ▁Mer cer . ▁ ▁Architecture ▁The ▁Mer cers ▁constructed ▁a ▁log ▁cabin ▁on ▁their ▁property ▁soon ▁after ▁arriv ing ; ▁while ▁its ▁precise ▁date ▁of ▁construction ▁is ▁uncertain , ▁the ▁Mer cer ▁Log ▁House ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁built ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 9 . ▁ ▁Set ▁on ▁a ▁stone ▁foundation , ▁the ▁house ▁is ▁a ▁typical ▁example ▁of ▁the ▁region ' s ▁turn - of - the - century ▁vern ac ular ▁architecture , ▁due ▁to ▁features ▁such ▁as ▁its ▁square ▁appearance ▁( produ ced ▁by ▁the ▁nearly ▁one - to