My Genealogy Hound

ROBERT GILFILLAN, farmer and Justice of the Peace, Sec. 25; P. O. Castine; a native of Ireland, and was born on Nov. 12, 1833, and came, when a child, with his parents, to the United States; they settled in Chester Co., Penn., where Robert grew to manhood; he learned the tanner trade, and when 17 years of age struck out to see the world and make a start in life for himself; he first visited Baltimore, then Washington, and while there went to the White House and had the pleasure of shaking hands with President Fillmore; from there he came West, having to stage it from the mountains to the Ohio River, thence by steamer to Cincinnati; from there he came to Dayton, and found he had just $5 left; he then began to look around to find work, which he soon found in a tannery at West Milton, Miami Co.; afterward came to Ithaca, Darke Co., where he remained a little more than a year; went to Preble Co. in the fall of 1852 and remained until 1859; he cast his first vote in Preble Co., when Know-Nothingism was at its height. He was married March 1, 1859, to Margaret C. Miller, daughter of Jacob F. Miller, a native of Tennessee, and an early resident of Preble Co. They removed to Darke Co. in the April following their marriage; first settled on a tract of land south of Castine, which he had purchased in partnership with Lewis Howell. In 1862, Mr. Gilfillan purchased his partner’s interest and became sole owner of the quarter-section; in 1867, he sold that tract and purchased 160 acres in Sec. 25, a part of which is his present homestead; he was elected Justice of the Peace in 1862, which office he held until 1867; he resigned, and in 1870 was again elected, and has held the office ever since. Mr. Gilfillan’s life is an illustration of what can be accomplished by industry, integrity and economy. He started from Chester Co., Penn., a lad of 17, without means, and is now a substantial and important citizen. He has a family, three daughters and two sons living, and three daughters are deceased, one of whom, an unusually bright and promising girl, of about 10 years of age, was burned to death in 1874, by the accidental explosion of a can of coal oil.