- Mr. GILLIES is one of the largest landed proprietors in this
township or in fact Rock County; he
- is a native of this state being born in the town of Rutland,
Dane county in 1854. His parents, David and Elizabeth GILLIES,
came to this township when William was only eight years of age
and before Evansville was ranked among the towns of the West.
At an early age Mr. GILLIES developed a taste for farming and
under the tuition of his father soon mastered a profession which
was to make his name famous among his fellow-men as one who may
be consulted on any matter pertaining to farming; he may justly
be called the architect of his own fortune in amassing which
he exercised the skill of a practical farmer and the tact of
a financier, he worked hard and saved sufficient money from season
to season to extend his purchase of land until now his property
aggregates 560 acres which he has rented to various tenants.
- In 1875, which just come of age, Mr. GILLIES thought it was
not good for man to be alone and
- took himself a wife. Miss Julia E. HOSLEY left her home in
Union Village and came as helpmate to the house of Mr. GILLIES
and in course of time became the mother of an interesting family
of four, one girl and three boys.
- Though Mr. GILLIES' interest in farming has not abated in
the least yet, for the education of his
- children, he decided to reside in town and for some time
past has occupied a house in Evansville, lately he purchased
the elegant residence formerly owned by Mr. R. M. ANTES and intends
to reside there after the 15th of May this year. His oldest daughter
graduated from High school in 1896 and is now at Beloit College
completing an already good education; the three boys attend school
here and hope some day to carry off the laurels in some professional
career. Events prove that Mr. GILLIES is held in high esteem
by his fellow citizens as he has been chosen to fill one of the
most important offices in the community, viz: Clerk of the Township.
Since his appointment he has fulfilled his arduous duties with
promptness and integrity and it would be hard for the citizens
to find a man better fitted to fill the post or in whom they
could so implicitly rely for a conscientious performance of the
multifarious duties connected with the position.
-
- [Taken from "Directory of the City of Evansville
and Town of Union" (c)1898 The Judson Directory Co., Chicago,
Ill., p. 34]
Courtesy of Ruth Ann Montgomery
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