| Notes |
- Charles M. Gillett, of Cedar Creek township, is a native of Indiana, born September 3, 1841. The father, Wilkes Gillett, a native of New York, born March 21, 1811, came to Ohio with his parents when nine years of age, where he grew to manhood and married Sophia Jones, who was born May 1, 1809. They cleared a farm in Ohio and remained until 1837, when they removed to Milan township, Allen county. At the time of their settlement, their nearest neighbors were two miles distant. In 1863, they removed to St. Joseph township, and in 1881, to Fort Wayne, but soon after died, he on June 15, and she in September, 1881.
Wilkes Gillett came here a poor man, and he and family suffered all the hardships known to a pioneer life. The principal food at that time consisted of venison, wild honey and corn bread. He never had the advantages of education, and for the considerable success he had in life, had to depend upon hard work. His wife, however, was well educated, and was one of the early teachers in Ohio. He served as one of the board of trustees of his township, when the board consisted of three members, and was in short, one of the representative farmers of Allen county.
Charles M. Gillett was raised on the old homestead, where he received a common school education. On April 26, 1871, he married Harriet, daughter of William and Eliza (Swift) Utter, natives of New York; she was born September 4, 1844. This union was blessed with two children: Wilkes, born June 3, 1877; Ray, born January 26, 1885. He was assessor and appraiser of St. Joseph township two years.
On September 13,1862, he enlisted in the Twenty-third Indiana battery, and served in all the battles in which his battery participated, and received an honorable discharge at Indianapolis, July 2, 1865.
After farming with his father about fifteen years, he bought thirty acres in St. Joseph township, sold this and bought another sixty acres, which he sold and removed to Milan township, and a year later came to Cedar Creek township and settled on the farm where he now lives. In 1883, he made a prospecting tour to Washington territory, and in the following June, went with his family, intending to stay, but only remained eighteen months. He has eighty acres in Cedar Creek which are well improved with good buildings erected by himself. He and family are highly esteemed. He now has in his possession a silver watch which was presented to his father on his sixty-ninth birthday, by his friends at Fort Wayne.
(Valley of the Upper Maumee River; Vol 1; by Brant & Fuller, pub. 1889)
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1841 - 1924 (82 years)
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