Portrait and biographical album of Ingham and Livingston counties, Michigan, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties ... the governors of the state and of all the presidents of the United States.

THIIR ZEENTH PRESIDENT.

67

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MMILLAHlR FILLMIIRE.4
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ILLARD FILLMORE, thiz|../Ik?1.1teenth President of the United
- 'SStates, was born at Summer
'Hill, Cayuga Co., N. Y., on
the 7th of January, I800. His
( y father was a farmer, and owS <[ _ ing to misfortune, in humble ciri1 cumstances. Of his mother, the
1;~ daughter of I)r. Abiathar Millard,
i/,.of Pittsfield, Mass., it has been
~| _ said that she possessed an intellect..of very high order, united with much
personal loveliness, sweetness ofdis(i position, graceful manners and exquisite sensibilities. She died in
I* 831; having lived to see her son a
young man of distinguished prom-.'-, though she was not permitted to witness the high
dignity which he finally attained.
In consequence of the secluded home and limited
means of his father, Millard enjoyed but slender advantages for education in his early years. The common schools, which he occasionally attended were
very imperfect institutions; and books were scarce
and expensive. There was nothing then in his character to indicate the brilliant career upon which he
was about to enter. He was a plain farmer's boy;
intelligent, good-looking, kind-hearted. The sacred
influences of home had taught him to revere the Bible,
and had laid the foundations of an upright character.
When fourteen years of age, his father sent hinm
some hundred miles from home, to the then wilds of
Livingston County, to learn the trade of a clothier.
Near the mill there was a small villiage, where some

enterprising man had commenced the collection of a
village library. This proved an inestimable blessing
to young Fillmore. His evenings were spent in reading. Soon every leisure momient was occupied v.ith
books. His thirst for knowledge became insatiate
and the selections which he made were continually
more elevating and instructive. He read history
biography, oratory, and thus gradually there was enkindled in his heart a desire to be something more
than a mere worker with his hands; and lie was becoming, almost unknown to himself, a well-informed,
educated man.
The young clothier had now attained the age of
nineteen years, and was of fine l)ersonal appearance
and cf gentlemanly demeanor. It so happened tha'
there was a gentleman in the neighborhood of ample
pecuniary means and of benevolence,-Judge Walter
Wood,-who was struck witli the pre!)ossessing a'pearance of young Fillmore. He made his acquaintance, and was so mtuch impressed with his ability and
attainments that he advised him to abandon his
trade and devote himself to the study of the law. The
young man replied, that he had no means of his own,
co friends to hell) him and that his previous education had been very imperfect. But Judge Wood had
so much confidence in him that he kindly offered to
take him into his own office, and to loan him such
money as he needed. Most gratefully the generous
offer was accel)ted.
There is in many mlinds a strange delusion about
a collegiate education. A young man is sul)p;osed to
be liberally educated if he has graduated at same college. But many a boy loiters through university hla1:.,nd then enters a law office, who is by no means as