Randolph County, Indiana
Elihu S. Gillam
Conspicuous among the representative business men and public-spirited citizens of Randolph county is the well-known gentleman whose name forms the caption of this article. Mr. Gillam has made his influence felt for the good of his community at Modoc, being a man of sterling worth, the latter part of whose busy, useful and honorable life has been closely interwoven with the history of the locality in which he resides, and his efforts have always been for the material advancement of the same, since removing here several years ago, as well as for the social and moral welfare of his fellow men; and the well regulated life he has led has gained for him the respect and admiration of all with whom he has come in contact-thus for many reasons he is eminently entitled to representation in a biographical work of the scope intended in the present volume.
Elihu S. Gillam, who conducts an extensive mercantile establishment at the town of Modoc, was born in Fayette county, Indiana, August 13, 1852. He is a son of Benjamin and Mary (Case) Gillam, whose family consisted of eight children, namely: Henry, who died during the Civil war, while a soldier for the Union; Kate, who has been twice married, both husbands being now deceased, had five children by the first marriage, which was to Joseph Beaver, her last marriage being to S. Murray, and she is now living in Colorado; Fannie, who lives at Anderson, Indiana, is the wife of John Vardaman, a mason by trade, and they have two children; Elihu S., of this review, was fourth in order of birth; Charles Alvin, who was engaged in farming in the West, died some time ago, leaving a widow and four children; John Franklin, a carpenter by trade, of Anderson, this state, has been twice married, first, to Naomi Price, and lastly to Lena Hale, and he and his last wife have two children; Mary, deceased, was the wife of Charles A. Morrison, who preceded her to the grave, leaving no children; the eighth child died in infancy.
The father, Benjamin Gillam, was born in Pennsylvania, where he spent his boyhood, finally coming to Fayette county, Indiana, where he remained some time, finally removing to Randolph county, in the fall of 1868, and here he spent the rest of his life, which was brief, his death occurring in 1869, at the age of fifty-six years. He devoted his life to farming, and after his death his widow remained on the home place until her death in 1887 at the age of sixty-eight years.
Elihu S. Gillam was reared on the farm and assisted with the general work about the place when growing up, and he received his education in the common schools. He has been twice married, first, to Rachael J. Howell, a daughter of Levi Howell, a farmer of Nettle Creek township, Randolph county, and to this first union two children were born, namely: Maud, who lives at Alexandria, Indiana, is the wife of Bert Jones, a minister of the Methodist church, and they have two children, Keith, born in November, 1906; and Robert, born in August, 1909. Edna, second daughter of our subject, married Morris Lee, a farmer of West River township, where his family have long been among the leading agriculturists. The second wife of Elihu S. Gillam was Pearl Holly, who had been previously married, and who has a son thirteen years old by that marriage. Her maiden name was Ballard, her family being from Henry county, Indiana. Mr. Gillam's first wife died on April 28, 1906, and his second marriage took place in September, 1911.
Mr. Gillam began life for himself by farming. He also learned the carpenter's trade and devoted many years to this work and to contracting and building, with pronounced success, being known as a skilled workman and reliable builder. In 1907 he began operating a general store at Modoc with Hunt & Jones, subsequently buying out Mr. Hunt, and they have since conducted the business alone under the firm name of Jones and Gillam, their trade gradually increasing, and he now ranks with the leading merchants of the county, his large and well-selected stock of goods being a credit to the town, in fact, would not be out of place in cities of much larger population. He enjoys an extensive country trade, his neatly kept and comfortable store being a favorite stopping place for the families of farmers when in Modoc, for they know that here they will receive honest and courteous treatment. Politically, Mr. Gillam is a Republican and religiously he attends the Methodist Episcopal church.
Past and Present of Randolph County, Indiana, 1914.
Contributed by Gina Richardson