Andrew H. Gillies Biography, Genesee County, Michigan

This Biography extracted from “Portrait and Biographical Record of 
Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola Counties, Michigan…”, published be Chapman 
Bros., Chicago (1892), p. 983-984


This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives.




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ANDREW H. GILLIES, who is a member of the firm of Beardslee, Gillies & 
Co., is engaged in the planing mill and lumber business on West 
Kearsley Street. The firm consists of Mr. Beardslee, our subject and 
Mr. Charles H. W. Conover. They have been in this business since 1865 
and have carried it on in Flint since 1870, the firm name having been 
the same since 1867, and they are now the oldest dealers in Flint, 
continuing under the same name and dealing extensively in lumber.

   Mr. Gillies was born in the city of New York, November 2, 1835, and 
is a son of William and Ann (Weeks) Gillies. When this son was quite 
young the family moved to Sandusky, Ohio, and thence to Genesee County, 
when he was four years old. The father had died in Ohio, and the family 
settled in what is now Flint Township. The country school and the farm 
provided the education and training for this youth and he remained at 
home until the breaking out of the Civil War.

   Andrew Gillies enlisted in the fall of 1861 in Company A, Eighth 
Michigan Infantry, and was at once sent South with Sherman and was with 
him at the battle of Coosaw River, and at the capture of Ft. Pulaski, 
Wilmington Island and James Island. His regiment was then sent North to 
join McClellan and was under Burnside at Fredericksburg, the second 
Bull Run, Chantilly, South Mountain, and Antietam. They then went to 
Kentucky and were present at Vicksburg with Grant and also at Jackson, 
Miss., and then returned to Kentucky and East Tennessee, being present 
at the siege of Knoxville. He then re-enlisted and became a part of the 
Army of the Potomac, under Grant, and went with through the campaign of 
1864 as far as Weldon Road and was sent to the hospital at Washington, 
D. C. He joined his regiment in April, 1865, and was mustered out with 
them with the rank of First Lieutenant. His service extended over four 
years, lacking seven days.

   Upon his return to Flint Mr. Gillies located in the city and engaged 
in business with Mr. Beardslee, buying out another partner, who had 
been with that gentleman. At that time the outfit consisted of only a 
small mill which had just been fitted up with one planer. During the 
quarter of a century since this partnership began, great improvements 
have been made in planers and they now run several of these machines of 
a highly improved character and keep in their employ twenty-five men, 
doing a large business in their line.

   Our subject was one of the organizers of the People's Electric Light 
Company, of Flint, of which he is the Vice-President and he was one of 
the early promoters of the building of the Music Hall, generously 
taking stock when others hesitated as to the advisability of doing 
this, and he is deeply interested in city real estate.

   Mr. Gillies was married February 22, 1864, to Marcia, daughter of 
Morgan B. Persons, of Flint Township, and they have three children: 
their son, Marvin P., who is now in the Upper Peninsula; and two 
daughters, Anna and Lulu, who are at home. They are members of the 
Presbyterian Church in which they are highly esteemed for their 
character and work, and Mr. Gillies is a prominent member of the 
Masonic order.




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