Bio of GILMER, Edward (b.1866), Wright Co., MN ========================================================================= USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. If you have found this file through a source other than the MNArchives Table Of Contents you can find other Minnesota related Archives at: http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/mnfiles.htm Please note the county and type of file at the top of this page to find the submitter information or other files for this county. FileFormat by Terri--MNArchives Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: Diane Hanson Submitted: April 2004 ========================================================================= 468 HISTORY OF WRIGHT COUNTY Edward Gilmer, a prosperous business man of Smith's Lake, Middleville township, was born May 6, 1866, in Ontario, Canada, son of Archibald and Susan (Christie) Gilmer, natives respectively of Ireland and Scotland, who were brought to Canada by their parents when they were children. They were married in Canada, and after their marriage continued to live there about twenty-two years. The children born there were: William J., Jane, Mary Ann, David, Burley, Tessa, Archibald, Allen and Edward. Another child, Christie, was born in Minnesota. The family came to Minnesota in 1872 and secured a tract of 136 acres in section 6, Victor township. To this they added forty acres more the following spring. Some eight or ten acres had been cut over by the process of girdling the trees. A log house, 12 by 16 feet, had been erected, and into this the family moved, taxing its capacity to the utmost. Soon a larger log house was built. With the help of a team of horses the land was cleared, and as time passed a modern home and comfortable barns and outbuildings were erected. Archibald Gilmer assisted in erecting the first schoolhouse in district 87 and he also helped to erect and support the Presbyterian church at Howard Lake. After a useful and successful career he died in 1902 at the age of seventy-seven. His wife died two years later at the age of seventy-six. Edward Gilmer was brought to Minnesota by his parents, and was reared on the home farm, attending the district school. At the age of twenty-one he started for himself on a farm of forty acres in 469 HISTORY OF WRIGHT COUNTY Victor township. This tract was partly improved. He erected the buildings and lived on the place until 1900, when he gave up his farm pursuits. He now owns land in Canada which he bought in 1900, and also eighty acres in section 2, Victor township, which he bought in 1911. From 1900 to 1906 he dealt in livestock. Since 1906 he has been grain buyer for the Thorpe Elevator Company, at Smith's Lake, Middleville township. He is an expert at his business, and is widely known for his honor and fair dealing. His fraternal associations are with the Woodmen at Howard Lake. Mr. Gilmer was married in 1896 to Mrs. Sadie Lyren, daughter of John Johnson, now deceased, a resident of Middleville township. Mr. and Mrs. Gilmer have two children; Anna, now Mrs. R. C. Mealey, and Andrew, now of Minneapolis.