History of Bloomfield, (Hartford County) Connecticut United States of America

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Biographies:

Edward Hooker Gillette, representative, was born in Bloomfield, Conn., Oct. 1, 1840; son of the Hon. Francis and Elisabeth Daggett (Hooker) Gillette. He attended the public schools of Hartford, Conn., and the State agricultural college at Ovid, N.Y. In 1863 he removed to Des Moines, Iowa, where he edited the 1owa Tribune, and also engaged in farthing and manufacturing. For a number of years he was chairman of the national committee of the National Greenback party and was a delegate to the national conventions that nominated Peter Cooper, James B. Weaver, Benjamin F. Butler, A. J. Streeter and James B. Weaver a second time, for the Presidency. In 1878 he was elected a representative in the 46th congress from the capital district of Iowa, running upon the greenback or U.S. vs. Bank money issue. Mr. Gillette became well known as an advocate of financial and landre-forms and the initiative and referendum; was an active supporter on the rostrum of William J. Bryan for President in 1896, and was candidate of the three silver parties in Iowa for auditor of state in 1898.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Francis Gillette, senator, was born in Bloomfield (then a part of Windsor), Hartford county, Conn., Dec. 14, 1807; son of Elder Ashbel and Acsah (Francis) Gillette, and a descendant of the two brothers, Nathan and Jonathan Gillette, who came from France to New England in 1630, and settled first in Dorchester, Mass., then removed to Windsor, Conn., when that place was settled in 1635, and became proprietors there. Francis was graduated at Yale in 1829 valedictorian of his class. He studied law with Gen. W. W. Ellsworth, but on account of ill health decided to become a farmer. He was a representative in the state legislature, 1832 and 1836; and the unsuccessful candidate of the Liberal party for governor of Connecticut in 1841, and of the Liberal and Free Soil parties for several gubernatorial elections. In 1854 he was elected by a coalition of the Whigs, Temperance men and Free-soilers to fill the vacancy in the U.S. senate caused by the resignation of Truman Smith, and he served from May 25, 1854, to March 4, 1855. He was an active anti-slavery advocate, and introduced into the state legislature a proposition to strike the word "white" from the state constitution. He was an early member of the Republican party, and a silent partner in the Evening Press of Hartford, the first Paper in the state to support the new party. He was a prominent promoter of the cause of education, and a trustee and for many years president of the state normal school. He married in 1834, Elisabeth Daggett, daughter of Edward and Elisabeth (Daggett) Hooker, and a descendant of Thomas Hooker. He died in Hartford, Conn., Sept. 30, 1879.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor