Nathaniel Fillmore | |
|---|---|
_2.jpg) Photograph circa 1851. Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society (Buffalo, New York). | |
| Born | Nathaniel Fillmore Jr. April 19, 1771 |
| Died | March 28, 1863 (aged 91) |
| Burial place | East Aurora Cemetery, East Aurora, New York |
| Occupation | Farmer |
| Spouses | Phoebe Millard
(m. 1796; died 1831)Eunice Love
(m. 1834) |
| Children |
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| Parents |
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| Relatives | Calvin Fillmore (brother) |
Nathaniel Fillmore Jr. (April 19, 1771 – March 28, 1863), a Vermont farmer, was the father of U.S. president Millard Fillmore. A native of Bennington, he farmed there until he was in his mid-twenties when his brother Calvin and he moved to western New York. Duped by unscrupulous land agents, their titles proved defective and they lost their new farms. He became a tenant farmer and occasionally taught school; the Fillmore family's circumstances were so dire that they sometimes relied on the charity of their landlords to survive.
Over time, Fillmore's fortunes turned for the better. While living in Niles, New York he became prominent enough in the community to serve in local offices including justice of the peace. While living in Niles, he followed the advice of his wife and procured a clerk's position for their son Millard in the law office of Judge Walter Wood, who was also their landlord. This clerkship began Millard Fillmore's training to become an attorney, and placed him on the path to a legal and political career that culminated with the presidency.
Nathaniel Fillmore eventually bought a farm in East Aurora, which he developed into a successful venture, and which he continued to work on until well into his later years. Millard Fillmore became president in 1850, and his father visited him at the White House in 1851. He died in East Aurora in 1863, and was buried at East Aurora Cemetery.