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Gilfillan, John Bachop "J.B."

Sessions Served  red ball graphic  Other Information


Map of Minneapolis
Minneapolis, MN

Senate 1876-82 (District 25); Senate 1883-85 (District 28)

Party when first elected:  Republican

Counties Served:  Anoka, Hennepin, Isanti

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Date of Birth: 02/11/1835 Date of Death: 08/19/1924
Birth Place: Barnet, Vermont Birth County: Caledonia Birth Country: United States
Other Names: J.B.
Gender:  Male Religion:  Presbyterian
City of Residence (when first elected):  Minneapolis

Occupation (when first elected):  Lawyer; Lochren, McNair and Gilfillan Law Firm, Minneapolis/Former Teacher

EDUCATION

Caledonia County Grammar School, Vermont; Elementary School;
Caledonia County Academy, Vermont; Secondary; Graduate, 1855
Studied Law; With Nourse and Winthrop, Then With Lawrence and Lochren; Admitted to the Minnesota Bar, July 1860

OTHER GOVERNMENT SERVICE

School Board/AdministrationMinneapolis, Minnesota (Board of Education,One of the First School Board Members)Appointed??/??/1860 to ??/??/1868
Municipal AttorneySt. Anthony (Minneapolis), Minnesota (City Attorney) ??/??/1861 to ??/??/1864
County AttorneyHennepin County, MinnesotaElected??/??/1863 to ??/??/1867
Municipal Council/AldermenMinneapolis, Minnesota (City Alderman) ??/??/1865 to ??/??/1869
County AttorneyHennepin County, MinnesotaElected??/??/1869 to ??/??/1871
County AttorneyHennepin County, MinnesotaElected??/??/1873 to ??/??/1875
Board of RegentsUniversity of MinnesotaAppointed??/??/1880 to ??/??/1888
U.S. Representative4th Congressional District, MinnesotaElected03/04/1885 to 03/03/1887

FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

Spouse: Rebecca Corse Oliphant (married on January 20, 1870; she died on March 25, 1884); Widower; Hannah Lavinia Coppock (remarried on June 28, 1893)
Children: Five children (with his first wife): (3 sons, 1 daughter)
Family Members Who Have Served in the Minnesota Legislature:
Charles Duncan Gilfillan  - Other - See Notes

GENERAL NOTES

Toensing indicates that the Gilfillan's were related. We haven't found a source that provides how they were related to each other. Charles Duncan Gilfillan's brother, James, served as the Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court.

He was of Scottish ancestry.

He came to Minnesota in October 1855 and settled in St. Anthony.

"Mr. Gilfillan has always been a Republican in politics..." (Progressive Men of Minnesota, 1897, p. 136)

He was a founder and promoter of the grade school system in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

He was listed as a Republican on the list of members posted after the 1877 election. ("The Next Legislature." St. Paul Pioneer Press, November 10, 1877)

He served as a Republican Party member of the United States Congress.

He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the United States House of Representatives in 1886.

He died in Minneapolis, Minnesota and was buried in Lakewood Cemetery in that same city.

He was a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church.

Religion provided by Progressive Men of Minnesota, 1897.

Legislative Session: 24th (1885-1886) (second half of Senate term)   Session Details
Body: Senate Elected: 11/7/1882 Term of Office: 1/2/1883 to 1/3/1887
District: 28 Residence: Minneapolis
Counties Represented: Anoka, Hennepin, Isanti
Occupation: Lawyer
Party: Republican Party Notes: "Mr. Gilfillan has always been a Republican in politics..." (Progressive Men of Minnesota, 1897, p. 136)
Committees:
Joint University and University Lands
Judiciary (Chair)
Library
Legislative Session: 23rd (1883-1884)   Session Details
Body: Senate Elected: 11/7/1882 Term of Office: 1/2/1883 to 1/3/1887
District: 28 Residence: Minneapolis
Counties Represented: Anoka, Hennepin, Isanti
Occupation: Lawyer
Party: Republican Party Notes: "Mr. Gilfillan has always been a Republican in politics..." (Progressive Men of Minnesota, 1897, p. 136)
Committees:
Insurance
Joint University and University Lands
Judiciary (Chair)
Legislative Session: 22nd (1881-1882)   Session Details
Body: Senate Elected: 11/2/1880 Term of Office: 1/4/1881 to 1/1/1883
District: 25 Residence: Minneapolis
Counties Represented: Anoka, Hennepin, Isanti
Occupation: Lawyer
Party: Republican Party Notes: "Mr. Gilfillan has always been a Republican in politics..." (Progressive Men of Minnesota, 1897, p. 136)
Committees:
Insurance
Joint University and University Lands (Chair)
Judiciary (Chair)
Session Notes: He was the Chair of the Senate Joint University and University Lands Committee, and the Judiciary Committee (1879-1885). (History of Minneapolis, Gateway to the Northwest; Chicago-Minneapolis, The S J Clarke Publishing Co, 1923; Edited by: Rev. Marion Daniel Shutter, D.D., LL.D.)
Legislative Session: 21st (1879-1880)   Session Details
Body: Senate Elected: 11/5/1878 Term of Office: 1/7/1879 to 1/3/1881
District: 25 Residence: Minneapolis
Counties Represented: Anoka, Hennepin, Isanti
Occupation: Lawyer
Party: Republican Party Notes: "Mr. Gilfillan has always been a Republican in politics..." (Progressive Men of Minnesota, 1897, p. 136)
Committees:
Insurance
Joint Taxes and Tax Laws (Chair)
Joint University and University Lands (Chair)
Judiciary (Chair)
Session Notes: He was the Chair of the Senate Joint University and University Lands Committee, and the Judiciary Committee (1879-1885), and the Taxes Committee (1878-1879). (History of Minneapolis, Gateway to the Northwest; Chicago-Minneapolis, The S J Clarke Publishing Co, 1923; Edited by: Rev. Marion Daniel Shutter, D.D., LL.D.)
Legislative Session: 20th (1878)   Session Details
Body: Senate Elected: 11/7/1876 Term of Office: 1/2/1877 to 1/6/1879
District: 25 Residence: Minneapolis
Counties Represented: Anoka, Hennepin, Isanti
Occupation: Lawyer
Party: Republican Party Notes: He was listed as a Republican on the list of members posted after the 1877 election. ("The Next Legislature." St. Paul Pioneer Press, November 10, 1877)
Committees:
Insurance
Joint State University (Chair)
Joint Taxes and Tax Laws (Chair)
Judiciary
Legislative Session: 19th (1877)   Session Details
Body: Senate Elected: 11/7/1876 Term of Office: 1/2/1877 to 1/6/1879
District: 25 Residence: Minneapolis
Counties Represented: Anoka, Hennepin, Isanti
Occupation: Lawyer
Party: Republican Party Notes: He was listed as a Republican on the list of members posted after the 1877 election. ("The Next Legislature." St. Paul Pioneer Press, November 10, 1877)
Committees:
Finance
Joint University (Chair)
Judiciary
State Reform School (Chair)
Legislative Session: 18th (1876)   Session Details
Body: Senate Elected: 11/2/1875 Term of Office: 1/4/1876 to 1/1/1877 (Special Election)
District: 25 Residence: Minneapolis
Counties Represented: Anoka, Hennepin, Isanti
Occupation: Lawyer; Lochren, McNair and Gilfillan Law Firm, Minneapolis/Former Teacher
Party: Republican Party Notes: "Mr. Gilfillan has always been a Republican in politics..." (Progressive Men of Minnesota, 1897, p. 136)
Committees:
Finance
Joint University (Chair)
Judiciary
State Reform School
Session Notes: His official term start date is uncertain due to the special election. The date listed is the first day of the 1876 Session. His official election date is uncertain. He won a special election to fill the unexpired term of John Sargent Pillsbury. The election date listed is the date of the regular election for the Senate even numbered districts.

OTHER INFORMATION

Articles & Books By
Gilfillan, John B. "History of the University of Minnesota." St. Paul, Minn.: Minnesota Historical Society, 1908.


Articles & Books About
Shutter, Marion Daniel. "John Bachop Gilfillan." Progressive Men of Minnesota, Minneapolis: The Minneapolis Journal, 1897, p. 136-137.

"Hon. John B. Gilfillan." Memoirs of the State Officers; and of the Nineteenth Legislature of Minnesota, by C.L. Hall. Minneapolis: Johnson & Smith, p. 16.

Gilfillan, John Bachop. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.




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