John Melvin Gilman (September 7, 1824 – September 26, 1906) was an American politician and lawyer. Born in

Calais, Vermont Calais is a town in Washington County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,661 at the 2020 census. Calais is homophonous with ''callous''. Calais contains the unincorporated communities of Adamant, East Calais, North Calais, Kent's Co ...

, Gilman was admitted to the Vermont bar in 1846. He moved to

New Lisbon, Ohio Lisbon is a village in and the county seat of Columbiana County, Ohio, United States, along the Little Beaver Creek. The population was 2,597 at the 2020 census. It is a part of the Salem micropolitan area, southwest of Youngstown and northwe ...

in 1846 and practiced law. He served in the Ohio House of Representatives in 1849 and 1850. In 1857, Gilman moved to Minnesota Territory and settled in

Saint Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

. He continued to practice law. Gilman was the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

nominee for a U.S. House seat in 1859 and again in 1863, losing to William Windom and

Ignatius Donnelly Ignatius Loyola Donnelly (November 3, 1831 – January 1, 1901) was an American Congressman, populist writer, and fringe scientist. He is known primarily now for his fringe theories concerning Atlantis, Catastrophism (especially the idea of an a ...

. Gilman served in the Minnesota House of Representatives in 1865, 1869, and 1877. Gilman died at a hospital in Saint Paul, Minnesota from a fall caused by a stroke at his home.

Family

Gilman was the son of Dr. John Taylor Gilman (1791-1825) and his wife Ruth Curtis (1799-1865). His mother remarried in 1829 to Nathaniel Eaton (1791-1878), who was later a Vermont state senator and a judge. Gilman's older brother

Marcus Marcus, Markus, Márkus or Mărcuș may refer to: * Marcus (name), a masculine given name * Marcus (praenomen), a Roman personal name Places * Marcus, a main belt asteroid, also known as (369088) Marcus 2008 GG44 * Mărcuş, a village in Dobârl� ...

(1820-1889) became a successful Chicago merchant; after returning to Vermont in 1871, he served in the

Vermont General Assembly The Vermont General Assembly is the legislative body of the state of Vermont, in the United States. The Legislature is formally known as the "General Assembly," but the style of "Legislature" is commonly used, including by the body itself. The G ...

in 1874 and compiled a bibliography of Vermont history. He was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for mayor of Chicago in 1859. One of Gilman's step-brothers was

Dorman Bridgman Eaton Dorman Bridgman Eaton (June 27, 1823December 23, 1899) was an American lawyer instrumental in American federal Civil Service reform. Born at Hardwick, Vermont, he graduated at the University of Vermont in 1848 and at the Harvard Law School in 1 ...

(1823-1899), a lawyer prominent in civil service reform. Gilman married Anna G. Cornwell in 1857. Their two oldest children, John (b. 1859) and Marcus (b. 1860) died in a boating accident on the Mississippi River in 1877. A third, Hays (1862-3) died in infancy. Jesse (1864-1944) married Lucius Pond Ordway (1862-1948), who became a prominent St. Paul businessman. Catherine "Kit", born 1868, married a man named James Potter Elmer.The Vermont Historical Gazetteer: A Magazine, Embracing a History of Each Town, Civil, Ecclesiastical, Biographical and Military, volume 4, ed. Abby Maria Hemenway, Montpelier: Vermont Watchman and State Journal Press, 1882, p. 151

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gilman, John M. 1824 births 1906 deaths People from Calais, Vermont People from Lisbon, Ohio Politicians from Saint Paul, Minnesota Minnesota lawyers Ohio lawyers Vermont lawyers Democratic Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives Members of the Ohio House of Representatives Accidental deaths in Minnesota 19th-century American politicians