Calvin Willard Gilfillan (February 20, 1832 – December 2, 1901) was a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

member of the U.S. House of Representatives from

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

Biography

Calvin W. Gilfillan was born near East Brook, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. He attended the common schools and graduated from Westminster College in

New Wilmington, Pennsylvania New Wilmington is a borough in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States, first platted in 1824 and established as a borough on April 9, 1863. The population was 2,097 at the 2020 census. It is home to Westminster College and serves the Old O ...

. He served as superintendent of schools of Mercer County, Pennsylvania, for two terms. He served as clerk of the

Pennsylvania State House of Representatives The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts. It ...

in 1859. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1859 and commenced practice in

Mercer, Pennsylvania Mercer is a borough in and the county seat of Mercer County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,982 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Youngstown–Warren metropolitan area. The community was named after Brigadier General Hu ...

. He was appointed prosecuting attorney for

Venango County, Pennsylvania Venango County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 50,454. Its county seat is Franklin. The county was created in 1800 and later organized in 1805. Venango County comprises the Oil Cit ...

, in 1861 and elected in 1862 for three years. Gilfillan was elected as a Republican to the Forty-first Congress. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in

1870 Events January–March * January 1 ** The first edition of ''The Northern Echo'' newspaper is published in Priestgate, Darlington, England. ** Plans for the Brooklyn Bridge are completed. * January 3 – Construction of the ...

. He practiced law until 1873. He was later engaged in banking and was a delegate to the 1872 Republican National Convention. He died in

Franklin, Pennsylvania Franklin is a city and the county seat of Venango County, Pennsylvania. The population was 6,097 in the 2020 census. Franklin is part of the Oil City, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area. Franklin is known for its three-day autumn festival in Oc ...

, in 1901. Interment in the Franklin Cemetery.

Sources

The Political Graveyard
Pennsylvania lawyers Westminster College (Pennsylvania) alumni 1832 births 1901 deaths Politicians from Lawrence County, Pennsylvania County district attorneys in Pennsylvania Businesspeople from Pennsylvania Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania 19th-century American legislators 19th-century American businesspeople {{Pennsylvania-Representative-stub