Nathaniel Fillmore, Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nathaniel Fillmore Jr.
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Photograph circa 1851. Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society (Buffalo, NY).
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| Born | April 19, 1771 |
| Died | March 28, 1863 (aged 91) |
| Occupation | Farmer |
| Spouse(s) |
Phoebe Millard
(m. 1796; Eunice Love
(m. 1834; |
| Children | Millard Fillmore, 8 others |
| Parent(s) | Nathaniel Fillmore Sr. Hepzibah Wood |
| Relatives | John Fillmore Jr. (grandfather) John Fillmore Sr. (great-grandfather) |
Nathaniel Fillmore Jr. (born April 19, 1771 – died March 28, 1863) was an American farmer. He is best known as the father of Millard Fillmore, who became the 13th President of the United States.
His Early Life
Nathaniel Fillmore Jr. was born on April 19, 1771. His birthplace was Bennington, a town in Vermont. His father was Nathaniel Fillmore Sr., who was a soldier during the American Revolution. His mother was Hepzibah Wood. Nathaniel Jr.'s family had been in America for a while. His grandfather, John Fillmore Jr., was a ship's captain.
Life as a Farmer
After Nathaniel Fillmore Jr. got married, he started farming in Vermont. The land there was very rocky, making it hard to grow crops. Soon, he and his brother, Calvin Fillmore, heard about new land in New York. They decided to move there, hoping for better farming opportunities.
The Fillmore brothers moved their families to a new area in New York. It was a thick forest that they had to clear. They faced many challenges. One big problem was that the land surveys were wrong. This meant they didn't get the land they expected. They were left with very little.
Because of these problems, Nathaniel became a tenant farmer. This means he worked on land owned by others. He also sometimes taught school to earn money. He worked hard and sometimes needed help from others to survive.
Over time, Nathaniel Fillmore's situation improved. He became well-known in Niles, New York, where he lived. He served as a justice of the peace for eleven years. A justice of the peace is a local official who handles small legal matters. Eventually, he bought his own farm in East Aurora, New York. He made this farm very successful. He passed away in East Aurora in 1863 and was buried there.
Family Life
In 1796, when he was 25, Nathaniel married Phoebe Millard. She was 16 years old and the daughter of a well-known doctor. They were married in Bennington, Vermont. Together, they had nine children:
- Olive Fillmore (1797–1883)
- Millard Fillmore (1800–1874)
- Cyrus Fillmore (1801–1889)
- Almon Fillmore (1806–1830)
- Calvin Fillmore (1810–1879)
- Julia Fillmore (1812–1891)
- Darius Fillmore (1814–1837)
- Charles Fillmore (1817–1854)
- Phoebe Fillmore (1819–1843)
Phoebe passed away in 1831. A few years later, in 1834, Nathaniel married Eunice Love.
Historians say that his first wife, Phoebe, was very important in their son Millard's life. She encouraged Nathaniel to get Millard a job as a clerk. This job helped Millard start his path toward a successful career in law and politics, which eventually led him to become president.
When Millard Fillmore became president in 1850, Nathaniel visited him the next year. This visit was very important to President Fillmore.
A Special Fact
Nathaniel Fillmore Jr. holds a unique place in history. He was the first of only four fathers of a U.S. President to live through his son's entire time in office. The other fathers who did this were George Tryon Harding, Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr., and George H. W. Bush.
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