Charles William Gillet

Charles William Gillet (November 26, 1840 – December 31, 1908) was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from New York who served six consecutive terms in Congress from 1893 to 1905. His congressional service took place during a significant period in American history, and he participated actively in the legislative process while representing the interests of his constituents.

Gillet was born in Addison, Steuben County, New York, on November 26, 1840. He attended the public schools of his hometown and continued his studies at the Delaware Literary Institute in Franklin, New York, an academy that prepared many young men for college and professional life. He subsequently enrolled at Union College in Schenectady, New York, from which he was graduated in 1861, completing his formal education on the eve of the Civil War.

With the outbreak of the Civil War, Gillet entered military service in the Union Army. In August 1861 he enlisted as a private in the Eighty-sixth Regiment, New York Volunteer Infantry. Within a few months he was promoted to adjutant of the regiment in November 1861, reflecting early recognition of his abilities and leadership. During his service he was wounded in the line of duty and was honorably discharged for physical disability in 1863, ending his active military career but establishing him as a veteran of the national conflict.

After leaving the Army, Gillet returned to Addison, where he engaged in business and local affairs. He entered the manufacturing field, devoting himself to the production of sash, doors, and blinds, an industry important to the growing communities of upstate New York in the postwar period. His involvement in local commerce helped establish his standing in the community and provided a foundation for later public service.

Gillet’s first significant federal appointment came in the late 1870s. On June 15, 1878, he was appointed postmaster of Addison, New York. He held this position for more than eight years, serving until July 26, 1886. As postmaster he oversaw the local operations of the United States Post Office Department, a role that placed him at the center of communication and civic life in his town and further enhanced his reputation as a capable public official.

Building on his local prominence and Republican Party affiliation, Gillet was elected as a Republican to the Fifty-third Congress and to the five succeeding Congresses, serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from March 4, 1893, to March 3, 1905. During his twelve years in Congress he contributed to the legislative process over six terms in office, representing his New York district during an era marked by industrial expansion, agricultural change, and evolving federal responsibilities. He served as chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of Agriculture during the Fifty-fourth through Fifty-seventh Congresses, where he exercised oversight over agricultural spending and administration. In the Fifty-eighth Congress he was chairman of the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, a position that involved supervision and legislative direction concerning federal buildings and related public works. He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1904, thereby concluding his congressional career at the end of his sixth term.

In his later years, after leaving Congress in March 1905, Gillet remained identified with the Republican Party and with the public life shaped by his long record of military, civic, and legislative service. He died in New York City on December 31, 1908. His remains were returned to his native region, and he was interred in Rural Cemetery in Addison, New York, closing a life that had been closely tied to the community in which he was born and to the state he represented in the national legislature.