The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-12-17
A BUSY LIFE CLOSED.
End of the Useful Career of Benja-
min F. Fillmore.

min F. Fillmore.
| In the death of Benjamin Il. Fill
more. which occurred at $50 o'clock
Monday evening. Scranton has lost one
of it's pioneer settlers. and one who
had been largely Identified with the
| growth of the city and it's suburbs. Mr..
| Fillmore was born at Manlius, n. v,
Dec. 3, 1881. and had therefore just
passed his seventy first birthday.
His entire life was one of activity:
illeness had no place in his nature. and
the many public works upon which he
| was engaged, and the eagerness with
which his services We're sought, bear
witness to his industry and sterling in
tegrity.
| His first enterprise was the building
OF the plank-road, or turnpike leading
west from Syracuse, his last, the To-
eating of a valuable coal deposit in the
northern part of this state for Buffalo
capitalists. During the fifty-two years
which interviewed between his first
work and his last, he was almost con-
stantly engaged in enterprises which
| today stand as monuments to his skill
| and activity.
Early in life Mr.. Fillmore engaged in
widening the Erie canal, then the main
artery for freight traffic in the state of
| New York. Later he assisted in build
ing the breakwater in the harbor OF
Buffalo, and still later, in the construc-
ton of the locks about the rapids of
the ohio river near Louisville, ny.
Coming to Scranton in 1852 he imme-
diately engaged in the construction of
the railroads, which were to be of so
much benefit to the town.
Mr.. Fillmore built the present Dela-
ware and Hudson road from Olyphant
to Carbondale. double tracked the Del
aware, Lackawanna and Western road
| from Scranton to Henryville and built
the Storrs branch of the Lackawanna
road. He constructed the first street
car lines i'll Scranton. having the con-
tract for building the Green Ridge,
Providence and Dunmore Peoples
| lines.
For five years Mr.. Fillmore was gen.
eral superintendent of the Pennsyl
| vania Anthracite Coal company's
mines, having under his charge the
Corey Greenwood and Sibley collieries.
Later he developed the Marshwood coal
property, and still later what is now
known as the West Ridge colliery of
| the Scranton Coal company.
| Very soon after coming to Scranton,
Mr.. Fillmore identified himself with
the Penn Avenue Baptist church, and
| for years was an honored member of
that body, serving as trustee and dea-
con. He was identified with the build
ing up Of the Green Ridge section Of
the city. and at one time was a mem-
Der of the city councils.
AS friend, Mr.. Fillmore was one
whose memory will always be kept
green, especially by the young men
with whom he was associated in the
church and Sunday school. To his
kindly advice, many of the younger
men of this city owe much, While all
who knew him. will remember the
genial smile and the warm grasp of
the hand with which he met them, and
the interest which he took in their
prosperity.
In later years Mr.. Fillmore resumed
his residence in Green Ridge, and be-
came identified with the Green Ridge
Baptist church. His interest in the
work of this church was great and ii
was intensified because the church was
the outgroWth of q movement begun
during his former residence in Green
Ridge. In the passing away of B. r.
Fillmore, Scranton has lost a worthy