William Gilley, a prominent pioneer of Carroll County, came here in April, 1856. He entered a quarter section of land in what is now Pleasant Valley Township, and settled upon it the following year. At the time he made his settlement there were but twenty-eight voters in the county. The settlements were in Newton and Jasper townships. The people were all from the East, and none of foreign birth. Of these twenty-eight voters about ten remain, the others having removed or died. Mr. Gilley is the oldest resident of the county living in Carroll City. When he settled here all was in its primitive condition. Roving tribes of Indians were frequently seen pursuing the elk and the deer, which were then abundant. It is difficult to conceive a correct idea of the changes that have taken place since that time. They were very slow for many years, but since the advent of the railroad the development and growth of the country has been rapid. Mr. Gilley settled upon the land he entered, which he improved, and upon which he resided until he removed to Carroll in 1868. The town had scarcely an existence at that time, there being but three or four houses within the corporation. When there were twenty-eight voters the total number of inhabitants did not exceed seventy-five in the county. Their nearest mill was at Panora, about thirty miles distant, taking two days to make the trip. Panora was a small town, but it was a point of trade, although the settlers frequently went to Des Moines to do their trading. Panora was also their postoffice. But in those early days all were friendly and dependent upon one another, and they led a comparatively happy and contented life. But little was done in the way of improvements until about 1865. At the breaking out of the war all who were of legal age entered the army to do battle for the Union, and it was not until the close of the struggle that any material advancement was made. Mr. Gilley was born in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, in March, 1830. When he was three years of age his parents removed to Medina County, Ohio, where he grew to manhood, and where he married Leah M. Mohler, a native of Wayne County, Ohio. She was taken by her parents to Medina County when only six years old. Mr. and Mrs. Gilley were married in 1854, and came to Iowa in the fall of the same year. Their first location was near Iowa City, where Mr. Gilley purchased a farm, and in the spring of 1856 he sold out and came to Carroll County. He made the change on account of the cheap land and the prospective railroad, which, however, was not built until ten years later. In 1868 Mr. Gilley was elected county treasurer, and removed to Carroll, but continued to own his land until 1869. He served two terms as treasurer, and during that time he also conducted a real estate agency. He invested the money he obtained from his farm in town property, and purchased a half section of land near the corporation. He has since added eighty acres to that, all of which he still owns. In 1871 he engaged in the coal and lumber trade at Carroll, which he operated until 1875, since which he has devoted much of his time to the improvement of his farm. Like most of the pioneers Mr. Gilley came to the county poor, but by industry and good management has acquired a competence. He has done much toward the improvement of the town in the way of erecting business blocks. He is a Republican in politics, and cast his first presidential vote for General Scott in 1852, and his first in Iowa for Fremont in 1856. He has not only served the county as treasurer, but has held the offices of sheriff and clerk of the court. He was mayor of Carroll during the years 1878-’80. Mr. and Mrs. Gilley have had four children. Their oldest son, Willard B., was drowned in Middle Coon River, near Old Carrollton, in 1868, when twelve years of age. Their surviving children are—Ira M., Ida S., wife of William Trowbridge, of Carroll, and Emma Iowa, living at home. The parents of Mr. Gilley were Andrew and Catherine (Van Demark) Gilley, natives of Pennsylvania, where they were reared and married. They removed to Ohio when William was three years of age. The mother died in Ohio, and the father afterward came to Carroll, where he passed the remainder of his days. Mrs. Gilley’s parents were John and Susan Mohler, natives of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, removing to Ohio after marriage. The father died in Ohio, and the mother is still living in that State at the age of eighty-two years.

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