Samuel P. Fillman is one of the enterprising businessmen of Redding, California. He is manager of the water works and the electric light, and thus has control of two of the important things that contribute to the well-being of the city -- water and light.

      Mr. Fillman was born in Pottstown Pennsylvania, January 6,1854. His parents, Cunard and Hannah (Peters) Fillman, were both natives of Pennsylvania. He was the sixth of their eight children, two of whom are deceased. Mr. Fillman received his education in Williamsport, early evinced a liking for and an interest in machinery and learned the machinist’s trade. In 1873 he came to California, and worked at his trade in San Francisco. Later, he became superintendent of the Oakland Mine, in Grass Valley, Nevada <County>, in which capacity he remained a year and a half. In 1887 he came to Redding and put in the pumping system, which supplies the city with water. They pump into a reservoir, which holds 350,000 gallons of water, and the pumping capacity is 58,000 gallons per hour. Mr. F. Smith, a capitalist of San Francisco, and Mr. Fillman formed a stock company, with $100,000 capital, and purchased the electric light plant, 650 lights, of Thompson & Huston. They have now in use about one-half of the lights. The works are run by a fifty-horsepower engine. As yet there are no streetlights in the city, but the light is such a success that, doubtless, it will soon be used on the streets.

      Mr. Fillman has a one-third interest in a very valuable patent medicine, the celebrated McClellan Diphtheria Remedy. It is being put up and is for sale by Dugan & Dickey, San Francisco. As an efficient remedy it is unexcelled.

      In 1882 Mr. Fillman was united in marriage to Miss Lotty Rawson, a native of Wisconsin. To them have been born a daughter and a son. The latter is deceased.

      Mr. Fillman is a member of the American Legion of Honor, and politically he is a Democrat.
 

Memorial & Biographical History of Northern California The Lewis Publishing Co., 1891 Page 638
Transcribed by: Bonnie Phelan