Caroline C. Fillmore

Caroline Fillmore (née Carmichael, formerly McIntosh) was born on October 21, 1813, in Morristown, New Jersey. Her parents were Charles Carmichael and Temperance (Blachley) Carmichael. In November 1832, she married Ezekiel C. McIntosh, a merchant based in Troy, New York, who served as president of the Schenectady and Troy Railroad. Ezekiel McIntosh was born in 1806 and died in 1855. The marriage produced no children, and upon his death at age 49, Caroline inherited considerable wealth.

Following the death of her first husband, Caroline married Millard Fillmore on February 10, 1858, in Albany, New York. Millard Fillmore was the 13th president of the United States. At the time of their marriage, Fillmore was 58 years old and Caroline was 44. The marriage required a prenuptial agreement from Caroline. The couple purchased a mansion on Niagara Square in Buffalo, New York, where they resided.

Caroline and Millard Fillmore’s marriage was reportedly compatible, and she gained social prominence as the former president’s wife. During the 1860s, her mental and physical health began to decline. Millard Fillmore died unexpectedly on March 8, 1874, after suffering a stroke; prior to this, he had been in relatively good health. Her health continued to deteriorate following his death, and she developed eccentric and temperamental behaviors.

In her later years, Caroline frequently changed her will. When she died on August 11, 1881, at the age of 67, multiple members of the Fillmore family contested her last will and testament through legal proceedings. She is interred in the Fillmore family plot at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, New York.