John D. Gillett of Cornland and Elkhart was one of the three men responsible for founding the City of Lincoln, Illinois, and the town’s primary financier. Lincoln, established in August, 1853, was named for Gillett’s personal friend and attorney, Abraham Lincoln, and members of Gillett’s family long claimed that Gillett’s wife suggested the name. Born in Connecticut in 1819, Gillett came to Illinois in the fall of 1838 and settled at Bald Knob in what was shortly to become Logan County. His final residence was on Elkhart Hill, surrounded by more than 16,000 acres of rich farmland that he had acquired. An importer and breeder of blooded cattle, he built such an extensive herd that he became known as “The Cattle King of the World,” shipping cattle to markets in Europe as well as the growing Chicago market. Gillett’s daughter Emma married Governor Richard J. Oglesby, who was also a close personal friend of Abraham Lincoln.