Born at Fulton Crossroads on Sept. 4, 1859, David DuBose Gaillard spent his boyhood in this section. He graduated from West Point in 1884 and rose to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel of Engineers. During the Spanish American War he organized and commanded the 3rd U. S. Volunteer Engineers. He served on the general staff of the army and on major engineering projects, including the Panama Canal. Gaillard Cut of the Panama Canal was named for him as a tribute to his distinguished work there. He planned and supervised the digging through the backbone of the continent at Culebra, acclaimed as a feat of engineering genius. He succeeded where others had failed, but gave his life to the effort, dying from the result of overwork on Dec. 5, 1913.