Jesse Gilliam was a man of the American frontier. He was born in the mountains of Western North Carolina right after the American Revolution. Jesse's life spanned the terms in office of the nation's first 17 Presidents. George Washington was President when Jesse was born in 1790. James Madison was President when he married Jennett in 1810; John Quincy Adams was President when Jesse bought land in Clay County, MO in 1827; and Andrew Johnson was President when Jesse died in 1867.
Jesse was the oldest of thirteen children born to Epaphroditus and believed to be the third child born to Sarah Anne "Sally" Israel. Jesse moved with his parents from Wilkes Co. NC to Buncombe Co. NC after the tax list for 1793 was complied and before 11 Oct 1797 when Epaphroditus bought 120 ares on the N. Fork of the Swannanoa River in Buncombe Co. By 1810 the family had moved to Haywood Co. NC and Jesse married Jenny McDowell on 25 Jec 1810 in Haywood Co. NC. Jesse and Jennett were living in Tennessee when Unity, their first, child was born in July 1811. On 28 Apr 1813 Jesse enters 125 acres on the North Fork of Scots Creek in Haywood Co. NC. Jesse moved his wife and four children from North Carolina to Missouri before June 1818 when their fifth child, Andrew Jackson, was born. He was active in local government. Jesse voted and was a judge in the first election held in Miami Township of Cooper County, Missouri in August 1819. In 1821, he was the first tax collector in Ray County, Missouri and the next year, he was the first tax collector of Clay County, Missouri.
Records have been found that show Jesse had owned land in five counties in Missouri: Ray, Clay, Jackson, Platte and Andrew. Jesse's 4 November 1843 application for the land in Platte County includes his signature. He was a prosperous farmer who made money buying, developing and selling land. He was also a minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church. In June 1849, Jesse and his son, Samuel T. Gilliam, left Missouri to go to the California "Gold Rush". In March 1850, Jesse returned to his home in Missouri: Samuel remained in California. Although Jesse had a desire to migrate to the West Coast he remained in Missouri until his death. The date of his death is not known but on 4 March 1867 John Gilliam, Jesse's son, filed for an Administrative Bond to settle Jesse's estate. The application showed that Jesse was a resident of Andrew County, Missouri, he died intestate and he owned property in Missouri.