Charles Duncan (C. D.) Gilfillan was an attorney in St. Paul who was instrumental in establishing the first public water system in St. Paul. He sold a large parcel of Ramsey County land to James J. Hill which now constitutes most of the exclusive suburb of North Oaks. In 1882 C.D. purchased 1300 acres (about 2 square miles) of Redwood County land and built this beautiful house, offices, and other buildings, including a grain elevator, stockyards and tenant houses. His beef export business included exporting beef to Great Britain. His son C.O. Gilfillan. born 1872, later took over the estate and the business. The Gilfillans were very progressive and everything was the best that money could buy. Originally the land was run as one large bonanza farm, but over the years the farms were farmed as tenant farms of approximately 160 acres each. After C.O.'s death in 1962, the farms were sold off, mostly to the tenants. Plenty of parking, easily walkable and open to the public during daylight hours.
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