Buried Danville Cemetery
William Fielding Spiller was one year old when he journeyed to Danville, TX from Virginia with his parents by covered wagon and buggy. He was born 6 Jan 1847 in Lynchburg, Campbell Co., VA, the first son of George Anderson Spiller and Jemima Susanna "Susan" Diuguid of Virginia. Both George and his red-headed son, William, acquired much land during their lifetimes. On 7 May 1872, William married Elizabeth "Betty" Catherine Irvine, also of Danville. The couple had twelve children who were all born at Danville in the Spiller's original home. Around 1898, a new cypress home was built less than a mile to the east, nearer to the railroad, at a small town first named Ada after the man who owned the general store. The town was founded in 1879 by William Spiller, who owned a tobacco farm in the area. The new home had 16 rooms and 10 fireplaces with a large outside spiral staircase on the west side. After the family moved in, he changed the name to Esperanza. A stable housed the horses and each child was given his own horse when considered old enough. Several of the children, after marriage, built homes on the property but these have all burnt down. The last Spillers to live at Esperanza were Elizabeth (Bess) Irvine Spiller and Mary Lucy Spiller Garrett. The home is still standing although no longer owned by the Spiller family. At the time of his death on 27 Sep 1913, after suffering an adverse reaction to an asthma remedy, William Spiller owned around 10,000 acres of land in Montgomery Co. and several other counties.
His children were: 1. Blanche Elizabeth Spiller, 2.Charles (Doc) Spiller, 3. Hallie Susan Spiller, 4.Elizabeth (Bess) Irvine Spiller, 5. Mary Lucy Spiller, 6. Allie Diuguid Spiller, 7. William Fielding Spiller, Jr., 8. Irmalie Spiller, 9. George Irvine Spiller, 10. John Browder Spiller, 11. Mabel Cayloma Spiller, 12. Jo Rice Spiller.
Information contributed by William Fielding Spiller, III
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