Abigail Fillmore Abigail Fillmore, the wife of President Millard Fillmore, served as the first lady of the United States from 1850 to 1853. At the age of 16, she began her teaching career and even taught her future husband as a student. While her husband pursued his political career, she continued to work as a teacher and lived in Buffalo, New York. She occasionally joined him in Albany, New York, and Washington, D.C., where she became involved in local social activities. After her husband was elected vice president, she became the second lady of the United States in 1849 and then the first lady in 1850 when her husband assumed the presidency. First Books of White House 1850! One of Fillmore's notable accomplishments as first lady was the establishment of the first White House Library. Being an avid reader herself, she believed that a home without books was incomplete. The library not only became a popular reception room but also served as a literary salon. Additionally, she...