William Gillette lived from 1853 to 1937. His interests as a boy foreshadowed his pursuits as an adult: acting and other aspects of the theater and a fascination with engines and all things mechanical. At the age of 13, he and a friend, H. W. French, began printing a newspaper titled Hail Columbia. Gillette wrote much of the copy, but he persuaded his father, Senator Francis Gillette; Charles Dudley Warner; and others to contribute to the paper. By age 16, William Gillette had built a stationary steam engine on the third floor of the Gillette's Nook Farm home. Years later, he built and enjoyed running a remarkable miniature railroad on the grounds of his home, Seventh Sister, in Hadlyme, Connecticut. As a boy he also built a puppet stage and put on puppet shows for the neighbors. Shortly thereafter, he joined a future actor, Otis Skinner, and some other youths in producing several plays in the Gillette carriage house.