HenryW. Taylor
HENRY W. TAYLOR, a prominent farmer of Brooklyntownship, and an honored pioneer of the county, was born in Trumbull county,Ohio, in February, 1824, a son of Alexander and Betsey (Scott) Taylor,natives of Pennsylvania; the father died at the age of fifty-five years,and the mother died at the advanced age of eighty years, at Burlington,Iowa. The paternal grandfather, Matthew Taylor was born in the north ofIreland, of English parents. He emigrated to the United States in 1772,and settled in Pennsylvania; he died in Huntingdon county, at the age ofninety seven years. His wife, whose maiden name was McIlheny, was bornin Ireland, of Scotch-Irish ancestors; she lived to be ninety-five yearsold. Alexander Taylor came to Ohio in 1810, and cleared a farm out of theheart of the forest. His wife, Betsey Scott, was a daughter of Nehemiahand Mary (Wick) Scott; her father was a native of Long Island, and wasa descendant of Scotch ancestry, and the mother of Washington county, Pennsylvania;both died in Trumbull county, Ohio. The Taylor family have been prominentin the affairs of both church and State, possessing great intelligenceand culture.Henry W. Taylor received superior educationaladvantages, and at the age of nineteen years began teaching school; hefollowed this profession two years, and then took a course of law in aprivate school. After his graduation he engaged in practice, but in a shorttime the California gold fever swept this country, and he determined togo to the Pacific coast. He made the journey overland with four yoke ofoxen, and was on the way from the 1st of April until October 22. He remainedfour years, and was engaged in mining during that time.
He was married June 8, 1853, to Miss CorneliaManlove, a native of Rushville, Schuyler county, Illinois, and a daughterof Jonathan D. and Sophronia (Chadsey) Manlove. Mrs. Taylor’s father wasborn in North Carolina, came to Illinois in an early day, and was marriedin Schuyler county in 1826. (This was the third marriage in the county.)Mr. and Mrs. Taylor have three children living: Marian H. married T. D.Lewis, and has three children; Ida M. is at home; Fannette married Dr.J. E. Camp, and is the mother of three children.
After his marriage Mr. Taylor lived in Rushvilletownship, and was engaged in operating a lumber-yard and building a plankroad until 1857, when he sold his entire possessions and removed to Brooklyntownship. He developed a farm of 900 acres out of prairie and timber land,made many valuable improvements, and has one of the best places in thecounty. He and his wife are members of the Presbyterian Church, of whichhe is an Elder. Politically he affiliates with the Republican party; hisfirst vote was cast for Zachary Taylor, but at the formation of the Republicanparty he gave his allegiance to that organization, and cast his suffragefor J. C. Fremont. He was Justice of the Peace for sixteen years, was Supervisorfor two terms, and has served on the school board. In connection with hislarge agricultural interests, Mr. Taylor has carried on a mercantile businesssince before the war, purchasing his first stock in February, 1861. Hemakes a specialty of raising fine, blooded stock, and has done much toelevate the standard in this section. He is a self-made man, and a citizenin whom Schuyler county takes just pride.
Biographical Review of Cass, Schuylerand Brown Counties, Illinois, Biographical Review Publishing Co., Chicago,1892, pages 217-218.
Copyright1999-2006 Judi Gilker; all rights reserved. For personal use only.Commercial use of the information contained in these pages is strictlyprohibited without prior permission. If copied, this copyright must appearwith the information.
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