Washington Co., AR - Biographies - Eliphaz Taylor *********************************************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: The Goodspeed Publishing Co Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgenwebarchives.org *********************************************** Eliphaz Taylor, farmer, of Durham Township, Washington Co., Ark., was born in Fayette County, Ohio, in 1817, the son of Elisha and grandson of William Taylor. The latter served in the Revolutionary War as train-master, and died in Ross County, Ohio, at the age of ninety years. He was the father of fourteen children, all of whom lived to be over sixty years of age, and some attained the age of one hundred years. Elisha Taylor was born in Pennsylvania, and in 1796, when he was about twelve years of age, was taken to Kentucky by his parents, who removed to Ohio four years later. At the age of twenty-seven he was married, and engaged in farming, locating shortly afterward in Kentucky, where he learned the tanner's trade, but never made that occupation a business. He moved to Henry County, Ill., in 1856 or 1857, and there died about 1878, at an advanced age. His wife, whose maiden name was Sarah Adair, was born near Baltimore, Md., and died in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she had gone to have her eyes treated, at the age of sixty-one or sixty-two years. She was the mother of sixteen children, twelve of whom grew to maturity, and four are now living: Eliphaz: Alexander, living in Nebraska; Elisha, residing in Texas, and Jasper, residing in Kansas. Eliphaz Taylor was reared in his native county, and educated [p.1025] in the common schools, and for several years was engaged in teaching school during the winter months, and farming during the summer months. When he attained his twenty-first year he purchased a farm near the old home place, where he lived until 1854, then sold out and moved to Illinois, and resided on a farm in Henry County until 1868. Since that time he has resided in Washington County, Ark., and has a farm of about 240 acres, with about 100 under cultivation. He is a Republican in polities, and is a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.