Contra Costa-El Dorado-Nevada County CA Archives Biographies.....Taggart, John Monroe 1826 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com November 29, 2005, 5:13 pm

Author: W. A. Slocum & Co., Publishers (1882)

JOHN MONROE TAGGART.—Was born in Dublin, Cheshire county, New Hampshire,
December 15, 1826. His mother died when he was one and a half years of age, and
his father when he was eight years of age. When eleven years old he went to the
State of Michigan with his brothers and sisters, and when seventeen went to
Wisconsin and engaged in the lead mines, remaining there one year; from there
went to the State of New York, stopping part of the year in New York, and then
went to Cleveland, Ohio. He went from Cleveland to Michigan, there made it his
home, and engaged in lumbering and clearing land up to the time of starting for
California in 1852. In March, 1852, in company with sixteen others, Mr. Taggart
commenced the arduous task of crossing the plains, via Salt Lake and Fort
Bridger, to the Golden State, first arriving at San Rafael. Here he found
employment for a month in a lath null, after which he removed to Stockton, where
he worked for a short time on two farms, and then proceeded to the mines at
Placerville. In April, 1853, he transferred his habitation to Nevada county,
where he contracted to cut and saw logs. Remaining there four months, we next
find Mr. Taggart at the mines in Sierra county, and purchasing three mules he
commenced trafficking in stock, hay, and water, going into the desert to meet
the immigrants. How gladly the latter commodity was accepted, we leave to the
reader's imagination—they were happy to pay a dollar per gallon for the liquid.
Abandoning this style of trade in October, he bought a drove of cattle, and with
them crossed to Bear valley. On the journey they passed the site of the
sufferings and death of the ill-fated Donner party, and fearing a like
experience, with but little provisions, Mr. Taggart and his companions pushed on
across the summit, to Summit valley, with eighteen inches of snow, and finally
arrived at their destination, foot-sore and weary, but undaunted. At the end of
two weeks he returned to Sacramento, and started in the freighting business to
the different mining camps; we next find him employed in a saw-mill, and in the
Spring of 1854, once more began mining—finally, disposing of his stock in that
year. In September, 1855, Mr. Taggart started to re-visit his home in Michigan.
He there remained a short time, when he moved to Wisconsin, where he bought a
farm in company with his brother, but finding the climate too cold, after the
genial temperature of the Pacific slope, he returned to Michigan, met his fate,
married, and once more turned his face towards California, where he arrived, for
the second time, in June, 1856. He now located in El Dorado county, purchased a
claim, and commenced mining. In 1858 he proceeded to the Frazer river, but three
months of that "fizzle" was enough for him; he, therefore, returned and settled
on a farm in Alameda county, which, selling in 1860, he went to Nevada, and
prospected in the vicinity of Virginia City for a short time. He next returned
to Nevada City, and mined until 1861, when he commenced teaming for a year, and
continued a freighting business between Virginia and Nevada Cities until 1863.
In that year he purchased five yoke of oxen, and with them freighted on the same
route until 1864; the year following he moved his family to Contra Costa county,
and engaged in various occupations until September, 1879, when he purchased his
present place, located about half a mile from the town of Martinez. Married in
Michigan, May 2, 1856, Margaret Kavanagh, and has seven children, viz: Mary A.,
Morris M., Elwyne A, Annie M., Frederick J., George B. and Joseph E.

Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

HISTORY OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY,
CALIFORNIA,
INCLUDING ITS GEOGRAPHY, GEOLOGY, TOPOGRAPHY, CLIMATOGRAPHY AND DESCRIPTION;
TOGETHER WITH A RECORD OF THE MEXICAN GRANTS; THE BEAR FLAG WAR; THE MOUNT
DIABLO COAL FIELDS; THE EARLY HISTORY AND SETTLEMENT, COMPILED FROM THE MOST
AUTHENTIC SOURCES; THE NAMES OF ORIGINAL SPANISH AND MEXICAN PIONEERS; FULL
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY OF THE COUNTY; SEPARATE HISTORY OF EACH TOWNSHIP, SHOWING
THE ADVANCE IN POPULATION AND AGRICULTURE;
ALSO,
Incidents of Pioneer Life; and Biographical Sketches
OF EARLY AND PROMINENT SETTLERS AND REPRESENTATIVE MEN;
AMD OF ITS TOWNS, VILLAGES, CHURCHES, SECRET SOCIETIES, ETC.
ILLUSTRATED.
SAN FRANCISCO: W. A. SLOCUM & CO., PUBLISHERS
1882.



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