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			JAMES AND MARY JANE (GIBBS) TAYLOR (JR.)

	James Taylor was born in Sodus, N. Y., Jan. 1, 1823.  His grandfather was John J. S. 
Taylor, who was a soldier in the war of the Revolution.  Soon after the close of that memorable 
war he settled in Buckland, Franklin Co., Mass., where he lived many years, then moved to Phelps,
Ontario Co., N. Y., when that country was new.  There he died, leaving a large family, of whom 
James, Sr., was the youngest but two of the sons.  He was born in Buckland, Sept. 2, 1791; moved 
to Phelps with his father, where he married, Dec. 27, 1821, to Mary Maria Wilcox.  They lived at 
Sodus and vicinity until 1836, when they came to Michigan and settled in Van Buren, Wayne Co., 
where he cleared up a farm, and where he died, April 2, 1864.  The immediate subject of this
sketch, James Taylor, Jr., lived at home until he was twenty-one.  Soon after that he left the 
paternal roof to seek a home for himself.  For a few years he worked as a farm-hand; in 1848 he 
came to Greenville and worked in a saw-mill until 1851, when he bought an interest in the mill.  
Was married, April 14, 1852 to Mary Jane Gibbs, daughter of John Gibbs, who came from Pittstown, 
N. Y., with several families, and settled in Otisco, Ionia Co., on government land, where he 
accumulated a handsome property.  He died April 22, 1864, in his sixty-second year.  Mrs. Gibbs 
is still living at the advanced age of seventy-five years.  She makes her home with her daughter,
Mrs. Taylor.
	A few years after Mr. Taylor was married his mill was destroyed by fire.  Soon after that
he purchased eighty acres of land in section 32, Eureka township, upon which there was small 
improvement, and commenced in earnest to make himself a home.  Here he has diligently worked for 
twenty-four years.  Other lands have been added to the original eighty.  A large, commodious, and
modern house has been built, with pleasant surroundings, a view of which may be seen in this 
work.
	They have two children,--Helen M., born Oct. 24, 1865, and John E., born Jan. 10, 1854. 
He was educated and graduated at the State Agricultural College at Lansing.  He married Rhodoskey
C. Sanders, of Elis, Kansas.  They have one daughter, Mary Agnes.



This biography is taken from "HISTORY OF IONIA AND MONTCALM COUNTIES, MICHIGAN" 
by John S. Schenck. Philadelphia:  D. W. Ensign & Co., 1881.  Page 402, Eureka.