Franklin Taylor Biography


	This biography appears on pages 52-55 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. V (1915) and was 
	scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				FRANKLIN TAYLOR. 

	The life history of Franklin Taylor constitutes an important 
chapter in the annals of South Dakota. He made farming his life work, 
but also took a most active part in politics and few men have had more 
intimate or accurate knowledge concerning the history of the state. He 
made his home in Fairview township, Clay county, casting in his lot 
with its pioneer settlers. 

	The birth of Mr. Taylor occurred in Surrey county, North 
Carolina, on the 3d of August, 1827, his parents being Benjamin and 
Margaret Taylor, both of whom were natives of Currituck county, North 
Carolina. His education was acquired in his native state and in 1853, 
when a young man of twenty-six years, he emigrated westward to 
Missouri, settling in Mercer county, where he engaged in teaching 
school. In 1854 he went to Iowa, where he spent four years, and in 1858 
he removed to Nebraska. A year later he crossed the river into Clay 
county, South Dakota and took up a homestead in Fairview township, 
after which he devoted his life to general agricultural pursuits. Not a 
furrow had been turned nor an improvement made upon his land when it 
came into his possession, but with characteristic energy he began its 
development and as the years passed converted it into productive 
fields. He prospered in his undertakings and ultimately added to his 
original holdings until he was the owner of three hundred and twenty 
acres of land at the time of his death. This constituted a valuable 
farm from which he derived a substantial annual income. 

	Mr. Taylor was one of the leaders in political circles in Clay 
county and gave his allegiance to the democratic party. He was the 
first register of deeds in Clay county and in that office, as in many 
others which he filled, he proved his loyalty to the best interests of 
county and state by his unfaltering devotion to the public welfare. He 
left the impress of his individuality upon the laws of the state, being 
for five sessions a member of the legislature, his reelection being 
indicative of his personal popularity and the confidence and trust 
reposed in him by his fellow townsmen. He was clerk of the first 
judicial court of Clay county and he served by appointment as county 
commissioner and afterward by election. He was also deputy collector of 
internal revenue. The cause of education found in him a stalwart 
champion and he did effective and beneficial work for the schools. He 
was the second superintendent of schools in Clay county and for over 
twenty years he served as a member of the local school board. 

	In 1870, at Vermillion, Mr. Taylor was united in marriage to Mrs. 
Martha G. Warner, the widow of Charles S. Warner, who by her first 
marriage had two children: Thomas G. Warner, now living in Quinn, South 
Dakota; and Mrs. Mary E. Lathrop, of Touchet, Washington. Mr. and Mrs. 
Taylor became the parents of a daughter, M. Ethelda, the wife of 
William A. Ufford, a native of Iowa who came to South Dakota with his 
parents when but six months old. He acquired his education in the 
public schools of Clay county and in the State University at 
Vermillion. To Mr. and Mrs. Ufford have been born two sons: Frank S., 
who was born in 1897 and is now attending high school; and Fred W., who 
was born April 22, 1900, and is also a high-school pupil. Mrs. Taylor 
died August 22, 1900, and the death of Mr. Taylor occurred in 1912. In 
their passing the community lost two of its most worthy, representative 
and valued pioneer settlers. It was Mr. Taylor and Captain Nelson Miner 
who selected the site for the first permanent schoolhouse in Dakota 
territory, this site being in Vermillion, and there a beautiful 
monument has been erected, a picture of which appears elsewhere in this 
work. From the period of his early arrival here Mr. Taylor bore an 
active and helpful part in advancing the material, social, 
intellectual, political and moral welfare of the territory and of the 
state and his opinions concerning any point of Dakota's history were 
largely accepted as authority.