John R. Taylor Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Pages 602-605

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

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JOHN R. TAYLOR is a thorough and systematic farmer of Olean township, 
Spink county, South Dakota, who has met with most excellent success in 
his chosen calling. His model farm denotes the supervision of an 
intelligent agriculturist and a capable business man, who at the same 
time has proved a useful member of society, and one deserving the 
esteem and confidence of the people around him. 

Mr. Taylor was born in St. Lawrence county, New York, in 1853, a son of 
William and Jane (Purves) Taylor. The father was a native of England 
and came to America with his parents when eight years old. The 
grandfather became a radical Abolitionist and Prohibitionist and took 
quite a prominent part in political affairs in New York state. His 
brother, John Taylor, was a noted architect, who went to St. Helena to 
build a home for Napoleon when the Emperor was banished, and there 
died. The mother of our subject was born in St. Lawrence county, New 
York, of Scotch parentage. Her father was a weaver by trade. She had 
one uncle; who died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, worth three million 
dollars. 

When ten years of age, J. R. Taylor accompanied his parents on their 
removal to Wisconsin, where the father is still successfully engaged in 
farming, there owning a very fine and well-improved farm. At the age of 
twenty-one our subject started in life for himself, as a farmer, upon a 
tract of wild land given him by his father. For three years he devoted 
his time to clearing and improving the place, and then, in 1877, went 
to Iowa, where he purchased railroad land and engaged in farming for 
five years, making of the tract a well-improved farm. 

In the fall of 1882, Mr. Taylor, with two companions, came to Dakota on 
a visit, making the entire journey by team. He took up a homestead on 
the southeast quarter of section 34, township 119, range 60, Spink 
county, and spent the following summer with his sister in a shanty, 8 x 
10 feet. He also built a granary at the same time, but it was not until 
1884 that he decided to make his permanent home there. When he came to 
the county only a small lumber yard marked the present site of Doland, 
and there were only two dwellings between his place and the village. 
Besides his homestead, he also took up a tree claim, and to his 
property he has since added until he now has six hundred and forty 
acres of valuable land. On selling his Iowa farm in 1886, he invested 
the money in this state. He has three hundred and fifty acres fenced 
and one hundred and twenty-five acres under cultivation. His house, 
erected in 1885, has since been enlarged and improved, good 
outbuildings have been erected, and he also has a two-horse treadmill, 
-which runs a small creamery with a capacity of seven hundred pounds of 
butter per week, and also a feed mill and elevator corn sheller. On 
locating here, Mr. Taylor brought with him four ox-teams, two cows and 
one horse, and in connection with general farming- has since engaged in 
stock raising, keeping cattle, horses and sheep. He has plenty of good 
water for his stock, obtained from wells from twelve to twenty feet 
deep scattered all over his farm, and he has two wind mills. Although 
in 1895 his crops were destroyed by hail, and several times have been 
badly injured by drought, he still has prospered and is now quite well-
to-do. 

In 1885, Mr. Taylor married Miss Eleanor Elliott, also a native of St. 
Lawrence county, New York, whose parents were from Scotland. She was 
reared upon a farm, and by her marriage became the mother of one 
daughter, Maggie, now twelve years old. As a Populist, Mr. Taylor takes 
an active interest in political affairs, usually attends the county 
conventions of his party, and has been honored with several township 
offices. Socially he is connected with the Ancient Order of United 
Workmen, and religiously is a member of the Congregational church. He 
is widely and favorably known, and has made a host of warm friends 
since coming to this state. Mrs. Taylor died, in March, 1887. On 
another page will be found portraits of Mr. Taylor and his only 
daughter.