Taylor was born December 25, 1856, in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania and he came to Rarden in 1880 where engaged in logging.

In 1885 he opened a small store and engaged in the buying and shipping of lumber and at the same time owned and operating several sawmills which produced lumber products of all kinds including sawed lumber, railroad ties and tanbark.

He became a partner with Guilford Marr in a cooperage business in 1887 where they manufactured wooden barrels, buckets, tubs, etc.

So complete was his monopoly of the lumber and timber business that he eventually controlled 90 percent of all the lumber products shipped from Rarden.

A Civic Minded Man

In 1895, Taylor became the chief stockholder in the Rarden Stone Company.

In addition to his lumber and stone interest Taylor also operated a 1,000 acre farm.

Taylor was a civic minded man and during his life time served as the President of the Scioto County Good Roads Organization, the Scioto County Agricultural Society and the Otway Savings Bank in Otway.

Taylor was described in writings from his time as, “a man having numerous friends of all classes and has fairly won the confidence of the community through his signal services in behalf of the general welfare”… “Having himself succeeded, he has ever been ready to lend a helping hand to others who are trying to succeed…”