A. D. Taylor

TAYLOR, MITCHELL, JONES

Posted By: Emmet County IAGenWeb Coordinator (email)
Date: 3/12/2011 at 20:26:00

A. D. Taylor, engaged in general farming on section 28, Jack Creek township, Emmet county, was born near Columbus, Ohio, on the 26th of July, 1867, a son of Andrew and Elizabeth (Mitchell) Taylor, who were also natives of the Buckeye state, where they spent their entire lives, the father devoting his attention to general agricultural pursuits.

A. D. Taylor is indebted to the common school system of Ohio for the educational privileges which he enjoyed and on putting aside his textbooks at the age of nineteen he started out to earn his own living and made his way to Iowa, settling first in Marshall county, where he was employed as a farm hand. He worked there for two years and in 1888 bought his first land, becoming the owner of eighty acres in Jasper county. Three years later he sold that property and invested in one hundred and sixty acres in Marshall county. In subsequent years he bought and sold various farms and he has probably made more money on his farm investments than he has in the tilling of the soil. He displays sound judgment concerning the value of property and his purchases are therefore judiciously made, while sales bring to him a substantial profit. In 1909 he removed from Tama county to Emmet county, where he has since lived, and here he acquired four hundred acres of valuable land but in 1916 sold eighty acres, making his present possessions three hundred and twenty acres in Emmet county, constituting one of its valuable and highly improved farms. He also owns four hundred and eight acres in Morton county, North Dakota. For several years he has been extensively engaged in feeding stock, especially sheep, but in 1916 concentrated his efforts more largely upon the feeding of cattle. His business affairs are most carefully and wisely managed and his success is the legitimate outcome of his persistent, earnest efforts.

In 1888 Mr. Taylor was united in marriage to Miss Leretta Jones, a daughter of Hugh Jones, one of the earliest pioneers of Marshall county, where he located in the ‘50s on coming to the new world from Wales. He is still residing there in his ninety-first year. To Mr. and Mrs. Taylor have been born six children, Hugh, Earl and Effie, twins Glenn, Nellie and Mae, all at home.

In his political views Mr. Taylor is a republican but while he keeps well informed on the questions and issues of the day and is interested in all that pertains to public progress, he has never been an office seeker, preferring to concentrate his time and energies upon his business affairs and the result of his close application, indefatigable effort and keen insight is seen in the splendid success which today is his.

Source: History of Emmet County and Dickinson County Iowa: A Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement, The Pioneer Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1917.