Taft, John S.

TAFT, STEVENS

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 8/15/2009 at 13:15:32

John S. Taft

It is a pleasure to chronicle the history of a man whose life has been one of honor and usefulness, and although he is still a comparatively young man, John S. Taft has accumulated a fortune that enables him to enjoy to the fullest extent the true comforts of a home that is made beautiful by the sweet spirit of kindliness and mutual appreciation among the members of the family. He was born in Hillsboro County, N. H., in the village of Mason in the year 1843, and his father, Albert Taft, was born in that locality about 1805. The grandfather, James Taft, a native of the Old Bay State, was of old Puritan stock. He was a man of means, and for many years was engaged in mercantile pursuits and the butcher business. In early life he went to New Hampshire, and there passed the remainder of his days. He was a careful, thoroughgoing businessman and succeeded in all his undertakings.

Albert Taft, father of our subject, was the eldest of three children, all sons. His brothers, George and James, were for many years connected with him in mercantile pursuits, and were also with him in the butcher business. Later Mr. Taft became the owner of a large tannery and accumulated quite a fortune, but subsequently lost the greater part of it. However, at the time of his death in 1863, he left his widow in good circumstances. The mother of our subject, Lydia Lovejoy (Stevens) Taft, was also a native of the Granite State, her birth occurring about 1810. Her father, John Stevens, was also born in that state, at Wilton, about 1774, and was a man of considerable local note, being connected with some of the large woolen mills. For many years he was a member of the New Hampshire Legislature, was Justice of the Peace, and it is said was Moderator of Elections all his life. In fact, he was the leading man of his locality. His death occurred in 1848.

Mrs. Taft had three brothers, John, Henry and Samuel. The eldest was a farmer and trader, and went to Wisconsin. He was Justice of the Peace, and held other local offices. His death occurred in that state. Henry went to New York City, where he made a fortune in the hotel business, and subsequently settled in Wisconsin, where his death occurred. Samuel was for some years an overseer in mills in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, but later he removed to Oregon, where he was engaged in the lumber business for some time. About 1850 he went to California, and was engaged in mining. Mrs. Taft was a lady of culture and ranked as one of the best schoolteachers of her day. After the death of her husband, in 1863, she went to New York City and there passed most of the remainder of her days, but died in Monroe, Iowa, in 1883, at the home of her son, our subject. She was a member of Henry Ward Beecher's Church, and was a great advocate of the noted preacher.

Our subject was the elder of two children, his sister dying in childhood, and he received a good academic education. As a boy he assisted his father in the store, and after the death of the latter he managed his mother's farm and other business intere6ts. When twenty-two years of age he went to New York City, and was employed in a packinghouse for a number of years. Later he came west, and made his home at Newton, Iowa, for two years, and then, in 1878, he came to Monroe, this state, and engaged in merchandising, in which he continued until 1892. Having made a fortune, but being in poor health, he retired from the active duties of life.

In the year 1875, our subject married Miss Mary H. Jewett, also a native of New Hampshire, and the daughter of George Jewett, who was a prosperous merchant. Both of her parents died when she was a child. She had two brothers, Joel and George W.; the former is overseer in a mill in his native state, and the latter is Superintendent of the Baker Barb Wire Company, of Lockport, Ill. Mr. and Mrs. Taft have had six children, as follows: Charles S. is now a student at Highland Park College at Des Moines, as is also the second child, Albert J.; John Stevens died when but two years of age; Roscoe L., Harry Chester and Mary L. are at home. Portrait and Biographical Record, Jasper, Marshall and Grundy Counties, IA Page 325.