Taylor, Henry 1815-1904

TAYLOR, BRIGGS

Posted By: Paul Van Dyke-volunteer
Date: 6/13/2021 at 20:33:33

Source: Find A Grave

Born: April 14, 1815
Died: February 28, 1904

FIRST WHITE CHILD BORN IN SCRANTON HAS PASSED AWAY

Henry Taylor, Who Claimed that Distinction Dies at His Home in Strubble, Iowa, at the Age of 89 Years--Settled in Old Slocum Hollow in 1815, Where He Spent the First Forty years of His Life.

The man who claimed the distinction of being the first white child born in Scranton is dead.
He was Henry Taylor and his death occurred this week at his home in Strubble, Plymouth County, Iowa. He was within a few weeks of being 89 years of age when the final summons came, having been born in what is now the heart of the city of Scranton, April 14, 1815.

Mr. Taylor's parents followed Philip Abbott in settling in this vicinity, which at that time (1788-1789) was known as Slocum Hollow, and to them, their son Henry was born in the 1815. At that time, he was the only child in the section now embraced by Scranton, and for that reason he proudly boasted of being the first white child born in Scranton, although the name of Scranton was not given to the town until January 27, 1851. Previous to that it was known as Slocum Hollow, Harrison and Scrantonia. During the earliest years of his life, Henry Taylor was engaged with his father in clearing land and farming. At the age of 19 years he branched out for himself and be came an apprentice in the blacksmith shop of Wheaton Wright. He remained there as an employee just 20 years to a day and then became partner and finally sole proprietor of the blacksmith shop.

In 1839 Mr. Taylor married Orpha Briggs, of Providence, Pennsylvania, which place is now a part of the city and known as North Scranton. To their union four children were born. Andrew W., the oldest died at the age of two years. With his wife and family, Mr. Taylor started for Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, April 10, 1854, where he settled and remained until 1870, still continuing his trade as blacksmith.

On May 16, 1870, with his daughter and her husband, Mr. Taylor left Fond du Lac and started for Iowa, making the trip in emigrant wagons. He arrived at Strubble, Iowa, June 26, 1870, and located on the farm where he recently died after having lived there thirty-four years.

He was the oldest of a family of eight children and is survived by one daughter, one brother, nine grandchildren and fifteen great-grandchildren.

Mr. Taylor was in every sense of the word a pioneer, continually casting his lot from childhood to old age in the rough and unsettled sections of the country. Always seeking for something better, he was not afraid to trust to the untried and at his death he had accumulated a fortune of about $40,000. He always strongly advocated temperance. At times in the early history of the country, when it was customary for employers to furnish liquor to their help, he always abstained.

A beautiful trait of his character was his intense love of nature. The land surrounding his home was planted with every kind of tree he could find that would grow on the soil and wild flowers as well as domestic were carefully cared for. He was a pioneer in religion at the time when religion meant sacrifices , being united to the Unitarian Church, which has stood since the days of Channing.

It has been fifteen years or more since Mr. Taylor visited his relatives in this section, but he had not been forgotten by those who knew him and by the many friends he made during his visit to Scranton and Clark's Summit some years ago.