Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/125

 TAYLOR

TAYLOR

ing a select school and an academy in Jefferson county he taught the public school of LaPorte, Ohio, for several years, and was married, in 1842, to Catherine, daughter of James and Annie Hurd of LaPorte, and they had three daugliters. Mrs. Taylor died in 1884. He became part owner of a' saw and grist mill and of a cupolo furnace in La- Porte; attended lectures and clinics at the Medical college, Cleveland, Ohio, 1845-46; was elected cap- tain and subsequently colonel in the uniformed state militia, and in 1848 settled on a farm at Cot- tage Grove, Dane county, Wis. He was re- peatedly chairman of the town board and of the board of county supervisors; superintendent of public schools, and county superintendent of the poor for seventeen years; deputy collector of in- ternal revenue; trustee, vice-president and a member of the executive board of the state hos- pital at Mendota, 1860-74; a Democratic member of both branches of the state legislature. He was the first man in Dane county to offer a pub- lic bounty to volunteers in 1861, and he thus secured five enlistments, and as special state agent visited General Fremont at St. Louis, to consult as to raising and equipping troops in Wis- consin, his mission being successful. He was unanimously nominated for governor of Wiscon- sin in 1873, by a convention composed of Dem- ocrats, Liberal Republicans and reformers, and was elected over Gov. C. C. Washburn by 15.411 majority. He was inaugurated January 5, 1874, serving to January 3, 1876. During his adminis- tration, the disbursements for state purposes were reduced many hundreds of thousands of dollars below the average of previous years. In 1874, when the Potter law placing the railroads under state control and limiting railroad freights and fares was passed, and disregarded by the officers of the roads. Governor Taylor issued a proclama- tion demanding obedience to the law, and the state courts and Federal courts of last resort, after hearing the most eminent lawyers on both sides, enjoined the companies from violating it, and the question, which had become of national importance, was settled. He was active in pro- moting the agricultural department of the Wis- consin university and the establishment of the Farmers' Institute. He was defeated for re- election in 1875 by Harrison Ludington (q.v.) who held large lumber and railroad interests in the state and was able to bring other similar interests to help him in securing an election by a plurality of a few hundred votes. He was presi- dent of the Dane County Agricultural society for seven years, and twice president of the State Agricultural society. He was married, secondly, in July, 1886, to Viola, daughter of Edison and Harriet Lee, natives of Vermont, and they had one son, William Robert Taylor, Jr.

TAYLOR, William Rogers, naval officer, was born in Newport, R.I., Nov. 7, 1811; son of William Vigneron Taylor (q.v.) and Abby (White) Taylor. He entered the navy as midshipman, April 1, 1828; was advanced to passed midship- man, June 14, 1834; was on board the Peacock when she was stranded on Mazira in 1836. and took the United States representatives on a five-day trip in an open boat to the Sultan at Muscat. He served on the Pacific station; was commis- sioned lieutenant, Feb. 10, 1840; assisted in the survey of Tampa bay, Fla., 1842-43; served on the Brazil station, 1843-44; fought at Tampico in the St. Mary's, Nov. 14, 1846, and at Vei-a Cruz he fought on shore. He was promoted com- mander, Sept. 14, 1855; was put in command of the Housatonic in 1851; was promoted captain, July 16, 1862, and was senior officer in the Charleston blockade, until Dahlgren took com- mand, when he became fleet-captain. In Jan- uary, 1863, he engaged the Cliocura and the Pal- metto; in July, 1863, he took part in the attack on Morris Island, and took command of the Juniata during the attacks on Fort Fisher, De- cember, 1864-January, 1865. He was promoted commodore, July 25, 1866, and commanded apart of the Pacific fleet. He was promoted rear- admiral, Jan. 19, 1871, and commanded the U.S. naval forces on the South Atlantic station from May, 1872, until his retirement, Nov. 7, 1873. He died in Washington, D.C., April 14, 1889.

TAYLOR, William Sylvester, governor of Kentucky, was born in Butler county, Ky., Oct. 10, 1853; son of Sylvester Taylor. He attended the common schools; was admitted to the bar, and began practice in Butler county. He was married, Feb. 10, 1878, to Sarah B. Taun. He was clerk of the court of Butler county, 1882-86; judge of the same, 1886-94; attorney-general of Kentucky, 1895-99, and Republican governer of Kentucky, 1899-1900, after which he removed to Indianapolis, Ind., where he continued the prac- tice of law.

TAYLOR, William Vigneron, naval officer, was born at Newport, R.I., April 10, 1780; son of James and Mary (Vigneron) Taylor, members of the Society of Friends, and a descendant of N.F. Vigneron, who immigrated to Newport in 1690. Early in life he went before the mast and in time became a captain in the marine. He was married in 1810 to Abby White of Newport. In April, 1813, he enlisted as sailing-master in the U.S. navy helped Perry build his fleet on Lake Erie and in the fight of September 10, was sailing master of the Laun'ence. He was slightly wounded in the engage- ment, received a vote of thanks and a sword for his services, and was commissioned lieutenant, Dec. 9, 1814, and served in the war with the Barbnrv states, 1815-16. He was granted a leave of absence,