Born October 30, 1842, at “Wea Plains”, six miles west of Lafayette, Indiana. When Mr. Taylor was seven years of age his parents removed to Monrovia, Indiana, in order to secure better church and school facilities. He attended school during the winter and farmed in the summer time until he was seventeen years of age. During his youth he was a member of various literary societies, and thereby acquired a liking for literary work. In 1860 he entered the Earlham College, at Richmond, Indiana, and his time was spent between the duties of a student and in assisting his father, who had been chosen superintendent of the institution. He graduated from the classical course in 1865. He then became a teacher of Latin and Greek at Spiceland Academy, Indiana, and at the end of the year was elected principal of the academy. He resigned this position, however, in order to travel and study in Europe. He made the tour of the Continent, and spent a year in linguistic and historical studies in Berlin, Prussia, and during his absence sent weekly letters to the Richmond Telegram. Some months after his return he married Miss Louise Bales, daughter of John H. Bales, of Knightstown, Indiana. They have two sons. He chose teaching as his occupation, and in 1868 was chosen superintendent of the city schools of Kokomo, Indiana. In 1872 he removed to Iowa, where he was for several years principal of New Providence Academy, and during that time was elected to the State Legislature. His principal speeches while in office were in opposition to the enactment of a bill for the re-establishment of capital punishment in the State; a plea for the financial support of the Reform School; in advocacy of a bill for the repeal of what was known as “the wine and beer clause,” and in support of a bill for compulsory education. In 1879 he published “My Brief History of the American People.” Under the auspices of the State Temperance Alliance he spent the winter of 1879-80 in travel as a State lecturer in advocacy of the reform. In 1881 he removed to Indianapolis, and the following year was elected superintendent of the city schools at Vincennes, Indiana. As a boy, it may be said of him that his taste was for science, especially astronomy; as a college student, it was for the ancient languages; later, for historical and literary studies, and in his older year for moral and economic questions.
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