Louisiana AHGP

Part of the American History and Genealogy Project

W. J. Taylor

W. J. Taylor is a prominent and well-known man of this section who has won life's battles, and by energy and pluck, which are so necessary to success in any pursuit, he has become a successful merchant of Homer, besides being the owner of a large amount of real estate. His career has been a varied one and will, therefore, prove more interesting than the, average, consequently a few facts connected with his earlier career will not be out of place.

He was born in Jefferson County, Tennessee, on the French Broad River, December 22, 1822, son of William and Polly A. (Lincomfelter) Taylor, who were born in Tennessee, in 1794, and Berks County, Pennsylvania, respectively. Their union resulted in the birth of twelve children, three daughters and nine sons, of whom the subject of this sketch is the sixth and the eldest of the family living at the present time. His brothers and sisters are as follows: Elizabeth (widow of George Hedrick, who was an agriculturist, of Oklahoma), Rufus M. (who is married and is a successful farmer of East Tennessee), Bradford (who is married and a very wealthy farmer of Jefferson County, East Tennessee), Albert G. (commissioner and justice of the peace of that county, is also married and resides there, being also a wealthy tiller of the soil), Rufus (who is as successful as his brothers in Jefferson County, and follows the same calling, and Polly Ann (who is the wife of Argyle Taylor, a farmer of Parkville, Platte County, Missouri.

The father of these children could quite distinctly remember Gen. George Washington and Gen. Andrew Jackson was often a guest at his father's house in Tennessee. Mr. Taylor was exceptionality well educated for a man of his day, was a skillful and competent civil engineer and was at one time a member of the State Legislature of Tennessee, and proved himself an able legislator, devoted to the interests of the people. He died in 1833, at the age of fifty-three years, his death being mourned by all who knew him. His father, Parmenos Taylor, was a colonel in the Revolutionary War, under the famous Gen. White, whose daughter he afterward married. Gen, White was a native of Scotland, and Mr. Taylor became a colonel under him in the above mentioned war. He afterward served in the War of 1812, under Gen. Zachary Taylor, and in an engagement in which he participated, he was severely wounded in the left shoulder. An interesting anecdote is told of how he once caught a counterfeiter. He was an excellent and expert mechanic, and as the counterfeiter had some dies for stamping which were not quite perfect he was advised to take them to Mr. Taylor to have them perfected. He did so, but Mr. Taylor suspecting the business in which he was engaged, took him to a piece of bottom land which he owned and which was in an out-of-the-way place, divested him of all his counterfeit money, then told him to go to splitting rails. Instead of doing this the counterfeiter showed Mr. Taylor his heels, and as a counterfeiter, those parts knew him no more.

The maternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch, Jacob Lincomfelter, was a native of Hanover, Germany, a farmer by occupation, and emigrated from his native land, settling in Berks County, Pennsylvania, after which he moved to East Tennessee, where he spent the rest of his days. His wife, was born in County Cork, Ireland.

The immediate subject of this sketch, W. J. Taylor, obtained a meager education in the old subscription schools, but possessing a large fund of common sense he prepared himself for a practical and useful life, and at the age of seventeen years, without a dollar in his pocket, he began the battle of life for himself. He, however, possessed a large stock of energy, enterprise, determination and muscle, and these judiciously used, are a sufficient capital for any young man, and so Mr. Taylor found it for he immediately began to carve out his own career. The same year he was married to Miss Margaret Lychlyter, who was born in Tennessee, in 1821, being a daughter of Fred Lychlyter, who was a native of Hanover, Germany, and a practical farmer by occupation.

Mrs. Taylor was educated in the common schools and her union with Mr. Taylor was celebrated in Jefferson County, Tennessee, in 1840, their removal to Cass County, Missouri, taking place the following year. At that time the country was thoroughly undeveloped, the nearest neighbor being twelve miles away. Mr. Taylor was very fortunate in his speculations in real estate in this county, and when the county seat was laid out, he purchased land near the town, which afterward greatly increased in value, and made him a wealthy man. He sold at one time 300 acres at $19 in gold per acre, and moved to the town where he opened a mercantile establishment, a livery stable and a hotel, conducting all three successfully for about sixteen years.

During his stay in this State he crossed the plains to Santa Fe twice, but made Missouri his home until the famous border warfare opened, at which time he was completely robbed of all he possessed, and has ever since felt very bitter toward the miscreants who robbed his family of their subsistence. He moved soon after to Fayetteville, Arkansas, where he opened a hotel and mercantile establishment, but two years later went to Van Buren. Arkansas, where he left his Negroes and family to make a trip to Mexico to engage in the general blockade. While he was gone Gen. Blount, of Kansas fame, robbed his family of the property they had again accumulated, but of this Mr. Taylor knew nothing until his return after an absence of three mouths, to find that his family had departed for Dardanelle, Arkansas. He then ran the blockade between Little Rock and Memphis, Tennessee, rejoined his family, and took his wife, children, and Negroes to Austin, Texas, running the blockade off Port Lavacca, Texas.

After residing for some time in Cherokee County, Texas, he came to Shreveport, Louisiana, thence to Homer, where his home now is. During the Rebellion he was once sentenced to be shot, but by a rehearing of his case at Austin, Missouri, his sentence was remitted. He is an extensive land owner, being the possessor of nearly 500 acres of excellent laud, of which there are about 240 acres admirably adapted to the culture of cotton. He is the senior partner of a large and flourishing mercantile store in Homer, the annual sales of which amount to about $40,000, and he also has a fine residence in the town valued at about $3,000.

He and his wife expect to make this place their future home, for here the most of their properly has been acquired since the war, and here they have built up a wide circle of friends. He has always been an active politician, supporting Democratic principles, and his first presidential vote was cast for Martin Van Buren. Socially be belongs to the I. O. O. P., and the Masonic order, and his wife is an earnest member of the Hard Shell Baptist Church.

He was married to her in 1809, after the death of his first wife, she being a Mrs. Susan (Killgore) Bailey, a native of Georgia. His union with his first wife resulted in the birth of the following children: L. R. (who is a self-made man; he was sent to school by his father until the Rebellion, when he entered the ranks and carried his musket under Capt. Jackman, of Missouri, throughout the entire war without receiving the slightest, wound. At the end of the war he returned home to find his father completely ruined financially by Jay Hawkers. He immediately commenced doing for himself as a tinner and started in business for himself in Farmersville, Union Parish, Louisiana, and was here married to an admirable lady, Miss Nettie Gilbert. He was nominated by the Democratic convention as clerk of the parish court, which was equal to a unanimous election, but his father wisely persuaded him to go to Texas to seek his fortune, which he did, and there he has established for himself fame and fortune. He possesses many admirable qualities and is held in high esteem by all who know him. He is now clerk of the district court, at Port, Worth, Texas), the next child is a daughter, Frances (wife of Walter Ward, a merchant of Homer), Rufus P. comes next (he is associated with his father in the mercantile business in Homer, and is an excellent, capable business man, and a shrewd financier; he married Miss Rebecca Piatt), Samantha (is the wife of A. T. Lovelette and resides in Homer), and Ella (is the wife of T. P. Day, who is a loan broker in fine circumstances, in Fort Worth, Texas). a daughter, Nora (died at the age of twenty-six years, in Fort Worth, Texas, the wife of James Day, a machinist), and three children died in infancy.

In the mouth of June, 1800, the mother of these children passed from life, after she and her husband had lived happily together for twenty-six years. She was a faithful and loving wife and mother, and a beautiful monument now marks her last resting place in Homer Cemetery, which was erected to her memory by her husband and children.

Biographical Sketches| Claiborne Parish

Source: Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northwest Louisiana, Southern Publishing Company, 1890