California Biographies
Mendocino and Lake Counties, California
 
Transcribed by Peggy Hooper

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives 
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm

 

Source:
History of Mendocino and Lake Counties, California
With Biographical Sketches
History by Aurelius O. Carpenter And Percy H. Millberry
Illustrated, Complete In One Volume
Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California, 1914


PORTER H. TAYLOR.� The genealogy of the Taylor family indicates 
long identification with the upbuilding of the United States and a patriotic 
citizenship that both in peace and in war gave of its best to the country. With 
the early drift of the tide of colonization toward the Mississippi valley the 
family name became transplanted from New York upon Illinois soil, among 
the children of this pioneer family having been M. L. Taylor, who was too 
young to go with his father to the front at the time of the Black Hawk war 
and assist in subduing the hostile Indians, but showed in the Civil war the 
same fine patriotism that had animated the hero of Indian battles: As a 
member of Company A, One Hundredth Illinois Infantry, he gave to the 
Union a service both loyal and dependable. In one of the battles he was 
wounded somewhat seriously. On his return to Illinois he learned the trade 
of a harness-maker, and this he followed, with a later change to mercantile 
pursuits, in Wilmington, Will county, until his death in 1911. Surviving him 
and occupying the old home in Wilmington is his widow, Thurza (Tomil- 
son) Taylor, who was born in England, but has lived in Illinois since seven 
years of age. Of their seven children all but one are still living, the eldest 
being P., H., whose birth occurred at Wilmington, Ill., April 16, 1861, and 
whose education in the Wilmington schools came to a conclusion with gradua- 
tion from the high school in 1879. During the ensuing five years he learned 
the trade of harness-maker and saddler under his father and became a master 
of the occupation. 

After perhaps two years in Ortonville, Minn., during 1886 Mr. Taylor came 
to California and secured employment in a sawmill at Gualala, Mendocino 
county. It had been his intention to engage at his trade, "but finding no open- 
ing he took up outdoor work and found it interesting and healthful, so that 
he continued in the same occupation for about twelve years. Meanwhile he 
was connected with different mills and rose from humble positions to those 
of responsibility. On leaving the sawmill he engaged in farming in the 
valley near Willits. During 1911 he bought out the harness and saddlery 
business of W. H. Berry on Main street and has since enlarged the stock, so 
that he now carries a full line of general harness and saddlery, besides manu- 
facturing to order all kinds of heavy harness. Political affairs have not made 
a forcible appeal to him, but he is stanchly Republican and keeps posted con- 
cerning national issues. Fraternally he is clerk and past commander in the 
local camp. Woodmen of the World, besides being past grand of Willits 
Lodge No. 277, I. O. O. F. Before leaving Illinois he married in Joliet Miss 
Ellen Jones, a native of Wilmington, that state. They are the parents of four 
children, all residents of Willits, as follows: Ernest, employed with the. 
Northwestern Redwood Company ; Grace, who married L. R. Whited ; Mabel, 
wife of Elmer Carner ; and Irene, Mrs. Fred Whited.